Business Continuity Solutions Guide

Name: Online Optimism
Address: 157 Columbus Ave, 4th Floor, New York, NY, 10023

Extreme weather. Cyber attacks. Health epidemics. There are many events that can disrupt your business at any moment. In today’s economy, business operations and supply chains are geographically dispersed, but highly interconnected—causing organizations to be adversely affected by a catastrophic event. But there are still steps that you can take to help your business operate at its best even during crises.

Although we are a New Orleans business that primarily serves other companies within our region, the problems that we encounter—such as cyber attacks, health pandemics, and natural disasters—are faced by many others outside of our city. We have therefore in this guide tried to include both local as well as national resources to help businesses across the country get back on their feet.

In this guide, we will be focusing on optimal business continuity solutions in the face of three types of crises: natural disasters, cyber attacks, and health pandemics. We will discuss how each kind of disaster affects your business along with specific steps you can take to combat the disaster.

Companies can prepare for the inevitable with the help of Online Optimism’s Business Continuity Solutions Guide.

First Steps in a Crisis

Icon of a webpage with the text "Due to Coronavirus Our Hours are Different"

Trying to navigate business continuity solutions during a crisis can often be quite daunting. Ensuring your staff and customers are informed of your first steps is vital.

There are a number of different resources out there for businesses to use in order to stay on top of any government plans and closures. Depending on the type of crisis, there is likely a dedicated website with official information from your local government. Use these official sites in order to best inform your staff and customers.

For Your Staff

If your business is now operating remotely, ensure that all staff are well equipped with anything they need to work from home successfully.

Set up video conferencing tools and chats to keep you and your team in constant communication. These tools can be utilized even if your company does have to close to keep your staff updated on the business.

If your business is partially closing, create a schedule where shifts are evenly distributed between staff.

Provide your staff with resources about what they can do to remain safe and to recuperate financially.

Check in with any insurance companies related to your business to ensure that everything is up to date and in order. This is going to be crucial to ensure the safety of your staff at the workplace.

Anticipate your staff potentially having to leave work at short notice due to home and family emergencies. If necessary, change any sick-leave or emergency leave policies you may have in the workplace as sudden absences are likely to be inevitable.

Check with your local workforce commission to see if there are any types of reimbursements available for your staff during the crisis and provide them with the information they need to claim them.

For Your Customers

Adjust your business hours and operations on Google My Business, Yelp, and all social media pages.

Pause any upcoming website and social media updates. Some upcoming posts may no longer be relevant, or may even be insensitive in light of the recent crisis.

Create a page on your site dedicated to the changes your business has made due to the crisis. Be sure to include closures, partial closures, changes in operating hours, changes in goods/services available, etc. Link to this page on your social media platforms.

Create an automated voice message for your business phone number that highlights any major changes to your operations.

If you’re a small business with a few clients, schedule a video call with each one to keep them at ease about the services you will either continue to provide, or will resume providing when possible, for them.

Your business may now need to utilize an ecommerce store or a delivery service for continued operations. Research which options may work best for your business.

Discuss how your customer’s needs have changed, and how you can adjust to meet those needs.

Digital Tools in a Crisis

There are several tools that can facilitate business continuity solutions during a crisis. These are some of the tools that Online Optimism has used during past national crises.

Slack

Slack is a useful messaging app that allows team communication to run smoothly. Teams are able to speak via assigned channels in an organized manner. Additionally, the program is useful for sending files and keeping notes.

Google Drive

Google Drive is an online storage program that enables teams to have all their files in one convenient place and easily share them between members. If you don’t already have a cloud backup system, this is a good place to store data online in case of a disaster.

Uber Conference

Uber Conference allows team members to communicate through online video chats. During the the COVID-19 virus, meetings of up to 50 people were permitted. Seeing people face-to-face via chat allows a sense of normalcy while still practicing safe measures.

Google Calendar

Google Calendar gives team members the ability to synchronize their schedules for easier planning. This program also issues reminders of online meetings and phone calls.

Social Media as a Tool

It’s no secret that social media has become a key player in helping us stay connected in times of panic and disaster. Keeping ways to stay connected during a crisis helps everyone stay informed and calm.

