Business resilience vital for growing Lancashire companies

Ahead of an event in Lancashire focused on business resilience Matt O’Hara-Lythgoe, Investigations Manager at Jones Corporate Ltd explains why this issue is so important for businesses.

The need for a business/organisation to be resilient is becoming more and more apparent. `Resilience` builds in sustainability and continuity and can be described as; the ability of an organisation’s business operations to rapidly adapt or respond to internal or external dynamic changes, opportunities, demands, disruptions or threats and continue operations with only a limited impact to the business.

When thinking of resilience or business continuity we often think of preparation against floods or other extreme weather phenomenon. The eruption of the Icelandic volcano in April 2010 which grounded all air traffic in much of Northern Europe is a good example of the global impact of events but it is a very narrow view and does not properly reflect the need for resilience because it limits the view of the decision makers in deciding a reactive approach in favour of a proactive strategy.

You cannot cover every eventuality with a specific plan but you can have a strategy in place that will enable you to deal with any situation of any scale and come out of the other side with limited damage or disruption.

An organisation must make the management of risk a fundamental part of it’s day to day operation. It must prepare, it must plan and it must prove because, if there is one certainty it is this; circumstances are not always under your control and you must be ready because your competitors will be.

Want to know more about business resilience and business continuity planning? Lancashire County Council is running a free event 'Business Resilience for Sustainability' on March 5th at Cotton Court, Preston. Find out more and book your place.