The Major Causes Of Business Downtime (And How To Avoid Them)

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Business downtime: Two words that could strike fear into the heart of every business owner.

When downtime occurs, perhaps because of the reasons we will list here, there will be financial consequences when business is halted.  A disaster recovery plan needs to be put in place; statements of action that will ensure work can continue, despite the element of disruption that has taken place.

Consider the following causes of business downtime then, and using some of the information provided here, https://www.thebalancesmb.com/how-to-write-a-disaster-recovery-plan, start to put something together to reduce the chances of harm that downtime could do to your business.

Here are two of the major causes of business downtime.

#1: Problems with your IT systems

There could be a malfunction within your computer system. A power outage could shut down your servers. A cyber attack could create insurmountable issues. Problems could occur because of human error. Whatever the case, if your business is unable to function because of problems with your IT, then you might suffer the consequences.

Tip: Our first piece of advice is this. Partner with an IT company who will both rescue you from downtime should a problem occur, and who will also give you guidance on preemptive measures to reduce the chances of a problem happening in the first place. Check this example https://www.frontlineinc.com/it-support-services/managed-it-services/ for more.

Secondly, consider the various IT issues that could occur and research them. So, you might Google the latest cyber threats, for example, and you might look for ways to back up your business data in the event of an IT failure. After your research, take the necessary steps to protect your business.

#2: Staffing issues

If your business is reliant on the people you employ, then your business might suffer downtime if they are away from work, for whatever reason. While you should only have one or two people away at a time, operations might still have to cease if their job roles are vital for the running of your business.

Tip: Consider why your staff members will be away from work. It might be due to sickness, for example, or they might be away on vacation. You need to plan for such instances, perhaps by having a temping agency on speed dial should you need to fill any vacant job roles quickly. You might also consider outsourcing, as there should be firms online or within your locale that can manage those tasks that are fulfilled by your employees. Read here for more on this solution; https://www.exponentialprograms.com/business/blog/outsourcing-is-it-the-best-option-for-your-business/.

You should also take steps to reduce staff losses. So, to avoid staff illnesses, research ways to improve the health of your employees, perhaps be making the relevant changes in your workplace. And for employee holidays, you should schedule them in advance, perhaps by using staff scheduling software, https://fitsmallbusiness.com/employee-scheduling-software/, to ensure you never experience a major shortfall of staff. Consider other reasons, and then take the necessary steps to preempt them.

Finally…

Many businesses suffers from downtime at some point, partly because of the reasons we have given here, but it can be avoided. Follow our advice in this article to ensure your business keeps going, and research other causes of downtime so you can factor them into a disaster recovery plan.

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