Business Continuity Plan – What Is It, And How Does It Work?
Your business can come across a disaster or a host of negative situations for the business, which negatively affect the work processes of the business. In such cases, business continuity planning is one of the most necessary things to have. A business continuity plan will enable you to stay prepared for any kind of negative situation for the business. This shall further ensure that the business is able to work the same.
In this article, you will learn about a business continuity plan and what are its major features. In addition to that, you will also learn how a business continuity plan works for a business. Furthermore, we will also discuss the major benefits of having a business continuity plan for your business. Finally, we will guide you with a step-by-step procedure on how to create such a plan for your business and stay prepared.
What Is A Business Continuity Plan?
According to Hubspot.com,
“A business continuity plan outlines directions and procedures that your company will follow when faced with a crisis. These plans include business procedures, names of assets and partners, human resource functions, and other helpful information that can help maintain your brand’s relationships with relevant stakeholders.”
The major goal of a business continuity plan is to deal with the situations that disrupt the business. These disruptions can be both minor and full-blown threats. The plan allows you to plan for contingencies ahead of time.
Such plans, as well as preparations according to those plans, can allow your business to continue operations even at times of high risk. Having a plan will help you to deal with the risks and either prevent or mitigate them.
Some of the major disruptions that can affect the business include a natural disaster, a man-made disaster, a network breakdown, a cyber attack, and various other factors. These situations are large enough to disrupt organizations of any size. In such situations, a business continuity plan benefits the business by providing it with a procedure, processes, and tools. These will help the business to operate properly and recover within a short span of time.
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How Does A Business Continuity Plan Work?
According to VMWare.com,
“Business continuity planning is critical because without it, an organization faces downtime and other problems that could damage its financial health. In major disasters, a lack of a business continuity plan could cause irreparable financial harm that might ultimately force a company to permanently close.”
In a business continuity plan, the business defines all the risks that can affect the operations of the organization. Hence, the plan becomes an important part of the risk management processes of the business. Some of the major risks include disasters, network breakdowns, cyberattacks, and more.
Since threats and disruptions include a loss of revenue and higher costs for the business, it can lead to a loss of business profits. Furthermore, it is also not a great thing for your business to rely on insurance alone. Also, since the business does not cover all the necessary costs, as well as the ones associated with customers, a business continuity plan is necessary to deal with such situations.
What Are The Benefits Of Having A Business Continuity Plan?
The disasters in a business can be of any size and degree and can even be catastrophic for the business. Hence, a business continuity plan is one of the most essential things you can have for your business. The plan will help you to identify all the major risks that can affect the work processes of your company.
According to Investopedia,
“BCP is typically meant to help a company continue operating in the event of threats and disruptions. This could result in a loss of revenue and higher costs, which leads to a drop in profitability. And businesses can’t rely on insurance alone because it doesn’t cover all the costs and the customers who move to the competition.”
The following are some of the major benefits of a business continuity plan:
- It helps to continue operating even in times of disaster. However, it is different from a disaster recovery plan.
- Helps in improving risk management of the company.
- It can stop disruptions in the organization from spreading.
- Helps to mitigate downtime of business technology and networks.
- It helps to save a lot of money, time, and resources.
Business Continuity Plan – Steps To Create
Here are some of the major steps you will need to follow if you want to create a business continuity plan:
1. Business Impact Analysis
According to Investopedia,
“An important part of developing a BCP is a business continuity impact analysis. It identifies the effects of disruption of business functions and processes. It also uses the information to make decisions about recovery priorities and strategies.”
Here, your business managers will need to identify the functions of the plan as well as related resources for the business, especially the ones that are sensitive to time.
2. Recovery
In this portion of the plan, the planner will need to identify the steps and implement them. This will include the steps for recovery as well.
3. Continuity Team
You will need to create a continuity team here. The job of the team will be to devise a plan to manage the disruption of the plan.
