Persbericht

KVK research: business owners see risks, seek security amid disruptions and crisis

Business owners recognise the growing risk of disruption in an increasingly uncertain world, both in a geopolitical and a climatic sense. They are seeking guidance in their efforts to cope with external threats. New research by KVK, involving nearly 750 entrepreneurs, shows this.

Just over two-thirds of business owners see internet or telecoms outages as a risk to business continuity; power cuts are cited almost as frequently. Nearly half of business owners expect that an IT failure or the failure of software or cloud systems will have an impact on their business, and 2 in 5 fear a potential cyberattack.

Extreme weather conditions such as storms, snow, and heat are seen as a risk by a quarter of business owners, as are flooding and – on a potentially entirely different scale – logistical disruptions.

Previous KVK research involving over 2,000 business owners shows that nearly two-thirds of all business owners are not yet making preparations for a disruption or outage, or do not expect to be able to do anything about it. Only 1 in 10 business owners say they are well prepared, and 2 in 10 are a bit prepared.

Seeking security

KVK asked entrepreneurs which areas they would like practical information or advice on to make their businesses more resilient. A third of entrepreneurs would like guidance on identifying risks. Another third would like help with strengthening their digital resilience. A quarter want to start looking at how they can be financially prepared, and 1 in 5 mention a contingency plan and emergency provisions. A checklist, quick scan, or step-by-step guide are most frequently cited as helpful forms of support.

Christiaan Hazelaar, Business Adviser at the KVK: “It is good to see that business owners are aware of the risks and that they are seeking help and advice. The growing threats on the global stage are a real cause for concern, not just in some vague, distant future, but very specifically, right now.”

Weak spots

Hazelaar does, however, offer a caveat regarding how specific one can be when giving advice: “Entrepreneurs can always give us a call. We have a team of advisers who speak to entrepreneurs on a daily basis, so that’s all sorted. However, every business is different. Every entrepreneur faces their own specific challenges, some of which are sector- or profession-related, and others specific to their own business. My advice is: work out for yourself what your weak spots are and how you can best minimise them in the event of a large-scale or prolonged disruption. There’s a wealth of information available on our website about your business’s resilience and future-proofing. And if you’d like to discuss this further: that’s what we’re here for, so do get in touch!”

On 11 May, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy launched a resilience campaign specifically aimed at business owners, entitled ‘Blijft jouw bedrijf draaien bij een noodsituatie?’ (Will your business keep running in an emergency?, in Dutch).

KVK also offers business owners help, on the page Emergency plan: how to get your business up and running again, among others. 

Download the KVK Weerbaarheid van ondernemers report (PDF, in Dutch).