If you’re an SME, you’re busy making money and keeping daily business under control. The last thing you need is another task, creating something that you may never need to use. But there are many immediate benefits and important reasons for creating a Business Continuity Plan (BCP).

Here are six reasons that will more than justify the effort of creating a BCP...

Company X is proud of its comprehensive Business Continuity Plan (BCP).

If a flood or some other disaster prevents Company X from using its main facility, production will shift to an alternative plant in an elevated area about 20 kilometres away. Supplies will be redirected to this new location. Data stored on the intranet and other information systems will gradually become available over the next 24 hours.

Staff will receive communication by SMS, voice, personal email and Whatsapp. A media release will explain the recovery plan and any implications for customers, investors, suppliers and staff, and provide reassurance for all stakeholders. Staff will return to work the next day, and everything will happen pretty much as it did in the rehearsals that Company X has been conducting religiously every 6-12 months.

Is this a fairytale?