Building a business continuity plan that works for you.
In a world full of uncertainties, there’s always a chance that your business could face disruption, whether it’s caused by a change in regulations, supply chain disruption, or even a data breach.
“Disruptions occur all the time, and for businesses to continue to be relevant in today’s environment, they must begin to anticipate different changes that may impact their business,” explains Christian White, Commercial Banking Leader for South Alabama and the Florida Panhandle at Regions Bank. “We always say, it’s better to recover from a disaster by implementing new components to an existing plan rather than having to create one in the midst of a disaster.”
Even if you already have a continuity plan in place, there’s more you can do today to make sure your business can withstand tomorrow’s disruption.
Many business owners may view continuity planning in the context of natural disasters or other large-scale events like the recent COVID-19 pandemic, but White explains there are many disruptions that could set a business back, such as technology failures, cybercrime, fraud, or security breaches.
“The hard part about business disruption is that you never know what could come next,” White explains. “That’s why it’s really good to have a broad plan that addresses any kind of disruption. Once you know what the disruption is, then you can tailor it to the specifics of what you’re dealing with.”
Evaluating Your Continuity Plan
According to White, businesses should work with their bank to review and strengthen their continuity plan regularly — ideally on an annual basis. Their commercial banker can help identify gaps in the plan and offer solutions or ideas on how to make relevant updates. Likewise, for companies with very specific concerns — such as accessing capital or paying vendors and employees during a crisis — a commercial banker can work with you to identify potential solutions.
“We can address gaps that we may see from a technology standpoint or a risk standpoint, and we can talk to our customers about ways to mitigate those risks,” White says.
By leveraging local teams with industry and area knowledge, Regions’ Commercial bankers take the time to get to know your business and its needs, as well as any particular threats you may need to plan for.
“The local team is able to use all the things that they know about the customer and all the things they know about the industry to create a continuity that is fit specifically for that customer,” White explains. “It really goes back to the relationship that we have, the knowledge of the business, and the knowledge of the industry that allows us to put together a good and solid plan.”
Explore how Regions can help your business persevere through whatever disruption might come next at regions.com/treasurymanagement.
