Continuity Compliance https://www.continuitycompliance.org Business Blog Fri, 14 Apr 2023 07:11:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/cropped-briefcase-32x32.png Continuity Compliance https://www.continuitycompliance.org 32 32 How Can Business Continuity Improve Online Dating https://www.continuitycompliance.org/how-can-business-continuity-improve-online-dating/ https://www.continuitycompliance.org/how-can-business-continuity-improve-online-dating/#respond Fri, 14 Apr 2023 07:10:30 +0000 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/?p=98 Dating apps have become very popular in recent years. A survey by Statista found that approximately 30% of U.S. adults had used a dating app as of 2021, up from 11% in 2013. While dating apps are getting more and more popular,

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Dating apps have become very popular in recent years. A survey by Statista found that approximately 30% of U.S. adults had used a dating app as of 2021, up from 11% in 2013. While dating apps are getting more and more popular, more fraudsters are trying to abuse them. At the same time, another business concept, business continuity, is also going through solid growth. Many dating companies start to consider business continuity as a necessary solution to security concerns. We asked the experts from a popular service for Portland dating and they shared how business continuity makes dating apps more reliable and secure. 

What is business continuity?

Business continuity is the term used to describe the ability of an organization to survive a crisis and keep its critical operations and services in case a disruption or disaster happens. The crisis can be caused by natural forces or human actions, such as cyber-attacks, power outages, or other unexpected events. Business continuity is aimed at ensuring the proper functioning and fast recovery of an organization. The idea is to minimize the negative effects on employees, customers, and stakeholders after a disruption to operations happens.

Business continuity includes creating strategies, plans, and procedures, as well as conducting regular testing, training, and maintenance. All these steps are needed to spot and mitigate risks and protect the necessary business functions and assets. 

How can dating app companies use business continuity?

For dating app companies, business continuity can include developing strategies to tackle server outages and cyber-attacks, preventing the negative effect of disruptions on user privacy and user experience. What can dating companies do in particular?

Invest in IT infrastructure

Investing in a powerful IT infrastructure is a common measure while introducing business continuity into a dating company. This step can encompass redundant servers and backup power systems needed to maintain the constant availability of the app. In addition, dating companies can choose to carry out regular testing and maintenance of their IT infrastructure. This activity helps them identify and tackle threats in advance. 

Contingency planning

One more option to ensure dating app survival in terms of disruption is to make a contingency plan. Such a plan includes the steps that should be taken by the company before a problem becomes an emergency. There can be a plan for responding to natural disasters in countries where this app operates. Or this plan can explain what to do to protect user data and profiles against scammers and fraudsters. Some protocols can define actions against data breaches or other security incidents.

Extra security measures

Another crucial step in ensuring business continuity for a dating app company is taking additional security measures, such as encryption, firewalls, and user authentication. This way, the company improves the security of user profiles from cyber threats, which is crucial for any dating service. 

Introduce safety buttons

A good way to quickly learn about a potential fraud is to let dating app users be your loyal helpers in this fight. Dating app users can quickly report any fraudulent activity, block suspicious users, or report strange behavior of other members. Some dating apps introduce “Panic” buttons, which let users quickly call emergency services or a predefined emergency contact if something unsafe starts to happen on the date. Tinder is one of the popular apps that introduced such functionality. It helps users feel safer while interacting with the app and dating, and this way it contributes to business continuity. 

Extra measures for avoiding fake profiles

Protecting the dating app from fraudsters is also a part of business continuity for dating app owners. Safety features can include extra measures for the verification of user identities and backgrounds. These steps can decrease fraudulent activity and build user trust. 

Proper customer support

Customer support is crucial to improving user satisfaction and at the same time quickly identifying issues and this way preventing true disasters and disruptions. This measure can include establishing a 24/7 support team, developing detailed user FAQs, and creating user-friendly interfaces that allow users to easily report issues or problems with the app.

To sum up, the growth of dating apps has also raised security concerns related to online dating. Business continuity seems a viable solution to keep a seamless functioning of a dating service.

