According to recent research from Protivit Inc. and North Carolina State University, loss of business income relating to specific issues (such as economic slowdown, increasing competition, legislative changes and volatile financial markets) has grown 14 percent in only 2 years, while risk management and crisis readiness have fallen 7 percent. These figures indicate that many organizations have been unable to anticipate and respond effectively to evolving business threats. By simply identifying and assessing these risks, you can protect your organization and take advantage of favorable circumstances which will help boost your bottom line. Here are the top seven risks businesses should fear most in 2014.

Business Continuity/Disaster Recovery or BC/DR can be a frustrating topic to nail down, but it is a critical part of any business risk management strategy. Outlining the process is quite frequently harder than actually implementing it, and there are a number of fundamental concepts worth understanding that will easethe process and make you feel comfortable knowing you have a reliable roadmap.

During 2012, 55 percent of small businesses experienced at least one data privacy breach and 53 percent encountered multiple breaches, according to the Ponemon Institute. Despite this, the National Small Business Cybersecurity Study found that only 10 percent of small businesses have an allocated staff member who is responsible for online and cyber security.

A bartender is legally liable for serving alcohol to a patron who becomes intoxicated and then injures a third party. Does a business face a similar exposure when it hosts a social event where alcohol is served, such as an open house, holiday party or employee picnic?

Effective December 1, 2013, your company will need to meet more stringent standards established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for training its employees on the handling of hazardous substances in the workplace. This new OSHA training is necessitated by the revised Hazard Communication Standard that OSHA put into place starting in March 2012.

During 2012, 55 percent of small businesses experienced at least one data privacy breach and 53 percent encountered multiple breaches, according to the Ponemon Institute. Despite this, the National Small Business Cybersecurity Study found that only 10 percent of small businesses have an allocated staff member who is responsible for online and cyber security.

It seems as if every week there is a new commercial for the “Next Best Thing” in mobile devices.

Lightest Phone in the Universe!

Last year, US congress passed the Biggert-Waters Act, calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other agencies to make a number of changes to the way the current National Flood Insurance Plan operates. The act, which is commonly known as the Flood Insurance Reform Act, obliges insurance providers to amend rates to reflect true flood risk, thus making the program more financially stable.