4. Continuity Training
You will need to train and test the continuity team here. The members of the team will also need to complete various exercises for the application of the plan.
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Summing Up
Hope this article was helpful for you in getting a better idea of what a business continuity plan is and how it can allow your organization to recover quickly from disasters or, in the best cases, prevent them. The plan is a great option to keep your personnel prepared, save your assets, and ensure the business starts functioning fast.
However, you will need to test your business continuity plan from time to time to ensure that there are no gaps in it. To find out gaps, you can create dummy situations or drills with your employees. Do you have any more recommendations on how to create the best business continuity plan? Share your ideas with us in the comments section below.
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Once both parties sign the agreement, they will need to follow the terms of the translation. Some of the essential things that are present in this agreement include - terms and conditions, purchase price, deposits made, limitations, closing date, contingencies, etc. How Does A Sales And Purchase Agreement (SPA) Work? According to Wall Street Mojo, “The sales and purchase agreement of business signifies the culmination of negotiations between the buyer and seller and restricts them from ditching each other. The two parties mutually agree upon it before signing it and making it legally binding. It does, however, require both parties to read the contract carefully and seek legal counsel before deciding whether or not to sign it or request a revision.” The sales and purchase agreement occurs mostly in real estate deals, stock purchases, mergers & acquisitions, advertising contracts, etc. On the other hand, the constituents of the SPA include its purchase price, settlement date, deposits paid during the negotiation process, limitations, contingencies, and many more. Apart from that, in such an agreement, both parties in the sales process need to agree to the contract after thoroughly reading it. For this, a business needs to obtain legal advice after signing it and requesting a change. The agreement, basically, provides protection to the interests of both parties. Apart from that, it also restricts them from working against each other or moving away after signing the deal. This factor helps in minimizing potential conflicts and helps to forecast demand and costs of business. What Are The Constituents Of An SPA? According to the Corporate Finance Institute, “Essentially, the sale and purchase agreement spells out all the details of the transaction so that both parties share the same understanding. Among the terms typically included in the agreement are the purchase price, the closing date, the amount of earnest money that the buyer must submit as a deposit, and the list of items that are and are not included in the sale.” 1. Asset Identification Here, you will get information about the specific asset that is subject to sale. In the case of a real property, the location and other details of the asset are jotted down. 2. Purchase Price and Conditions It consists of the exchange price of the transaction in question. Apart from that, the agreement also contains details about how much is already paid and how much is left. It also contains information about the way that the deposit is to be made. It also outlines how the buyer will pay the remaining balance of the transaction. 3. Due Diligence There is a section in the agreement that asks the buyer to acknowledge their due diligence in the transaction. It also contains the due diligence period, which might contain additional payments. 4. Covenants/Conditions Prior to Close The agreement also contains the next steps of the transaction process. The conditions here must be in order to make the sales process legally binding. If the parties fail to follow or if there is any inaction, then it amounts to a breach of contract. 5. Damages/Remedies In some cases, the parties need an explanation regarding what to do in case of damage prior to the sale or during the transit of a product. Hence, this section consists of various levels of damages that can occur to the asset. As per each damage, there is a remedy present. Final Thoughts Hope this article was helpful for you in getting to know about the sales and purchase agreement (SPA). 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Best Business Credit Cards For Startups In 2023
Best business credit cards for startups can make your life easier for getting short-term loans instantly. Credit cards can help you to build a good business credit score. Your repayments on time can make your CIBIL score better in the long term. If you are a sole proprietor, then also you are eligible for a credit card. A social security number does not have a significant revenue history. If you are looking for the lowest interest rates, then Credit card history matters a lot. Cashback rewards and other perks offer a good credit card score. Your startup needs to succeed at times to make things happen in your favor. Best Business Credit Cards For Startups Available In 2023 Great business credit cards will offer you high limits for credits. Cash back rewards, balance offers, and travel facilities. Your credit card must suit your goals with complete ease. Try out the best options that can make things happen in your way. 1. Chase Ink Business Cash Credit Card For business owners who are looking for better finances, Chase Ink is one of the best options to avail. It is one of the quality business credit cards for startups. The welcome offer for them is $750. The recommended credit score ranges between 670 -800 to get the maximum benefits of this credit card. Features Of This Credit Card Are As Follows:- The best bonus-earning categories involve phone service, internet, cable, and office supplies. With Chase Ultimate rewards, it is highly compatible. You will receive 1% cash back on all other purchases. 