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9 Strategies That Will Guarantee Business Continuity https://www.continuitycompliance.org/9-strategies-that-will-guarantee-business-continuity/ Tue, 02 Aug 2022 13:12:48 +0000 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/?p=80 When the going gets tough, do you look at your business continuity or bury your head in the sand? It sounds like an MBA candidate would ask a typical question before getting knocked out of the running for an industry-leading job. Though,

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When the going gets tough, do you look at your business continuity or bury your head in the sand? It sounds like an MBA candidate would ask a typical question before getting knocked out of the running for an industry-leading job. Though, that is not what I meant. 

Business continuity is essential for any company, and businesses will benefit from implementing a few simple strategies.

Empower the IT Team

The IT team is the backbone of any business. It’s their job to keep the company running smoothly and efficiently.

And if you want your business to keep running smoothly and efficiently, you must ensure that your IT team has all the tools they need for success.

That means empowering them with information about the business’s needs and goals so they can develop strategies for meeting them. And it also means ensuring they have enough support from people in other departments so they can focus on their work without worrying about things like payroll, human resources issues or HR complaints.

If you don’t, your IT team will feel under-resourced and overwhelmed. This leads to frustration and resentment among employees who feel ignored or left out of important decisions in favour of other departments. 

Maintain a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

A VPN is a secure connection that allows you to access your network anywhere. It’s beneficial if you’re the CEO of a small business with multiple offices around the country. You can use a VPN to connect your office computers to the company’s central server and share files and resources securely. 

The VPN also encrypts all traffic, so if something goes wrong with one computer, it won’t affect other machines on the network.

Enable Secure Remote Access

Business continuity is about accessing your business from anywhere, but it’s also about ensuring that you can do so securely. Your users need to be able to access your applications and systems from any location on earth and any device. You’ll leave yourself vulnerable to potential threats if you cannot provide this.

The first step in providing secure remote access is enabling the appropriate connectivity options on your system. This will depend on the type of application and its requirements, but most designs are likely to have some kind of internet connectivity available. You may also want to consider adding a secondary connection if one fails or gets blocked by an attacker.

Employ Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication is a must for companies, especially businesses that offer sensitive data. Multi-factor authentication uses two or more methods to gain a system’s access. The most common method is something you know (e.g., password) and something you have (e.g., phone). Using something you are is also possible (e.g., fingerprint).

The benefits of multi-factor authentication are many:

  1. It makes it harder for hackers to take over your account if they get hold of your credentials or if they manage to steal them from somewhere on your computer or device.
  2. It reduces the risk of a data breach because only authorized users can access sensitive data while logged in to the system.
  3. It protects against phishing attacks, where attackers trick people into divulging their credentials by impersonating legitimate services or even pretending to be the victim themselves!

Use Cloud Solutions to Maintain Connectivity and Productivity

Cloud solutions can help you maintain connectivity and productivity even when the power is out.

Your business doesn’t have to worry about infrastructure or hardware maintenance with a cloud solution. 

If there’s a problem with your network connection, it doesn’t matter because the cloud lets your employees access their files from anywhere in the world. And if there’s a problem with your computer or device, the cloud automatically lets you download the latest software updates and patches. You don’t have to wait for IT professionals to fix it — all you have to do is click “Update Now!”

Cloud solutions are also great for remote workers who need access to their company files from home or while travelling. A mobile application that allows you to access files from anywhere in the world is perfect for people who work from home or travel frequently, allowing them to continue working even if they can’t access their office computers.

Utilize Unified Communications

A business continuity plan that does not include unified communications is like a car without a steering wheel. It’s just not going to work.

Unified communications (UC) links different networks and systems into one network, allowing users to communicate with their internal and external business partners while operating in real-time. 

This means that an employee working on an issue with one system can continue communicating with others while working on the problem. This results in increased productivity and better customer service.

To make this work, you need an integrated communication solution that you can access from any device. This can include Skype for Business, Microsoft Teams or Slack for Business.

