In uncertain times, the need to protect your firm’s reputation and business assets assumes even greater importance. Many organisations worry about how they would cope with a major catastrophe such as fire, but what about less obvious disasters? For example, did anyone plan for the collapse of Lehman Brothers? And what would you do if the demise of a core supplier resulted in the loss of your essential IT systems or your premises?.

In recent years, Business Continuity Planning has become a major priority for law practices of all sizes and specialisms, with firms throughout the UK realising that it is important for them not only to review their own continuity plans on a regular basis, but also to examine and assess those of their key dependencies.

Business continuity planning is designed to enable an organisation to withstand interruptions to its business, ensuring that the necessary procedures are in place to allow staff to continue working and data and systems to be recovered. And, whilst major crises like the impending global recession are thankfully rare, it is a fact that serious incidents - and serious losses – do occur, and that a minimal amount of time devoted to continuity planning can pay enormous dividends.

Typical situations in which a plan could prove useful might include:

• Collapse of key dependencies
• Staff losses or redundancies, resulting in lost talent and expertise for the future
• Your landlord going out of business
• If more than 20% of your income comes from one client
• Freezing of clients funds or assets
• Changing priorities in the firm
• The departure or unexpected long-term absence of a company principal or fee-earner

Clearly, each of these scenarios requires a different set of responses, both in terms of incident handling and recovery. But, whether your problem is the total relocation of your business or simply finding someone capable of picking up the workload of a key partner for a few months, having a formal plan in place will help you move forward with the minimum of worry, disruption and delay.

It’s important to realise that planning does not have to be complicated and our approach is simple but effective. We do not confuse you with detailed analysis and reporting but distil essential requirements of a plan into a practical and useable tool.

We have developed a unique “wallet card” approach which enables the early implementation of a workable plan. Even if you have a plan in place our simple but effective approach can assist you communicate your plan and make it more effective.

If you would like to know more about how we can assist you to think and plan for the unthinkable please call or e-mail to arrange an appointment

In the meantime, I hope you will take a little time to review your company’s current procedures and those of your key suppliers and ask yourself – if the worst happened, and disaster struck, would your firm be able to survive?

Contact Patricia Wheatley Burt on +44 (0)7973 721859 or email patricia@trafalgarpeople.com for more information.