2% cashback, you can redeem on the first $25 spent on restaurants and gas stations. Your contribution margin needs to be in good shape. It will offer you the best options to explore things with ease. 2. American Express Platinum Business Credit Card The American Express platinum business credit card is another best credit cards for startups. You will get the welcome offer of 120K points and an annual fee of $695. The recommended credit score ranges from good to excellent. You must be well aware of it. If your business requires frequent travel to distant places. Some of the core features of this credit card are as follows:- $100 statement for credit entry and global entry for $85 in case of TSA precheck. Extensive travel and shopping protection. You will get upto 5X membership reward points. Minimal non-travel bonuses. Compared to other cards high annual fee. 3. Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card The Chase Ink Business Unlimited credit card is one of the best small business credit cards. You will receive a welcome offer of $750. The recommended credit score must range from good to excellent. You do not have to pay any annual fee and 1.5% cashback rewards you will receive from these credit cards. Some of the key features of the credit cards are as follows:- You will receive unlimited cashback earnings. On a new purchase, you will receive unlimited introductory 0% APR for 12 months. For getting a high sign-up bonus, you will receive a low spending rate. Only foreign transaction fees can apply. Limited protection on travel costs as well as purchases. No presence of bonus categories. Similar kinds of information are present in HubSpot too. You can go through it once for better understanding. 4. American Express Business Gold Card American Express business gold cards will offer you 70K points. You will get an annual fee of $295K points. The recommended credit score ranges from good to excellent. Each billing cycle ranges between $150K. You can earn one point per dollar for expenses. Some of the core features of this credit card are as follows:- You will receive flexible reward and redemption options. With the inclusion of the integration of books, it will deliver you expense management tools. There are no foreign transaction fees are essential. No credit statements. Offers high annual fee. It is not applicable for the lower spending business. Sometimes for ERTC qualifications, credit cards play a vital role in getting the loans on time. 5. Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card The Chase Ink business preferred credit card is also the best business credit cards for startups. It offers a welcome bonus of 100k points. The annual fee of $95 fees you will receive from these credit cards. The recommended credit score ranges from good to excellent. You will have the privilege to earn three points for every dollar spent. Some of the core features of the Chase Ink business credit card are as follows:- You will receive multiple bonus categories. Phone and travel protection is possible. There are no requirements for foreign transaction fees. It comprises annual fees. If you want to get a high sign-up bonus, then you have to pay High spend requirements for the sign-up bonus. 6. Blue Business Plus Credit Card From American Business The blue business plus credit card from American business credit cards will help your small business to grow at a rapid pace. You will receive the welcome offer of 15K points. Your requirement to pay the annual fee is $0. The recommended credit score ranges from good to excellent. Some of the core features of the Blue Business Plus credit card from American Business are as follows:- You will have multiple transfer partners. On all purchases, you will get flat-rate earnings. Delivers your generous welcome offer. You can apply for foreign transaction fees. $50K bonus earning cap. 7. US Bank Business Triple Cash Reward The welcome bonus offer you will receive is $500. The annual fee of $0 you have to pay for getting this business credit card for start-ups. The recommended credit score ranges from good to excellent. You will receive business rewards. For a long introductory APR period, you will have to go through it once. You will receive 3% cashback for all the categories. Some of the core features of this best business credit card are as follows:- $100 statement credit for recurring software subscriptions. Upto 5% cash back that is booked on the US bank travel portal. No travel rewards you will receive from this credit card. Low rate outside all the bonus categories. Best Small Business Credit Cards There are several small business credit cards that you can opt for in 2023. Some of the best small business credit cards are as follows:- Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card. American Express Platinum Card. Capital One Spark Cash for Business. American Express Blue Business Cash Card. Discover it, Business Card. Wells Fargo Business Platinum Credit Card. U.S. Bank Business Platinum Card. Your business's net operating income also matters a lot here. Try to consider this fact as well from your end. Final Take Away Hence, these are the best business credit cards for startups in 2023. You need to take care of the reality while you want to get short-term loans for your business. It is impossible to make your choices all of a sudden. You can share your views and comments in our comment box. It will assist us to know your take on this matter. Try to develop a better solution that can make things work perfectly well in your favor. Read More Busuiness Related News By Clicking Below!! ERTC Qualification Step-By-Step Guide Top 7 Best Business Ideas For Teens In 2023 What Is Safe Harbor 401K? Benefits And Types
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Matrix Organizational Structure – What Are Its Pros And Cons?