Set up a Work-From-Home Policy and Procedure

The most critical aspect of business continuity is planning the day the business closes its doors. By having a plan, you can notify and prepare them, knowing what to do to ensure their safety and that of their families. The best way to ensure this is by setting up a policy and procedure for working from home during an emergency.

Employees should log into their company computer system and check in with their supervisor or manager. This will let them know what they are doing and why they are doing it so that no one remains in the dark about any changes or developments regarding their projects or assignments. 

Suppose there are unforeseen circumstances, such as natural disasters or similar emergencies. In that case, employees should immediately contact their supervisor or manager to determine whether any changes are required to continue working from home on an emergency basis.

Ensure your Employees are Covered

It’s not just about your business. It’s about the people who work for you and what happens if their health care or income gets interrupted.

Employees can become critical to your business continuity plan because they may need to continue working when normal operations cease. For example, if there is a fire at your office building, employees will likely have to evacuate and return once the blaze is out. 

Companies must ensure their employees have cover during a disaster and have insurance to be reimbursed for lost wages or medical expenses if needed.

Develop an Incident Management Plan

You need to create an incident management plan. This will ensure that you have an effective method of handling any issues that arise during the day-to-day running of your business.

To develop this plan, you will need to identify what events could affect your business and how these could impact the operation of your company. You can do this by asking yourself questions such as:

  • What are the most common problems we encounter?
  • How do these problems affect our business?
  • What steps do we take when something goes wrong?

Once you have identified these types of issues, you will then be able to develop an incident management plan that can help you deal with any problems that may occur in the future.

Ensure Your Business Is Growing and on Standby!

This way, you will be able to keep your business running at full speed without having to break a sweat. Make sure you take care of these things, and your company will always run smoothly.

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8 Awesome Team Building Activities: For Your Next Corporate Retreat https://www.continuitycompliance.org/8-awesome-team-building-activities-for-your-next-corporate-retreat/ Tue, 02 Aug 2022 13:09:48 +0000 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/?p=75 Imagine your group of employees getting together for a retreat to bond and learn more about themselves and each other. Conceptualize them coming back from the weekend with renewed energy, better camaraderie, and a closer team. Team-building activities are all about workmates

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Imagine your group of employees getting together for a retreat to bond and learn more about themselves and each other.

Conceptualize them coming back from the weekend with renewed energy, better camaraderie, and a closer team. Team-building activities are all about workmates coming together to have fun.

Instead of just dumping money in the team building activities budget as an afterthought, plan and make it part of your onboarding program.

 If you invest in some creative exercises, you’ll reap the rewards of being well-equipped to face the challenges of being a team.

You don’t have to be a genius to run an effective team-building activity. These activities can be as simple as getting people together in one room and discussing the company’s future. 

The key is ensuring everyone feels they’ve contributed something worthwhile and enjoyed themselves.

Here are eight awesome team-building activities that can help make your next corporate retreat productive and memorable:

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1. Go On A Scavenger Hunt.

It is one of the most popular team-building activities because it’s so easy to put together and doesn’t require much planning or supplies. 

All you need is a list of items your team must find and bring back to the starting point for each round. It’s a great way for everyone to get outside and move while having fun.

A scavenger hunt is fun to let employees get out of the office and explore their city. Depending on how many people attend your retreat, it can be an individual or group activity.

The idea behind a scavenger hunt is simple – every person gets a list of items they need to find to complete their list. 

These items could be photos of landmarks, funny signs, or even something as simple as taking selfies with strangers. 

Once everyone has completed their lists, all participants meet back at the starting point for one final task before heading home!

2. Head Out For A Hike

Hiking is one of the best ways to get to know one another on an outdoor excursion. It’s also easy to set up; all you need is good weather and a trail map, so everyone knows where they’re going. 

If you’ve got some newbies on your team who might not have participated in a hike, don’t worry — there’s no better way to teach someone how than by doing it yourself.

