The H5N1 story, like the virus, does not look like it is going to go away any time soon. In fact the virus has been monitored since 1997 and scientists are becoming extremely alarmed. If you read some of the linked articles at the bottom of this page it is easy to see why.

A global flu pandemic would seriously inhibit travel and activities in public places. Doing it online would look more attractive and the internet revolution would likely accelerate.

The implications for business are huge. Sales prospects from business to business would vary enormously depending on various circumstances. Your business may suffer a flu outbreak before a major competitor or a major customer or supplier may fall victim. The overall effect on the economy would be depressing but one off business opportunities could be exploited. A rush to avoid public places could create some bizarre effects : publics gyms would suffer but exercise bike sales (for home use) could do well.

A small single site business would be the most vulnerable. The ability to disperse the workforce would significantly reduce risk and working from home online would look very attractive for employer and employee alike. Business alliances may require careful management due to risks and opportunities involved : indeed a long distance one may actually reduce risk. If your business operation currently generates large volumes of emails, attachments and network files (eg. word documents and spreadsheets) working online from home would make this information overload situation far worse. As many businesses would become less stable in such an environment operational visibility is also likely to be a major problem.

But it might not happen. Economists generally regard this as a low probability event. But so was the Asian Tsunami. If you are a small or medium sized business using spreadsheets and well established local area network based software packages you cannot embark on an revolutionary information management strategy over weeks or months that would normally take years. The chance of ' getting it right ' is slim and the cost crippling.

A little bit of smart research is required. Understanding the options is essential. Collaboration software could be a key factor here. So what is it ? Basically it allows better control of office information, such as message boards replacing many email threads and effective file sharing. It can be purchased or rented online.

Microsoft's Sharepoint is worth considering. It is not a bad idea to read the  'step by step book ' (without the software) to understand the key features and how these could be used for your business operation. Some notes could form the basis of a draft operations manual.

Doing a little now could mean the difference between your business surviving and growing or dying.