Don't become a statistic, 39% of businesses had to close last year because of the winter weather
The winter months are drawing in, bringing with them the things that businesses fear the most. As they brace themselves for the coming bad weather, maybe it's time to reflect on the chaos caused by our last winter, which incurred a toll of £7.3bn to SMEs.
The bad weather, the snow and the ice last year caused around 39% of businesses to be cut off or forced to close its premises due to staff not being able to get in. It's estimated that around 70% of SMEs were affected negatively in some way or another, despite widespread warnings before, so what are businesses doing this year to fight the widespread disruption that's bound to come?
Whilst some businesses are trying to tackle the problem, it is thought that only 10% of businesses have implemented some form of backup plan for staff unable to attend work, as the current economic climate has made it difficult to finance such measures.
Another issue surrounding these business continuity plans is what, exactly, they involve. Most plans seem to only allow employees to remote access their files and projects, whilst the customer/business relationship is left to fend for itself. If your receptionists can't make it into work, what happens to all of your inbound phone calls? Who picks up the phone?
A great business continuity plan would be one that combines technologies, by not only using cloud computing so that employees can work from home, but by also using a backup receptionist service. This is a seamless use of technology that can see your business's phone calls rerouted to a London-based dedicated receptionist team only when you need them. These receptionists can then take calls in your business name, and forward them to any number that you specify, whether it be a home number, a mobile number or another business location.
Backup receptionist services can make sure that you're connected with your clients 100% of the time, in the way their clients expect. Don't let Mother Nature get the better of your business, find out more about the solutions below:
Download our Business Continuity Planning PDF.