Hiking is one of the best team-building activities because it allows you to bond over an activity you all enjoy doing together. Not only will you get some exercise, but you’ll also get to know each other better by talking about topics that aren’t work-related. 

If you’re looking for something more challenging than just taking a stroll through the woods, try backpacking or mountaineering!

3. Take Over A Bar.

A bar takeover is a fun way to get everyone together in one place. Set up a few tables or a dance floor at your chosen venue and get ready to have fun. You can bring in a bartender if you want, but it’s also fun if everyone gets involved in making drinks — especially if they’re doing shots.

4. Table Games

These games are also known as casino games on websites such as https://topcasinoer.net/. They are always popular with groups because they’re fun and exciting.  They also provide an excellent opportunity for people from different departments or teams to interact with one another in an informal setting. 

These games are ideal for corporate retreats or whenever you want some fun with your coworkers.

5. Marshmallow Challenge

 The Marshmallow Challenge is a great team-building activity for your next corporate retreat. It’s also a lot of fun because you’re forced to work with your friends and colleagues. 

The challenge is simple: you have to eat one marshmallow while chatting and answering questions, then the next marshmallow while working together on a problem that needs solving.

This challenge aims to test people’s ability to work in pairs, communicate effectively, and collaborate on a task.

It’s also an excellent way to get your employees acquainted with each other and build teamwork skills.

6. Human Knot

Human Knot, also known as human knotting or knotted cord, is a team-building game that helps people learn to work together. 

A ball attached to a rope should be at the center of the game and then wrapped around four poles. 

Each team member takes turns wrapping their hands around the cord and pulling on it until they can no longer hold their hands up. The last member standing wins.

This activity is excellent for team bonding and developing communication skills between group members. 

It’s also an effective way to help employees develop leadership skills by showing them how they should be leading their teams if they were in charge.

7. Blindfold Competition

The game aims to build a structure using only your hands and feet. The design must start to finish in one hour, with no cheating allowed. 

You’ll need to form groups of four willing to work together but do not have anyone else involved in the group (e.g., partners).

Once everyone is blindfolded, they will get instruction on how to safely carry out their task without others hindering them with their actions.

 For example, if another team member attempts to help them construct the structure, they should stop working and ignore this person’s assistance until it is over with

8. Treasure Hunt 

A treasure hunt can occur anywhere, from the office to the local park. It does not matter where you choose to store your treasure hunt, as long as there is enough space for everyone to participate.

The first step in setting up a treasure hunt is deciding how many participants will be there. A good rule of thumb is about half the number of people participating in the activity. If you want ten people to experience it, then make sure at least five or six others wish to join you.

The next step is to decide which items need to hide around where you plan on having your treasure hunt held. You can use many different things such as candy bars, toys or games that require skills like darts or soccer balls.

Work and Play 

The primary goal of team-building activities is to help create a sense of community and strengthen relationships within the group. 

As such, you’ll want activities that require input from everyone, encourage collaboration and involve everyone in the process.

It was amazing to see how well things came together as a result of these exercises and made an unforgettable impression on many team members involved.

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Continuity of small business https://www.continuitycompliance.org/continuity-of-small-business/ Fri, 27 Aug 2021 14:24:32 +0000 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/?p=40 Data loss statistics for small businesses vary, but are always disappointing. Studies have shown that more than 40% of companies around the world, when faced with a major data loss, shut down permanently. And more than 90% of organizations where the data

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Data loss statistics for small businesses vary, but are always disappointing. Studies have shown that more than 40% of companies around the world, when faced with a major data loss, shut down permanently. And more than 90% of organizations where the data center was down for more than 10 consecutive days went bankrupt within a year.

Clearly, it is not a good idea to try to transfer the experience of large corporations to the practices of small businesses: it is difficult for them to determine acceptable downtime from the assumption of acceptable losses. The management of small companies will not organize reserve personnel or plan their actions in the event of a building collapse, following the example of large businesses. Intuitively, the most accessible and important thing is highlighted, which is exactly the recovery of data – DR.