In a matrix organizational structure, the teams within an organization try to bring different roles within the team together. Doing so, unlike a traditional hierarchical structure, they develop a grid-like reporting structure. Basically, the organization combines two or more structures from within. Here, both the traditional hierarchy of management as well as inter-department management is combined. In this article, you will learn in general about a matrix organizational structure and how it works within an organization. In addition to this, we will also discuss the major pros and cons of this organizational structure. Apart from that, we will also discuss the major roles within a matrix organizational structure. Hence, to learn more about such an organizational structure, read through to the end of the article. What Is A Matrix Organizational Structure? The matrix organizational structure basically combines two or more kinds of organizational structure. For example, let’s say you combine project management and functional management. According to Indeed.com, “Additionally, the matrix structure is composed of both a traditional hierarchy of management, where employees are managed by a functional manager, as well as additional project managers who can manage employees across different departments. These two or more managerial systems intersect on a grid or matrix.” In this organizational structure, different management styles are used - where the functional management as well as the divisional management are combined. Here, functional management consists of the traditional hierarchical structure based on the job function and the organization’s department. On the other hand, a divisional manager is the one who presides over the cross-functional team, which consists of representatives of both teams. An organization with a matrix structure has team members reporting to different managers. There might be a hierarchical manager while the team members may also have to report to their project manager. This type of structuring is important for companies trying to create new products without the hassle of realigning their teams. The matrix organizational structure combines the functional and the divisional managers. This helps the work processes to be done faster. According to the Wall Street Mojo website, “In a matrix structure, team members provide information to a project leader and their department head. This management structure might assist businesses in developing new goods and services without reorganizing teams.” The matrix organizational structure was started in the aerospace industry. This was the time when many firms wanted to get into a contract with US Government employees. They needed to create certain charts that show the structure of the project management team. How Does A Matrix Organizational Structure Work? This structure is best understood with the help of an example. According to ChartHop.com, “At the simplest level, an example of an organization using a matrix structure would be one that has set functional teams (e.g. Marketing, Sales, Customer Success) as well as more divisional teams with members from different functional areas that work together on specific initiatives.” A common example of a matric organizational structure is Nike. The company has teams that operate the functional management like merchandising and HR, as well as divisional teams that operate based on location, demographics, and product. Companies and their employees can get a lot of advantages with the matrix structure, especially with the ways that they work within the organization. The teams can share knowledge with each other and can make more informed decisions. Apart from that, the best thing that they will have is better morale within themselves. However, there are problems that you can find inside a matrix organizational structure, too. Some of them include conflict, slowdown of processes, lack of clarity, and more. Here’s how a Matrix organizational structure works – The employees report to two managers simultaneously. A functional manager is responsible for their overall role in the department. Their project manager, on the other hand, is responsible for the overall role in the department. The project manager is also responsible for a specific role or a project. When team members report to two different managers, the organization automatically breaks down its structure in a different style. What Are The Pros Of A Matrix Organizational Structure? There are different pros and cons of using Matrix organizational structure. It offers flexibility, adaptability, and advantages when matching changing customer needs. This type of organizational structure helps maintain work efficiency and matches market conditions and strategic goals. By creating cross-functional teams working on different projects, these companies can use the Matrix organizational structure to their advantage. According to LinkedIn.com, “One of the main advantages of