The majority of small- to medium-sized businesses fail following a major disaster. Tragic, but true….and most of all, unnecessary.

• Are you prepared if your company was faced with a disaster?
• Would you and your employees know what to do?
• Would your company be able to function and meet customer needs?
• Is your supply chain protected from the effects of major disasters?
• Are you and your employees prepared for a public health emergency like pandemic flu?

If you answered “no” or are you are unsure, The Red Cross Business Emergency Planning Association (BEPA) is for you. Business continuity planning, especially for small- to medium-sized business, can be an intimidating task. Let’s face it, specialists in continuity planning most often reside in large firms. However, there’s no reason for any business or organization to avoid planning for the worst – especially when BEPA provides ongoing expertise and resources to develop and implement disaster planning.

BEPA is a consortium of businesses, organizations and business continuity and disaster planning specialists dedicated to ensuring that your company will continue operations at maximum possible efficiency following a disaster event. BEPA offers:

• Regular workshops covering important emergency planning topics.
• Recovery and continuity vendor resources.
• Business continuity planning advice and templates for developing your own, custom recovery plan.
• Annual conference on business continuity planning.
• Mentoring opportunities with experienced continuity professionals and access to the latest and most effective recovery planning techniques.
• A forum to help get you started, continue to develop your plan while staying abreast of the most up-to-date information.

An effective business continuity plan helps your organization:

• Maintain crucial operation and revenue stream
• Retain customers
• Maintain confidence of the market, investors and suppliers
• Maintain a powerful competitive edge

For more information on joining BEPA, click here.