From the VSM perspective, data is an exceptional asset, and it is its continuity that allows organizations to continue their operations. Thus, data recovery is essential to identifying any organization after a disruptive impact. In fact, small businesses perceive data recovery as a surrogate for business continuity, although for business processes, equipment and personnel management, continuity is substantially more maintenance. It is also worth noting that it is important to understand the significance of time factors for the resumption of work processes and clearly prioritize tasks, that is, to subordinate the entire process to the logic of the WSM.

To ensure the continuity of small business, it is necessary to answer these questions:

  • What do we need to recover first to stay in business?
  • What do our customers need to have confidence in our stability?
  • What do our partners need in order to safely continue to fulfill our orders?
  • What do our suppliers insist on in order not to interrupt business with us?

The main task is to organize DR according to the logic of the formation of RTO norms, i.e. to formulate the value of RTO for the business as a whole and RPO values for each block of IT functions, which are acceptable for the business. Based on the values of RTO and RPO and should be formed Service Level Agreement, SLA.

It should be understood that the Service Level Agreement (SLA) that is drafted sets the requirements for the IT infrastructure and competence of the performer. This means that you must have a data recovery infrastructure adequate to the business objectives. Ill-constructed infrastructure can bring unnecessary costs. It is unacceptable for a Service Level Agreement to be formulated without reference to business objectives. Thus, small business management faces the challenge of ensuring that the IT infrastructure is adequate to the content of a Service Level Agreement that meets business continuity objectives.

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Disaster recovery and business continuity for small businesses https://www.continuitycompliance.org/disaster-recovery-and-business-continuity-for-small-businesses/ Tue, 27 Jul 2021 14:20:01 +0000 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/?p=36 When analyzing IT service, availability and continuity are two fundamental concepts. A simple example of importance: a mail server is continuously running, but there is no access to it or, conversely, there is access, but the server is stopped. Only a combination

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When analyzing IT service, availability and continuity are two fundamental concepts. A simple example of importance: a mail server is continuously running, but there is no access to it or, conversely, there is access, but the server is stopped. Only a combination of both conditions allows the user to view his messages, send new ones, etc. There is another full-time “player” on whose competence a lot depends – the administrator of the service.

After the terrorist attack in New York on September 11, 2001, the topic of Business Continuity Management (BCM) became popular, which encapsulated all aspects, including IT. Thus, the availability and continuity of IT services came under the same name “business continuity”. In the world of data backup, there has been a conflation of business continuity with disaster recovery. It’s important to understand that these are two different concepts. Of course, in a disaster, few people care about the definition of the terms, but a misunderstanding can put an organization at considerable risk through inadequate planning. A sure way to overcome the chaos of data loss is to learn the difference between disaster recovery and business continuity.

It is worth noting that in Russia, the use of the term “business continuity” cannot be considered correct, because our language associates the word “business” mainly with entrepreneurial activity. Thus, it is possible to get the wrong definition for our perception, such as “ensuring business continuity of the tax inspectorate”. In fact, such a term refers to the business activity of an organization (any government, commercial, or nonprofit entity) as a whole.

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Steps in implementing the business continuity process https://www.continuitycompliance.org/steps-in-implementing-the-business-continuity-process/ Sun, 27 Jun 2021 14:13:45 +0000 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/?p=32 Development of basic normative documents regulating the relevant issue. Conducting an analysis of the impact of crisis/incidents on the company’s operations and processes.A complete picture of the company’s activity is made; a list of processes/functions is compiled, and the type of impact

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  • Development of basic normative documents regulating the relevant issue.
  • Conducting an analysis of the impact of crisis/incidents on the company’s operations and processes.
    A complete picture of the company’s activity is made; a list of processes/functions is compiled, and the type of impact on business (material, economic, reputational), dependence on information resources, and maximum downtime are determined.
  • analysis and assessment of risks.
  • Such activity provides understanding and acceptance of potential threats, as well as their consequences and sources, identifies vulnerabilities of the company and allows finding possible options to avoid or eliminate such threats or consequences.