a matrix structure is that it allows for more flexibility and adaptability to changing customer needs, market conditions, and strategic goals. By creating cross-functional teams that work on specific projects or tasks, a matrix structure can leverage the diverse skills, knowledge, and perspectives of employees from different departments, and foster innovation and creativity.” The intricacy of the matrix organizational structure is one of its main characteristics. You can see from the above sections that the employees are answerable to two managers - functional and project managers. This is because the allocation of resources is in such a way that the human resources are utilized at their highest. The following are some of the major pros of a matrix organizational structure: The departments are able to coordinate better, as the structure brings highly competent team members from different departments to one place. One of the major characteristics of a matrix organizational structure is that it combines the operational and project management frameworks. The communication between two or more departments gets better with the implementation of the matrix organizational structure. What Are The Cons Of A Matrix Organizational Structure? Like most management structures, the matrix organizational structure also has its drawbacks. Here are some of the cons of the matrix organizational structure that you will need to be aware of: There is a continuous need for clarification for the managers regarding their positions, and there are ambiguities in some cases. Hence, there is always a need to define the power dynamics between managers. Apart from the managers, the teams also need clarification regarding their roles in the structure. The individual team members should have a good idea of what their role is at the functional level and what their role is at the project level. This helps in reducing miscommunication between the members. In some cases, due to the involvement of different teams and departments, the decision-making processes can get a bit longer. Apart from that, time is taken since decisions regarding processes need to be made through two different managers. Hence, processes such as quality assurance slow down due to the presence of multiple supervisors. Read More: Entrepreneur : Who Coined The Term ‘Entrepreneur’? Tips: Use Matrix Organizational Structure to its Fullest Potential If you are planning to use the Matrix organizational structure, it’s best to start by outlining different roles within the project. Here are several tips to try when utilizing Matrix organization structure in an organization to its fullest potential. Manage Expectations While outlining the responsibilities of different roles within the project, the best approach would be to understand the expectations of each manager. A project manager might be expecting the performance of the overall project. On the other hand, the marketing manager might only be concerned with campaign performance. It’s important to manage the expectations of different managers and work accordingly. Keep People Accountable for Their Work The best way to ensure efficient project delivery; it’s important to make people accountable for their work. Workplaces with systems in place to increase engagement in their work can boost accountability. Companies can have a weekly report template for the employees accountable for different tasks. Communication Between Employees and Managers It’s important to keep communication seamless and transparent between employees and managers. There can be a weekly chart outlining the completion of tasks. In addition, the managers should also provide employees with feedback. Companies can do it in person or through chat and communication apps used in the organization. Inter-Department Relationships Projects requiring co-dependencies from different departments often face operational hurdles. It can happen due to a lack of collaboration and inter-team communication. However, it’s important to deepen interdepartmental relationships to avoid misunderstanding during collaboration. Wrapping Up Hope this article was helpful for you in getting a better idea of what a matrix organizational structure is. This structure is best suited for large organizations or organizations that deal with multiple projects. Due to the multiple needs of the organization, the managers can shuffle teams and bring personnel from different departments to work together. The matrix organizational structure helps in better coordination between departments and ensures a better quality of products and services. Do you have anything to add regarding this type of organizational structure? Share your thoughts and ideas with us in the comments section below. Read More: What Is Social Entrepreneurship? – Steps To Become A Successful Social Entrepreneur What Is a Franchise, And How Does It Work? – Examples, Benefits & More What Is A Venture Capitalist, And What Are Their Functions?
Sep 11, 2023