LinkedIn is where various industry professionals turn during hard times to network. Instagram and Facebook are more personal platforms used to share updates on local closures and steps towards progress, while Twitter keeps us informed on the crisis by the minute. There are numerous social media features that can support your business continuity solutions and help you maintain connections with employees, clients, and other businesses.

Instagram

Co-watching is the newest launch from Instagram. Essentially, it’s a video chat that allows you to scroll through your feed together. Co-watching is marketed to be a fun feature to share with friends, but it can also be extremely helpful for businesses. You can effortlessly look through potential user-generated content (UGC) or discuss your own Instagram feed with co-workers.
Interactive story features will not only boost the engagement on your page, but can help you connect with your audience. Asking questions, holding polls, and requesting recommendations can help you learn more about your particular customers’ interests.
Share posts and stories mentioning your page to your public story. This feature lets you share news to your followers directly from the source. Just remember when you’re sharing information about a crisis, it’s a good idea to double check that you are sharing from a credible source.
Add your food delivery service straight to your story with Instagram’s new button feature.

Facebook

Cross-post your Instagram Stories to Facebook to seamlessly update your audience on your business’s most recent adjustments to the crisis.
Use fundraising tools, such as a donation button on your page and stickers to your stories, to help you raise money and donate to significant charities related to the crisis.

Twitter/X

Turn on push notifications for News, and Crisis and Emergency Alerts, to receive all breaking news.
Live Brand Studio is a paid live streaming service that gives you access to live analytics, broadcast highlights, encoding software and hardware, and live audience interaction.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn Stories is planned to roll out in mid-2020 and will be a great place to share professional advice and company updates.
The Special Report, located above Today’s News on your home page, shows all important updates in business-related media reflecting the current crisis.

Health Pandemic: COVID-19

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an epidemic means a sudden increase in the numbers of an infectious disease within a community at a particular time.

The COVID-19 pandemic, which significantly impacted businesses worldwide, highlighted the challenges that arise during a global health crisis. Efforts to contain the virus required many businesses to reduce staff, adapt work environments, and implement extensive continuity measures to maintain operations.

In an increasingly interconnected world, health crises of the 21st century have the potential to spread rapidly and widely. To safeguard the well-being of employees, customers, and the organization as a whole, businesses must remain prepared with effective strategies to navigate future health emergencies.

Your Preparation Plan Should Include:

The identified coordinator or team responsible for the preparedness and response plan.
A communication plan that promotes early, transparent, and understandable information to stakeholders and employees in order to build trust in your response. Your communication should be frequent and display accountability by keeping people updated on the epidemic itself, as well as actions being taken by your company to minimize the outbreak’s impact on your business.
An emergency communications plan with key contact information for essential stakeholders, along with processes for communicating employee and company updates.

An updated policy on employee absences for factors related to the epidemic, such as personal illness, government regulated quarantine, and school closure.
Established policies for flexible work environments, such as use of company property off-site, allowances for part-time work, and regulation of staggered hours.
Available improvements for information technology to support flexible work and remote customer access.
Sustainable links to healthcare systems like below.

Health References

World Health Organization (WHO)

Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Natural Disaster: Hurricanes / Floods / Etc.

From hurricanes to floods, New Orleans is no stranger to its share of natural disasters. These disasters have brought many risks to businesses, but the key to survival is to be ready every step of the way. Follow these steps to be prepared.

Preparation

Preparation is a continuous cycle that happens before a disaster strikes. During this phase, you should be planning for any possible outcome and reducing the potential impact of an emergency. This includes:

Preparing contracts to ensure services and materials will still be provided during and after disaster.
Signing up for emergency updates and teaching all evacuation procedures to your employees.
Creating an emergency communication plan.
Backing up all of your important data and keeping essential paperwork in a waterproof container.
Making sure your building is not in need of repairs that could cause potential damage during disaster, including drains and gutters.
Having a third party ready to alert in case of company relocation.
Purchasing and installing any protection against the weather. For example, window shutters during hurricane season, fuel for generators to prepare for power outages, and sand bags in case of floods.
Having cash on hand for all needs after a disaster.

Response

After the natural disaster strikes, begin to respond and recover.

Your first response should be to look up financial assistance at www.disasterassistance.gov. This resource can help ensure money for basic needs, as well as help you track down resources for assistance with business repairs.
Remain cautious and safe during all clean up efforts.
Pay attention to all updates from the local government.

