Entrepreneurs in the Netherlands are becoming increasingly aware of the consequences of large-scale failures. Think of power outages, internet problems or halted processes. Seven in ten have thought about what incidents such as power or internet outages mean for their business operations. After just one day without power, one in ten anticipates serious damage. In the event of a disruption of several days, almost a quarter expect major problems, and in the event of an outage of one to two weeks, almost half expect serious consequences.
In particular, the loss of customer contact and halted processes due to non-functioning systems or machines are seen as the greatest risks. Payment transactions and problems with cloud software also worry entrepreneurs.
Emergency plan
Despite growing awareness, action remains limited. Many companies do not have an emergency plan or facilities such as backups, extra IT security or emergency power.
Increased risk of emergency: preparation required for 72 hours without water, electricity or internet
In addition, global tensions are permeating the business community. Nearly a quarter of entrepreneurs experience direct consequences of international unrest, two-thirds of which indicate that the impact has increased in the past year. Digital risks are also taken more seriously: while one in ten entrepreneurs considered cyber threats serious in 2022, this is now almost a quarter.
Christiaan Hazelaar, business advisor at KVK, emphasizes that the current situation shows a broader context of risks. “There is a lot going on in the world: wars, trade wars, discussions about import and export tariffs. Entrepreneurs can also directly experience the consequences. It is about knowing what risks you run and what that means for your company.”