Why Business Continuity Matters More Than Ever
The past few years have taught UK businesses a sobering lesson: disruption can emerge from anywhere. Pandemics, cyber attacks, supply chain failures, extreme weather, geopolitical events—the sources of potential business interruption multiply while their impacts intensify.
Business Continuity Managers are the professionals who ensure organisations can maintain essential functions during disruptions and recover quickly when crises occur. They design, implement, and test the plans that mean the difference between weathering a storm and being overwhelmed by it.
In the UK, full-time Business Continuity Managers command salaries between £55,000 and £85,000. For many organisations, particularly those in the mid-market, this represents a significant investment for a function that, while critical, operates primarily in prevention and preparation mode.
The fractional model offers an alternative: professional business continuity management at a sustainable cost.
The Business Continuity Gap
Many organisations have business continuity plans. Far fewer have plans that would actually work. Documents created years ago sit unreviewed. Plans reference departed staff or discontinued systems. Recovery procedures have never been tested. Critical dependencies aren't documented.
Common symptoms of inadequate business continuity include:
- Plans that exist but haven't been reviewed or tested in years
- No clear recovery time objectives for critical business functions
- IT disaster recovery that isn't integrated with business continuity
- Key person dependencies without documented succession or coverage
- Supply chain vulnerabilities that aren't mapped or mitigated
- Crisis communication procedures that are unclear or untested
- No regular exercises or simulations to validate readiness
These gaps represent substantial organisational risk. When disruption occurs, the cost of inadequate preparation far exceeds what robust business continuity management would have required.
What is a Fractional Business Continuity Manager?
A fractional Business Continuity Manager is an experienced BCM professional who provides ongoing business continuity leadership on a part-time basis. They typically dedicate 8-16 hours weekly to each client, maintaining continuity of knowledge while serving multiple organisations.
Unlike one-off consultants who deliver a plan and depart, fractional BCM professionals become embedded in your organisation. They understand your operations deeply, maintain and evolve your plans over time, and ensure that business continuity remains a living practice rather than a dormant document.
Key responsibilities include:
- Conducting Business Impact Analyses to identify critical functions and dependencies
- Developing and maintaining Business Continuity Plans
- Designing and documenting recovery procedures for various scenarios
- Coordinating with IT on disaster recovery integration
- Establishing crisis management and communication protocols
- Planning and facilitating regular exercises and tests
- Managing relationships with relevant third parties and suppliers
- Ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and standards like ISO 22301
- Training staff on their roles in business continuity
Top 5 Benefits of Hiring a Fractional Business Continuity Manager
1. Professional BCM at Sustainable Cost
A fractional Business Continuity Manager working 10 hours weekly typically costs £25,000-40,000 annually. Compare this to £70,000-110,000 for a full-time equivalent including benefits and overhead. You achieve genuine BCM capability at 40-50% of the cost.
2. Experienced Perspective
Fractional BCM professionals have typically managed business continuity across multiple organisations and industries. They've seen what works, what fails, and how different disruption scenarios unfold. This experience enriches the solutions they develop for your organisation.
3. Maintained Momentum
Business continuity requires sustained attention. Plans need regular review. Tests must be conducted. Staff need training. A fractional BCM professional provides the ongoing focus that prevents business continuity from sliding down the priority list until a crisis forces attention.
4. Independent Validation
Internal staff may be reluctant to highlight business continuity gaps that reflect on their departments. An external fractional professional can assess and report objectively, identifying vulnerabilities that internal assessments might overlook or understate.
5. Scalable Support
Business continuity demands vary. Developing initial plans, conducting major exercises, or responding to actual incidents requires intensive support. Between these peaks, lighter maintenance suffices. Fractional arrangements accommodate this natural variation.
How to Hire a Fractional Business Continuity Manager
What to Look For
Prioritise candidates with relevant certifications such as CBCI (Certificate of the Business Continuity Institute), ISO 22301 Lead Implementer, or similar credentials. Verify experience in your industry sector, as business continuity requirements vary significantly between, say, financial services and manufacturing.
Request examples of Business Impact Analyses and Business Continuity Plans they've developed. Assess their approach to testing and exercises—effective BCM professionals emphasise validation, not just documentation.
Key Questions to Ask
- What business continuity frameworks have you implemented, and to what standards?
- How do you approach Business Impact Analysis for complex organisations?
- What types of exercises have you designed and facilitated?
- How do you integrate business continuity with IT disaster recovery?
- What actual disruptions have you helped organisations navigate?
Red Flags to Avoid
Be cautious of candidates who focus predominantly on documentation without emphasising testing and validation. Avoid those who offer generic templates without customisation to your specific operations. Question anyone who dismisses the importance of regular exercises or treats business continuity as a one-time project rather than ongoing practice.
Build Your Resilience
Disruption is not a matter of if, but when. The organisations that survive and thrive are those that have prepared thoughtfully and tested rigorously. Business continuity management is an investment in resilience that pays dividends when it matters most.
A fractional Business Continuity Manager makes this resilience achievable at sustainable cost. At fractional.quest, we connect UK businesses with experienced BCM professionals ready to strengthen your preparedness.
Browse our network of verified Business Continuity Managers and build the resilience your business needs.