Business Continuity for the WAHM
By Sarah Reid
Wallypop
What is business continuity planning? Simply put, it’s knowing how your business will be run in the event of an unexpected interruption. For example, what would happen to your business if you needed to be placed on bed rest? If you had to leave town unexpectedly? What if your house (or other business location) is destroyed by a tornado or earthquake? Or your area suffers a multi-day power outage?
Nobody likes to think about these things happening to them, but the fact is that a business interruption of some sort is likely to occur at some point. And, particularly for the WAHM, being prepared is the best way to overcome these types of events.
Developing a business continuity plan needn’t be a lengthy, complicated process. This article will walk you through the basics, and there’s a short example at the end to get you started.
1) Assume a multi-day tragedy for your business that would involve you being unable to access your office or work areas for several days. Make a list of each of the tasks you would need to be able to complete. This list might include things such as sending a note to your mailing list (or posting at your regular message boards) that you will be out of contact for a few days, finding a way to access orders and manage your inventory, or keeping track of orders you’ve placed with your suppliers. Your list likely wouldn’t include everyday tasks such as responding to customer inquiries or actually filling orders, as these are tasks that could wait for a day or two.
2) Now assume a situation that would keep you away from your office for over a week, and list tasks you’d need to complete in that case. For example, this list would probably include filling customer orders and responding to inquiries.
3) Starting with your first list, then moving to your second, start to write out (or even just think through, if you want a more casual plan) how you would accomplish the tasks. If you’re writing them out, write them out assuming that you would need to have someone else perform the task for you, perhaps even without your assistance. Include details such as website URLs, usernames and passwords, and file locations. Print off each of these documents and place them in a file folder labeled “Business Continuity.”
4) Write up a business calendar. This is a good idea, anyway. List out every periodical task you must complete for your business. For example, you must file income taxes each year (or each quarter). You must pay sales taxes regularly. Perhaps you have to file a business information statement with your state. List the due dates of these filings and payments (and any other recurring task) and keep the document with the rest of your Business Continuity files.
5) Print hard copies of key documents for your Business Continuity file. In my file, I keep a list of usernames and passwords for all of my online accounts (in case I am unable to access a computer and need to have someone else send an email, access an online account, or complete other password-protected tasks for me). I also keep contact information for key business contacts, such as each of my wholesale customers. Last, my file contains a big note that says “For help, call or IM the following people” and gives the names of 2-3 fellow WAHMs who I know would be happy to help out in a pinch.
6) Place your Business Continuity file in a safe, accessible location. My file is in my family’s safe, and I keep a backup copy at my mom’s house. Be sure to review your files every 3-6 months to ensure that everything stays up to date. And, let your family members and perhaps a sympathetic fellow WAHM know the locations of these documents and that they should access them if you are indisposed.
7) If you don’t have time right now to go through this formal process, at least discuss the topic with your spouse or partner over dinner some night. Go over the things you’d need him or her to do in the event of an emergency. For example, my husband knows that if I ever get stuck away from home for a day or two, he needs to access my email and let anyone who’s placed an order know that it will be delayed by a day or two. He also knows where to find the password for my email program.
8) Last, practice good business practices to help avoid problems in emergency situations. File your quarterly tax returns as early as you can, rather than waiting until the day they’re due. That way, if illness strikes the day before a payment’s due, you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to complete your filing. Try not to get behind on orders, so if you’re out of touch for a few days, there’s a smaller pile to come back to. And always practice good customer communication, so if you suddenly go out of touch for a few days, people will know that you’re experiencing an unusual situation and will understand about any delays.
Sample documents:
If I couldn’t access my office for 2 days, I’d need to:
- Let customers and others know I’m inaccessible
- Keep track of incoming orders
- Complete any filings or payments that are due
If I couldn’t access my office for over a week, I’d need to:
- Complete each of the above tasks
- Fill and ship incoming orders
- Manage my inventory
- If at all possible, find a way to sew custom orders and keep instock store stocked. If not possible, update webpage to note that custom orders are suspended until further notice.
Then a procedure document for updating the webpage with a note that I’m inaccessible and custom orders are suspended would read:
1) Log on to website control panel (give URL, username, and password)
2) Click on Files icon
3) Locate Index file and open it
4) Add a note here that I am inaccessible, etc.
5) Save and update the file by clicking “Save.”
6) Locate Custom file and open it
7) Add a note here that custom orders are being suspended until further notice.
8) Save and update the file by clicking “Save.”
The document is not needlessly complex, but it does give all of the information that a relative would need to complete the task without my involvement. Now, if I’m involved in a car accident and am in the ICU, I doubt that my husband’s first thought would be “gosh, I better update the website to reflect that Sarah’s not available right now.” However, at some point, he would be able to locate the documents and complete any necessary tasks without me there to help.
