The various peaks and troughs of the pandemic has affected businesses throughout the UK with a number of small and medium enterprises (SME) being forced to close down completely. Although for many it was cash flow that was the main cause of their demise, for others it was partly a lack of resilience and succession planning which left companies unable to operate and survive. Although no one can foresee future events nor plan for every eventuality, there is little doubt that some advance planning can assist in the early days of dealing with a crisis. Unfortunately but understandably, much of the time of SME leaders is focused on sustaining revenues with little spare capacity available to dwell on hypothetical crisis situations, the planning for which is likely to take time and money. Nevertheless as the UK continues to experience a seemingly constant range of challenges beyond the pandemic such as cyber threats, flooding, power outages, transport restrictions and countless others, some pre-planning would be advisable. An example of the unforeseen was the impact on a flooded town centre business; when office furniture made of MDF collapsed, leaving crucial papers and the office computer destroyed but with the latter not backed up offsite. There are countless potential examples of the possible threats facing a business and many of the larger entities have the inclination and resource to develop and maintain resilience plans for the most likely incidents. However, such planning remains a voluntary activity with no obligation on businesses to undertake their development and maintenance. Although one could argue that it is a decision entirely for the business owners, when so many companies are affected simultaneously, the impact on wider society and the government can be significant, as has been evident during the Covid-19 issue.
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