When I started my first business, I wanted to believe that everything would go smoothly. I thought that once I started the company and started bringing in customers, I would grow steadily every year. I would be able to retire by the time I was 30 and sip mai tai cocktails in Cancun.
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Unfortunately, I soon discovered that running a business is a life of uncertainty. It is definitely worth it, but you can’t expect that everything is going to run like clockwork. You are going to need to prepare for a lot of stressful issues that you weren’t expecting.
You will be able to roll with these changes and know how to get by over time. Setbacks and disruptions won’t ruin your company, as long as you are ready for them.
There are so many different things that can disrupt a business and take you off-track. This can be anything from plumbing problems to technology issues. The key is to be prepared. Planning for disruptions in advance can minimize the impact and ensure that you get back to normal daily activities as soon as possible. Read on to discover more.
Common disruptions
There are so many disruptions that businesses can experience. Let’s take a look at some common examples…
- Change requests by a client – The biggest change of them all! Clients often change their mind, usually because they do not know what they want to begin with. Managing this is one of the most important parts of business.
- Office problems – There are so many different examples here. Perhaps you need pest control called in? Maybe you have a leaky toilet? The scenarios vary!
- Technology issues – Tech plays such a critical issue in business today, and so data breaches have become one of the most common reasons for disruption.
Planning for disruptions
Every business owner is going to face disruptions. The difference is that some businesses are able to prepare for them, while others are blindsided and driven out of business. You want to end up in the former group.
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One of the main reasons why strategic plans fail is because business owners do not plan for disruption. Change management is an essential part of any business plan, as it’s unlikely that everything will go how you planned it in the beginning. With that in mind, read on to discover some top tips on planning effectively for disruptions:
- Eliminate ambiguity – One of the biggest causes of disruption is ambiguity. If your business plan is not clear, issues can easily arise. Everyone needs to know his or her roles and responsibilities, and how they relate to your business’ overall goals.
- Identify critical business functions – To plan for disruption, you need to identify critical business functions, and then you must adopt a methodical approach to the risks that are posed to them.
- Implement effective communication methods – Effective communication is paramount for strategic success. Every tactical decision needs to be communicated throughout the organization in a clear and impactful manner.
- Make sure you are not simply box-ticking – One of the biggest mistakes that business owners make is putting a plan together that simply involves box-ticking, yet does not reflect your business’ objectives and strategy.
- Reduce complexity – Your plan needs to be clear and concise. Don’t overcomplicate things; keep your plan to a one-page flight map.
- Put a written risk assessment in place – As risk management is a formal process, it needs to be outlined in a written document. This will outline all the steps that need to be taken when any type of business disruption occurs.