    The risk assessment is a basis for further development of the business continuity strategy and optimal scenarios of its implementation.

    1. Company strategy development.

    Strategies will include model scenarios, the consequences of which negatively affect the company, block or limit its activities. Typically, these scenarios cover issues of inaccessibility of premises, personnel, limited use or loss of IT resources, etc. Scenarios provide an objective view of the company’s operations, prioritizing areas/processes, minimum resources needed for recovery, and measures to minimize the risks of such scenarios.

    1. Development and implementation of business continuity plans.

    The plans are a clearly defined list of actions and responsible parties that ensure the emergency recovery and, if possible, the normal functioning of the company after an incident/crisis/disaster. International best practices identify three elements for creating an effective and efficient plan – response, incident/crisis management and business recovery.

    The U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has developed a methodology that defines and describes model business continuity plans, emphasizing that the plans should not just provide technical solutions, but should contain a clear organizational model for behavior in crisis situations.

    1. Plan testing and training.

    Testing and training are indispensable elements of the continuity process, because awareness, awareness and practice of the plans help to avoid certain mistakes during the crisis and, in a certain way, to minimize the recovery time of the company.

    1. Updating the plans.

    Updating is done on a regular basis, also in cases of changes in structure, technical conditions or requirements, legislation, the identification of vulnerabilities during testing.

    Considering the above, business continuity is quickly becoming an important and integral element of any company. Therefore, it is worth emphasizing a few basic points that define the development of this activity, as well as its important elements.

    Business continuity is a set of predetermined actions that a company applies to prevent and respond to threats. This process ensures the company’s ability to continuously provide services, minimize the impact of crisis situations on its activities and reduce the possible losses from these situations.

    Business Continuity is a complex mechanism, the operation of which requires the application of not only organizational, but also technical measures. In any case, the issue of continuity is global. That is, protection is required for the company as a whole, but not for a separate element. Modern approaches and solutions can not only ensure the continuity of IT resources, but also provide an opportunity, albeit sometimes limited, for the operation of the company, protection of personnel and access to necessary resources.

    It is indisputable that when forming the continuity process, one of the key elements is the issue of information security, in particular the resources used by the business (data, hardware and software complexes, appropriate personnel).

    Defining only the technical means will not ensure the proper functioning of business continuity process. Moreover, it is required to define critical business processes which will be restored by technical means, the impact on business, risk analysis and, directly, the formation of business continuity process itself.

    Almost every stage of continuity is implemented thanks to the staff and employees of the company. That is, the presence of qualified, trained employees is the key to effective implementation of business continuity plans. And training and informing the personnel about the measures and actions to restore functioning should become an integral element of the company’s daily work.

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    Business Continuity: New Trend or Necessity https://www.continuitycompliance.org/business-continuity-new-trend-or-necessity/ Thu, 27 May 2021 14:07:40 +0000 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/?p=28 Business Continuity is a comprehensive process that helps identify potential threats and their impact on the normal course of business. This process enables a company to prepare in advance and determine a course of action to ensure the most efficient management of

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    Business Continuity is a comprehensive process that helps identify potential threats and their impact on the normal course of business. This process enables a company to prepare in advance and determine a course of action to ensure the most efficient management of the company in cases of significant incidents or disasters.

    Today, almost all market players strive to automate business processes as much as possible and to reduce the human impact on their implementation. On the one hand, this is a positive aspiration. However, on the other hand – given the increasing number and complexity of cyberattacks – automation becomes the most vulnerable element of the company, which can significantly halt or paralyze its activities.

    The research indicates that less than 30% of the rated companies allocate financial resources to the development and implementation of business continuity management processes. The low level of companies’ interest in allocating a separate process and investing in its development may be caused by difficulties in understanding technical processes. Plus the rather high cost of IT products, which will ensure the implementation of an automated business continuity process for the company.

