Author: FSB Insurance Service
Tags: Company Update, Business Continuity Planning

We’re constantly talking about how important it is to be prepared and have a plan in case disaster disrupts the everyday running of your business, and this week we’re having to follow our own advice!

The team arrived back to work yesterday after the Bank Holiday to find that the office building had suffered severe water damage, and the basement of the building was flooded. Very quickly the building management confirmed that we needed to evacuate until further notice.

Luckily we had a documented Business Continuity Plan ready and have been able to get back to business as (un)usual fairly quickly.

Firstly, we needed to make sure that inbound queries had somewhere to go - our phones would be shut down and although our advisors are able to log into the system remotely, we needed to ensure all calls would be answered while putting our plan into action. We alerted our colleagues at FSB Contact Centre in Blackpool who agreed to us temporarily redirecting inbound calls to them, to take messages and forward urgent enquiries to us by email.

Our Sales Advisors went home and logged into our remote desktop, where they were able to access our systems and broking software. Our Operations and Management team relocated to our MD, David Perry’s kitchen table to co-ordinate our longer term response.

From today (day two), the team have moved into temporary office space and calls are now back to normal, coming directly through to our advisor team. We’re up and running, and although it’s an unusual set up we have, the team is willing and able to continue working with you to give you the best possible insurance advice.

It’s rare we’re able to cite such a direct example of the importance of one of the services we provide, but this is a perfect example of why it is crucial to have strategy in place and ready for these sorts of unpredictable, out-of-our-control events.

Our Business Continuity Planning (BCP) kit, which is accessible only to registered members of FSB Insurance Service, makes it simple and quick to set up an easily-followed Business Continuity Plan. You can get set up by filling out a quick survey about how your business operates, and produce a basic plan ready for almost any scenario.

Also, by following the free guides or by using a specialised software you can create a more complex, in-depth plan for more specialist businesses, and maintain it so that all of your colleagues know their role.

With our offices shut, our services may be a little disrupted but we were prepared and have been able to continue trading, managing to continue broking insurance for our members.

Find out more about our BCP offering and get yourself set up here.