Who needs a Business Continuity Plan?
On this page we maintain a constantly updated list of real-world incidents that have affected SMB organisations. We identify the challenges they faced and the damage caused to their business. Depending on the nature of your business it might be helpful to reflect on how well you you might deal with similar incidents.
Accounting Firm Ransomware Attack
A ransomware attack encrypted the firm's server two weeks before tax return deadlines .
Impacts
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Systems down for 9 days
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Client files were inaccessible
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Many tax returns were not completed
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Emergency IT forensics and clean-up required
Consequences
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Circa £80,000 revenue loss due to missed deadlines
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Reputation damage
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Several major clients "walked"
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£20,000 additional costs for recovery and new security measures
Manufacturing Workshop Fire
An electrical fire destroyed key equipment.
Impacts
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Production halted for 6 weeks
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Backlog of unfulfilled orders
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Workers temporarily laid off
Consequences
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£250,000 in lost contracts because customers defected to competitors
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Expansion plans cancelled and cash-flow strain
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Long-term loss of customer trust in meeting deadlines
Retail Premises Flood Damage
A flash flood caused water damage to an independent clothing store.
Impacts
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Store forced to close for 14 days
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Inventory destroyed
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IT equipment water-damaged
Consequences
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£30,000 inventory loss
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Monthly revenue dropped to near zero
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Store forced to revert to online-only operation
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Re-fit costs
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Long-term loss of customers
Supplier Failure to Café/Bakery
The sole supplier of specialised flour suffered a contamination incident causing shutdown of supply to the business.
Impacts
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Core product lines couldn’t be produced
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Menu reduced by 60%
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Significant reduction in daily revenue
Consequences
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3 months of decreased revenue (35 - 50% revenue loss)
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Emergency sourcing from alternative suppliers incurred significantly higher costs
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Customer defection due to menu limitations
Hospitality Business - Co2 Supply Failure
Two major UK CO₂ plants temporarily shut down: several pubs, food manufacturers, and small breweries were unable source CO₂ for drinks carbonation and packaging.
Impacts
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Small breweries forced to halt production
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Pubs unable to serve some draught beers
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Meat and chilled-food packaging lines were delayed
Consequences
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Some craft breweries suffered revenue drops of 20–40%
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Supply contracts were cancelled
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Unsold or unprocessed stock sent to waste
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Temporary price increases
Power Failure
A substation fire caused a prolonged power outage in a business park.
Impacts
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Local IT service companies and labs lost power for 36 hours
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Businesses were effectively shut down, unable work or provide services
Consequences
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Compromised service levels and contractual commitments
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Several organisations liable for refunds and compensation
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Lost new business cancelled due to perceived risks from delayed project delivery
Ransomware Attack
A 25-person marketing & creative agency in London experienced a ransomware attack that encrypted project files and disabled access to cloud backups.
Impacts:
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Systems down for 8 days
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Client deadlines missed
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Staff unable to access design software or shared drives
Consequences:
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Client refunds and penalties
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Approx. £70,000 lost revenue
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long term loss of business - several clients moved to competitors
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Post-incident costs of £20,000 for improved incident response and security.
IT Equipment Failure
A hard-drive failure in a small online retailer’s server corrupted inventory and order-tracking data.
Impacts:
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Website inoperable for two days
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Order fulfilment & tracking halted
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Customer service function overwhelmed
Consequences:
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Lost orders and chargebacks (~$12,000)
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High level of customer complaints and negative reviews on "trust" websites
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Significant investment required in backup & restore technology.
Building Collapse
Following a building roof collapse in Leicester city centre. a police cordon was established and demolition signs erected. The collapse affected several nearby businesses
Impacts:
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Evacuation of residential property
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Business unable to acces their workplace including retail, charity and professional service organisations denied for several days while full structural surveys were made
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Deliveries cancelled due to road closures
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Staff unable to access systems, materials & or shared drives
Consequences:
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Revenue loss
Agricultural & Industrial Unit Fire
A fire on a farm spread to a fertiliser store causing a major explosion, destroying several business premises in the industrial site
Impacts
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Workplaces completely destoned
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Inventory and equipment destroyed
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Businesses unable to complete orders / contracts
Consequences
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lead times for equipment & inventory replacement
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Customers forced to cancel orders and find alternative suppliers cancelled
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Financial impacts related to revenue loss & customer defection