View source for Business Continuity For Dummies by Stuart Sterling, Brian Duddridge, Andrew Elliott, Michael Conway and Anna Payne

{{infobox1
|title=Business Continuity For Dummies
|author=Stuart Sterling, Brian Duddridge, Andrew Elliott, Michael Conway and Anna Payne
|reviewer=Sue Magee
|genre=Business and Finance
|summary=It's not an easy read and will require some effort but the framework to enable you to understand what can go wrong with your business - and what to do about it - is here.
|rating=4
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|pages=296
|publisher=John Wiley and Sons
|date=September 2012
|isbn=978-1118326831
|cover=1118326830
|aznuk=1118326830
|aznus=1118326830
}}

When you build a business you set off with unbridled enthusiasm and if you're lucky it does seem as though the Gods are flying along with you and holding your hands.  But they have other calls on their time and at some point something will go wrong.  It's inevitable.  It might be something unforeseeable, something outside of your control, or an event which you really should have prepared for.  In addition to growing this fledgling business you're now trying to troubleshoot, to second guess and eventually you stop moving forward and do little but worry about what can go wrong.  There's a temptation to try and put it out of your mind: why give your nightmares an outing during the day?  What you need is a plan - a structured, unthreatening way of looking at what can fail and how you would deal with it.

If you've never met the ''For Dummies'' series before, ''Business Continuity For Dummies'' might sound as though it's going to be light-hearted and an easy read.  It's not and it's ''definitely'' not an easy read and is going to require some real effort from the small businesses at which it's aimed.  This is a hard-nosed business approach to looking at what can go wrong with your business.  You're going to be taken through the process step-by-step.  The authors suggest that the BC journey can be an ''easy ride'' and whilst I might argue with that they do everything that they can to smooth the trip.  There are plenty of tips and expert advice.  Occasionally they helped me over a rough patch in planning but it wasn't unusual for them to make me sit back and rethink something.

I did find the fact that certain paragraphs were highlighted as being particularly worth remembering a great help.  In areas where I was uncertain they gave me a starting point and I could work ''out'' from there.  Particular dangers are highlighted too but I did have to smile when I read the warning that I should beware of thinking that our business didn't need a plan.  Well, I think it was a smile.  I did like the ''ahead of the game'' tips - the advice which helps to keep you a step or two away from trouble.

There's a solid amount of text in the book but you won't need to ''study'' all of it.  I skimmed the sections on the manufacturing perspective and the retail business continuity programme, but just about committed the information about IT systems to memory.  It pays not to ignore anything - vulnerabilities are usually there because no one thought there ''could'' be a problem - but you can extract and work on what you really need.

I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag. It's one of those books you don't dare NOT have.

If you're thinking of starting your own business we think you might benefit from [[Make it Happen: The Prince's Trust Guide to Starting Your Own Business by The Prince's Trust]]. 

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[[Category:Stuart Sterling]]
[[Category:Brian Duddridge]]
[[Category:Andrew Elliott]]
[[Category:Michael Conway]]
[[Category:Anna Payne]]