    One of the basic international standards for business continuity management is ISO 22301, whose main objective is to guide a company in finding an effective approach to minimizing the consequences caused by the risks and threats to which it is exposed.

    According to ISO 22301 Business Continuity Management is a comprehensive management process, which identifies potential threats to the company and their impact on the functioning of business processes, and defines the basis for an effective system capable of containing and counteracting such threats.

    The business continuity management process itself is very simple schematically. However, it contains many elements and key issues that must be taken into account when developing a continuity system for a particular company.

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    6 steps to creating a successful business blog https://www.continuitycompliance.org/6-steps-to-creating-a-successful-business-blog/ Tue, 27 Apr 2021 13:37:34 +0000 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/?p=18 A business blog can be an effective tool for drawing attention to a company – with its help, you can increase your customer base and provide information about your products. Define your goals Maintaining a business blog is a long-term commitment: an

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    A business blog can be an effective tool for drawing attention to a company – with its help, you can increase your customer base and provide information about your products.

    Define your goals

    Maintaining a business blog is a long-term commitment: an investment of time, energy, and effort. As soon as you stop updating it and sharing relevant information, there will be no interest in it. So from the beginning, ask yourself the following questions:

    Why am I doing this?
    What do I want to get out of the blog?
    What will my audience get out of it?
    Maybe you’re going to boost sales, or increase the number of clients, or build a business from the ground up, or become the face of a brand, or write a book in general. Depending on what you need, you’ll develop a content plan. Beware of vague categories; your goals should be as specific and detailed as possible. Every time you come up with another topic to write about or determine content, you should refer back to your main objectives and ask yourself how well they fit with your plans.

    Research your audience

    To create relevant and useful content, you need to know your audience and what they want. You have to meet their need for specific information – exactly what they’re missing. Remember, you can’t please everyone at once.

    If you’re providing specific services to a general audience, explain the processes in simpler language, detailing all the mechanics you describe. If you’re the founder of a B2B service and an expert in a specific niche, look for new information useful to professionals. Use your website and social media analytics to find out the socio-demographic makeup of your audience and build a specific reader profile, so you can get started on creating your blog.

    Determine the frequency of entries

    Consistency is the foundation of blogging. You need to solidify reader expectations and keep a reasonable schedule. How much time are you going to devote to creating valuable content? How many posts can you realistically manage to write without forcing yourself to sit through them overnight? The key is not frequency, but regularity.

    If you stop sticking to this parameter, people will get tired of waiting for new content and won’t come back to your blog pages. In addition, the information must be useful and well designed, and if you force yourself to write often, it can have a bad effect on the quality of the material.

    Create an editorial calendar

    Chances are, you already have a lot of ideas you want to pursue – now it’s just a matter of fixing them. Creating an editorial calendar will make working on your blog much more efficient – you’ll know what day, what time, and what material is due out. There are plenty of tools for creating such a calendar, from Google Docs to various task managers.

    Instead of looking at them, let’s focus on the main thing – what items your plan should include. These are posting date, author, title, status, section, tags, notes and call to action.

    The editorial calendar and material schedule shouldn’t pressure you-it’s okay if you don’t keep up with something, since it’s not your core business. The main purpose of this tool is to organize you and make sure you have at least a rough idea of what you’ll be writing about tomorrow, this week, or this month.

    Write

    Now that we’ve figured out your plan and goals, it’s time to turn our attention to content. What you share with your readers depends on your objectives and audience, but we’ll give you a few popular examples:

    Company News. Talk about what’s going on in your office, introduce your readers to new employees, share information about company culture.

    Research. This might be data about customer behavior, industry information or market forecasting. You may have noticed some changes or trends – don’t necessarily keep them to yourself, share them on the blog.

    Opinions on the news. If you see an interesting news story that relates to your business or industry in some way, give readers your perspective on what happened. Stick to the facts, but don’t be afraid to make your point.

    Product reviews. These can be recently released tools that help your business, or long-known products with hidden potential that you suddenly discovered. Testing will take some time, but the information may be useful to other industry players, which will provide you with additional traffic and possibly new subscribers.

