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Business continuity advice

Business Continuity Management (BCM) plans help to get your business running normally after an unexpected event or emergency.

If you own a business in Maidstone, you should create a plan that:

  • protects against risks that are relevant to the area
  • outlines emergency response procedures
  • includes clear communication methods

You can learn more about BCM and resilience from The Business Continuity Institute.

EU Entry Exit System (ESS)

The European Union (EU) are introducing the ESS from November 2024. The ESS uses biometric information instead of manual passport stamps. This may cause border delays in Dover and Folkestone, leading to an increase in traffic.

Traffic problems in Kent may affect your business. To keep up to date with the latest information, visit the Kent County Council website.

    Types of risk

    Business owners should make sure they understand the hazards and risks in the local area. You should complete the Kent Community Risk Register (CRR) for each risk.

    Accidents and pandemic diseases

    You must consider the health and safety of your employees. Sickness and accidents in the work place may lead to absent staff and influence the way your business runs.

    Cyber threats

    You must be proactive with your plans to protect your systems and data. Focus on protecting against:

    • social engineering
    • third-party exposure
    • cloud vulnerabilities
    • ransomware
    • Internet of Things (IoT)

    The IoT is the network of connected devices and the technology that connects them. It also includes the cloud.

    Extreme weather

    High or low temperatures, rain and snow can cause problems for businesses. It can affect:

    • water and electricity supplies
    • public transport, roads and highways
    • telecommunication links
    • staff levels

    You can check the Met Office website for weather forecasts or visit Public Health England for advice.

    Flooding

    The lower River Medway runs from Hampstead Lock in Yalding to Allington Lock. The river passes through many areas of the borough including:

    • East Farleigh
    • Wateringbury
    • Teston
    • Teston Park
    • Tovil
    • Maidstone
    • Millenium Park

    Basement and river front properties are at high risk of flood damage. Flooding may also have an effect on utilities and public transport. For more information, see our flooding advice webpage. You can also visit the Environment Agency website.

    Terrorism

    The terrorism threat is updated regularly. It is important to check the current threat levels often. This will help you to prepare for emergencies.

    You can reduce risks to your business by staying vigilant and have security measures in place. You should use your own judgement and knowledge to decide which threats are most relevant to your business.

    If you need to report a threat, you can phone Kent Police on 999 or the anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.

    For the most up-to-date information, visit the National Counter Terrorism Security Office website.

    Utility failures

    Gas, water and electricity supplies are common points of failure. You need to plan how you can continue to provide a service if you cannot access these utilities.

    Creating your plan

    You need to know what products or services your business offers and how you provide them. You should consider:

    • which activities and resources are required to provide your service or products
    • how local risks can effect your delivery of services or products
    • how your activities and resources will be maintained in the event of a disruption

    The plan should be supported by good business practice. This includes staff welfare, building maintenance and cyber security. You should also include the six elements of the BCM cycle.

    The BCM cycle

    The cycle consists of the following steps:

    BCM plan programme

    You need to create and implement your BCM with your day-to-day management processes. Responsibilities must be assigned to your members of staff.

    Understand your organisation

    You need to complete a full 'business impact analysis' and risk assessment. This will help you identify which hazards and vulnerabilities you have.

    Decide on your strategy

    You need to identify the actions needed to ensure that critical activities can continue in the event of an emergency.

    Develop and implement your response plan

    You should maintain an incident and continuity plan. Include how you will recover the critical activities that support your business.

    Maintain and review your plan

    Keep your plan up-to-date and relevant by reviewing and testing it regularly.

    Embed your plan

    A successful plan will become part of your business structure and culture.

    Further information

    For more advice and information you can email businesscontinuity@maidstone.gov.uk

    You can learn more about business continuity by viewing a video which has been created by the Business Continuity Institute.