Auckland Emergency Management is launching the country’s first business continuity resource developed specifically to build the resilience of the city’s Chinese business community.
Auckland Emergency Management General Manager Kate Crawford said the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic had underlined the importance of having the right business continuity plans in place.
Up until now, few resources existed to support the region’s Chinese business owners, especially those managing small businesses.
Translated into Simplified Chinese, Auckland Emergency Management’s Work Ready online resources include easy-to-use advice, templates and a business continuity guide.
Kate said while business owners couldn’t predict when an emergency would happen, they could take actions to be more prepared.
“A business continuity plan identifies how an organisation can keep its essential functions up and running through a disruption and ensure it is well placed to recover as quickly (and easily) as possible.”
Kate said the information published on the Chinese Work Ready site was specifically tailored to the region’s Chinese population.
“We wanted to make it easy for as many business owners as possible to have access to a simple guide that can help them plan for an emergency.”
Auckland Council Community Empowerment Specialist Advisor Yongjie Li said Auckland Emergency Management had worked closely with the city’s Chinese business community to develop the content and initial feedback had been positive.
“The business owners we have spoken to say they feel privileged to be a part of this project and we plan to hold more workshops and encourage more interaction.”
Emergencies can take many forms, happen at any time and affect all cultures, Kate said.
“This means businesses can be at risk from not only natural events like flooding, strong winds and earthquakes, but also face risks from power outages, water supply failure, terrorism and pandemics, like COVID-19”
“Planning will give businesses a better chance of recovering quickly.”
For more information, visit the English site here, or the Simplified Chinese site here.