This process is called a cycle because natural disasters are a never-ending risk for businesses. Just be sure to improve upon your planning and recovery every time a disaster strikes to ensure a more efficient outcome. Lastly, always remember that the main goal in facing every disaster is safety and resilience.

Hazard Resources

Alert Systems

Natural Hazards

Hazard Mitigation

Digital Threats: Cyber Attack

If your business has recently discovered a cyber criminal in your network, that cyber criminal has, unfortunately, probably been in your network for months. It takes organizations an average of over six months just to realize that their network has been compromised and they’ve been unsecure.

Most hackers move laterally, or sideways, through a network, allowing them to remain unnoticed even while gaining access to many parts of your network. This means that hackers could have had access to sensitive data like employee social security numbers, client credit cards, or business bank accounts for weeks or even months.

If you have just discovered that you’ve been hacked, these should be your first steps:

Isolate the area(s) of your network where the attack happened. Figure out which parts of your network have been compromised by this cyber crime and separate them from the rest of your network. Disconnect the internet and affected hosts, quarantine (but don’t yet delete) any files placed in your system by the attacker, separate and encrypt personal data, and make sure your firewalls and anti-malware software are up to date. Recreate all usernames and passwords jeopardized by the cyberattack. The goal is to prevent the hacker from gaining access to any further information about your business.
Figure out what was stolen or damaged and who it will affect. Which departments in your organization did the cyber attack impact? Did the hacker obtain any personal information about your employees? What about of your customers? Other businesses whom you partner with? You’ll need to figure out exactly what information the hackers stole as well as how to honestly discuss the breach with affected employees, clients, or third-party organizations.

Learn from the attack. Experiencing a cyber attack is horrible, but you can at least try and make sure that you don’t allow your business to endure another cybercrime in the future. You’ll want to figure out how exactly the breach happened and how you can prevent future attacks of that nature. Vulnerability scanners, firewalls, and antimalware programs can help you understand how the attack occurred and how to prevent future incidents.

Department of Homeland Security Resources

Cyber Security

Ways to Safeguard Yourself in the Future

From natural to technological crises, you and your team need to be prepared to handle various challenging situations with successful business continuity solutions.

The best way to safeguard your business from future crises is to adopt a crisis management team. A crisis management team can help your business proactively prepare for situations by assessing potential crises and determining plans to handle them without harming the business. Situations arise that are difficult to prevent from affecting your business, but there are many preventative measures you can take to safeguard your business in the future. Planning for operational resilience can alleviate concerns in your workplace during dangerous events.

Consider the following ways to safeguard your business:

Perform a risk assessment. Especially in the case of natural disasters like hurricanes, you need to understand how these events will affect your business operations, assets, employees, and clients. This step is critical in preparing your business for potential threats.
Implement cyber security strategies. During crises, your company may be vulnerable to cyberattacks. It’s important to train your employees on the best cybersecurity practices to prevent cyber criminals from accessing your valuable data. Encourage your employees to create strong passwords that cannot be detected and access work files safely while working remotely.
Establish a communication plan. Your business should have a communication plan in place to keep your employees and clients informed before, during, and after critical events. This should also detail how your employees can reach you and other business partners during an emergency. Employees and clients will empathize with businesses facing a crisis, as long as you communicate with them properly.
Regularly revisit and modify your business continuity plans. As your business develops, you may expand to other cities, acquire more employees, and change your infrastructure. You’ll need to update your business continuity solutions frequently to ensure that they still align and work for your business.

Resource for All Disasters

usda.gov/topics/disaster

Keeping Afloat

As tough as it can be to figure out how to keep your business afloat during a crisis, being prepared with business continuity solutions can help safeguard your organization from unpredictable adverse effects. We hope our guide helps you to stay on top of what is important for you and your employees during a crucial time.

Our organization understands the impediments businesses face during a crisis, so we continually try to optimize our efforts to better help our staff, our clients, and our community. We often find that during a time of crisis, our communities come together in ways we never thought possible and emerge stronger as a whole.

Contact Us

Here at Online Optimism, one of our core values is to be exceptionally helpful. We are grateful that we have the capabilities to support our clients remotely even during times of crises. If your business would benefit from our help in any way, feel free to reach out and contact us! We’d be honored to help your organization thrive through a crisis.