    Promote your blog

    After you’ve published an entry, you still have a lot of work to do. Now you need to get the information out to as wide an audience as possible.

    Take full advantage of social media.

    Create a presentation of publications.

    Attach your blog URL to your email signature.

    Use keywords.

    When posting a link to a post on Twitter, put hashtags that match your topic.

    Start your headlines with numbers (people like ordered information).

    Link to earlier posts in your posts.

    The post 6 steps to creating a successful business blog appeared first on Continuity Compliance.

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    Solutions that will make your business stronger https://www.continuitycompliance.org/solutions-that-will-make-your-business-stronger/ Sat, 27 Mar 2021 13:08:39 +0000 https://www.continuitycompliance.org/?p=5 Business development depends on a mass of decisions that are made on a daily basis. Every company faces unique challenges – depending on size and scope. But there are issues that no organization can ignore. 1. Minimize the barriers customers face If

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    Business development depends on a mass of decisions that are made on a daily basis. Every company faces unique challenges – depending on size and scope. But there are issues that no organization can ignore.

    1. Minimize the barriers customers face

    If you focus only on the merits of your offerings, you risk losing sight of the barriers that make products and services inaccessible to consumers. Thereby giving competitors time to create barrier-free equivalents.

    Barriers can be of several types:

    Operational problems.
    For example, installation difficulties, incompatible technology and equipment, ill-conceived distribution, and long delivery times.

    It was because of operational problems that BlackBerry’s promising messenger BBM failed. The company dominated the smartphone market before the advent of Android and iOS gadgets. But with the growing popularity of competitors, the demand for BlackBerry began to fall.

    And all because the BBM messenger was tied only to its own devices and was not available for new platforms. When BlackBerry realized its mistake and made BBM compatible with other smartphones, it was already too late – WhatsApp was open to all platforms.

    Fear of taking risks and experimenting
    Users do not want to understand something new and complicated. So make the adaptation process as easy as possible for them.

    First, allow them to test the product. The opportunity to try the product or service during the trial period will reduce the fear of the unknown.

    Second, educate customers on how to choose and then use the right product from your range. You can do this with articles, video reviews, and special instructions.

    Financial Inaccessibility.
    To lower the money barrier, make the price psychologically acceptable to the customer and convince them of its fairness.

    For example, offer payment in installments, the option of shared ownership or group subscriptions. And minimize risk – offer a refund or product if it doesn’t fit.

    2. Choose the right positioning

    One of the causes of business failure is unclear positioning. When a company can’t decide which category its product belongs to, the consumer doesn’t know what to expect from it.

    People have beliefs that make it easy for them to choose. For example, the more megapixels, the better the camera, and organic products are healthier than others. But if a product does not meet clear quality criteria, it is difficult for it to find its consumer.

    This happened with the PlayBook, RIM’s tablet. It was positioned as a “professional” alternative to the iPad. But the gadget did not have access to a VPN, a printing function, an e-mail system, and other options that are important for professional tablets. Because of this, the PlayBook didn’t become as popular as its competitors. The company had to recall $485 million worth of unsold merchandise.

    2. Be consistent with your branding

    It’s hard to create a strong brand without clear associations – then your company won’t stand out from the competition and won’t be remembered. Associations are formed in two ways:

    From the inside out – through marketing
    From outside in – on the basis of the real experience of customers.
    To make associations work for the brand, you need to:

    think about and begin to promote a number of distinctive company characteristics before the word-of-mouth starts to work

    Make sure that every offer and level of service reinforces those associations, not contradicts them
    If the brand image is at variance with its actions, nothing good will come of it. A prime example of this is Aston Martin, which in 2011 released a small city car, the Cygnet.

    It was a “parody” of the budget version of Toyota iQ, which was not associated with the English brand of sports supercars. That is why Aston Martin sold 150 cars in the first year instead of the planned 4 thousand and curtailed production.

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