Wallypop
What is business continuity planning? Simply put, it’s knowing how your business will be run in the event of an unexpected interruption. For example, what would happen to your business if you needed to be placed on bed rest? If you had to leave town unexpectedly? What if your house (or other business location) is destroyed by a tornado or earthquake? Or your area suffers a multi-day power outage?
Nobody likes to think about these things happening to them, but the fact is that a business interruption of some sort is likely to occur at some point. And, particularly for the WAHM, being prepared is the best way to overcome these types of events.
Developing a business continuity plan needn’t be a lengthy, complicated process. This article will walk you through the basics, and there’s a short example at the end to get you started.
1) Assume a multi-day tragedy for your business that would involve you being unable to access your office or work areas for several days. Make a list of each of the tasks you would need to be able to complete. This list might include things such as sending a note to your mailing list (or posting at your regular message boards) that you will be out of contact for a few days, finding a way to access orders and manage your inventory, or keeping track of orders you’ve placed with your suppliers. Your list likely wouldn’t include everyday tasks such as responding to customer inquiries or actually filling orders, as these are tasks that could wait for a day or two.
2) Now assume a situation that would keep you away from your office for over a week, and list tasks you’d need to complete in that case. For example, this list would probably include filling customer orders and responding to inquiries.
3) Starting with your first list, then moving to your second, start to write out (or even just think through, if you want a more casual plan) how you would accomplish the tasks. If you’re writing them out, write them out assuming that you would need to have someone else perform the task for you, perhaps even without your assistance. Include details such as website URLs, usernames and passwords, and file locations. Print off each of these documents and place them in a file folder labeled “Business Continuity.”
4) Write up a business calendar. This is a good idea, anyway. List out every periodical task you must complete for your business. For example, you must file income taxes each year (or each quarter). You must pay sales taxes regularly. Perhaps you have to file a business information statement with your state. List the due dates of these filings and payments (and any other recurring task) and keep the document with the rest of your Business Continuity files.
5) Print hard copies of key documents for your Business Continuity file. In my file, I keep a list of usernames and passwords for all of my online accounts (in case I am unable to access a computer and need to have someone else send an email, access an online account, or complete other password-protected tasks for me). I also keep contact information for key business contacts, such as each of my wholesale customers. Last, my file contains a big note that says “For help, call or IM the following people” and gives the names of 2-3 fellow WAHMs who I know would be happy to help out in a pinch.
6) Place your Business Continuity file in a safe, accessible location. My file is in my family’s safe, and I keep a backup copy at my mom’s house. Be sure to review your files every 3-6 months to ensure that everything stays up to date. And, let your family members and perhaps a sympathetic fellow WAHM know the locations of these documents and that they should access them if you are indisposed.
7) If you don’t have time right now to go through this formal process, at least discuss the topic with your spouse or partner over dinner some night. Go over the things you’d need him or her to do in the event of an emergency. For example, my husband knows that if I ever get stuck away from home for a day or two, he needs to access my email and let anyone who’s placed an order know that it will be delayed by a day or two. He also knows where to find the password for my email program.
8) Last, practice good business practices to help avoid problems in emergency situations. File your quarterly tax returns as early as you can, rather than waiting until the day they’re due. That way, if illness strikes the day before a payment’s due, you don’t have to worry about how you’re going to complete your filing. Try not to get behind on orders, so if you’re out of touch for a few days, there’s a smaller pile to come back to. And always practice good customer communication, so if you suddenly go out of touch for a few days, people will know that you’re experiencing an unusual situation and will understand about any delays.
Sample documents:
If I couldn’t access my office for 2 days, I’d need to:
- Let customers and others know I’m inaccessible
- Keep track of incoming orders
- Complete any filings or payments that are due
If I couldn’t access my office for over a week, I’d need to:
- Complete each of the above tasks
- Fill and ship incoming orders
- Manage my inventory
- If at all possible, find a way to sew custom orders and keep instock store stocked. If not possible, update webpage to note that custom orders are suspended until further notice.
Then a procedure document for updating the webpage with a note that I’m inaccessible and custom orders are suspended would read:
1) Log on to website control panel (give URL, username, and password)
2) Click on Files icon
3) Locate Index file and open it
4) Add a note here that I am inaccessible, etc.
5) Save and update the file by clicking “Save.”
6) Locate Custom file and open it
7) Add a note here that custom orders are being suspended until further notice.
8) Save and update the file by clicking “Save.”
The document is not needlessly complex, but it does give all of the information that a relative would need to complete the task without my involvement. Now, if I’m involved in a car accident and am in the ICU, I doubt that my husband’s first thought would be “gosh, I better update the website to reflect that Sarah’s not available right now.” However, at some point, he would be able to locate the documents and complete any necessary tasks without me there to help.
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