The day the coffee machine broke (and what it taught me about risk).
A friendly piece of advice on the foundations of keeping your business safe - and helping it grow.
It was more years ago than I’d like to admit, right at the very start of my IT career when I was still figuring out how the world of business and technology really worked, when one Monday morning I wandered into the office kitchen for my much-needed caffeine fix only to find the coffee machine had chosen that exact moment to catastrophically, unapologetically die.
No whirr. No drip. No life. Dead. Silent. Not. A. Single. Drop.
Immediately, the office descended into chaos. People wandered around like zombies, not even their motivational mugs could coax them out of the frenzy.
Meetings stalled.
E-mails went unanswered.
Something so small, so ordinary, had suddenly brought the entire workforce to a halt.
And in that very moment, as I looked around wondering how on earth we would recover from this caffeine crisis, it hit me: risk isn’t always loud, flashy, or dramatic. Sometimes it’s the tiny, boring things that sneak up on you and cause surprisingly big chaos.
Small things, big consequences.
Ever since then, I started to notice a pattern. Businesses aren’t just about coffee machines (though your staff surveys might suggest otherwise!). They rely on systems, suppliers, staff, and data; all the things that quietly keep the lights on and the revenue flowing. Often, these are tangled together in a web of complex workflows and time-sensitive dependencies, where one small wobble: a delayed invoice, a forgotten backup, a missing key report, can send the whole operation teetering like a line of dominoes… or a caffeine-deprived office on a Monday morning.
A few of the usual suspects:
A supplier who forgets to deliver on time? Boom - production halts.
A system which has decided enough-is-enough? Sales freeze.
That one employee who knows everything and takes a holiday? Suddenly no one can do the work or that monthly critical task that’s manually run but nobody else knows about.
So often I speak to owners of SME businesses who often think, “We’re small, nothing this dramatic will ever happen to us.” But the truth is: risk doesn’t care how big or small your business is. It just happens - often where and when you least expect it.
Think: Seatbelts, not Spreadsheets.
Risk management isn’t about staring at endless metrics nobody really understands, filling in forms, or sitting through meetings that feel like they’ll never end. It’s simpler than that. When I was looking for inspiration for this section, I happened to glance out the window. It was raining. My first thought? “Umbrellas!”
But then I remembered: I always forget my umbrella. Every single time. Clearly, that wasn’t going to teach anyone about building good habits. Then it hit me - seatbelts! You don’t forget those (at least, I hope not), and habits are exactly what you need to start your risk journey.
Most days, the road is smooth and sunny, and you barely notice the seatbelt at all. But when a sudden bump hits: a supplier fails, a system crashes, or a key staff member is out, it helps minimise the impact and keeps you in control, rather than skidding into chaos. That little bit of foresight keeps your business safe, calm, and moving forward instead of spinning out.
The secret is making risk management a habit, just like buckling your seatbelt. You don’t think twice about it because it’s part of your daily routine, and that habit saves lives in the real world. In business, building the habit of regularly identifying risks, planning for them, and reviewing your processes can literally save your business from preventable disasters.
For every business, including SMEs, this habitual approach is exactly what matters. It’s not about complicated policies, endless spreadsheets, or expensive tools, it’s about creating a routine that keeps your business safer, smarter, and ready to grow.
Little gears, big moves.
Habits are like tiny gears in the clockwork of your day. You barely notice them, a morning stretch, that first sip of coffee, the familiar click of a seatbelt, yet together they keep everything moving smoothly.
In business, habits work the same way. The little, repeated actions, spotting a tiny hiccup in a process, jotting down a small fix, checking in on a system, might seem insignificant at first. But over time, these quiet rituals compound, creating momentum, resilience, and calm.
The beauty of habits are that they’re predictable and reliable. You don’t have to remember everything; the routine does it all for you. And that’s exactly the power you want when managing risk: small, consistent actions that quietly safeguard your business, day after day, long before any crisis hits.
Change the thinking: Risk isn’t the enemy - it’s your super power.
Businesses that manage risk well don’t just survive - they grow. Because when you understand what could go wrong and integrate that thinking into your business strategy, you can take bold, confident decisions - not just to defend against failure, but to actually grow.
I don’t just expect you to take my word for it (although that would be nice) - but the data backs it up. Businesses that take risk seriously and embed it into their business operations aren’t just surviving - they’re more likely to thrive and build opportunities for growth.
According to Funding Circle SME Resilience Report (2023) resilient businesses were three times more likely to have grown and six times more likely to expect future growth; proof that a few small, consistent risk habits can quietly transform a business.
PwC’s Global Risk Survey 2023 found that business leaders see intelligent risk-taking as a way to unlock value and transformation, not just avoid losses.
Macrothink (2022) academic research found that SMEs who apply risk management practices tended to perform better overall compared to those which didn’t.
A Springer (2024) study found that amongst German SMEs leaders who understand and actively manage risk make smarter, growth-oriented decisions.
The evidence is clear: businesses that understand what could go wrong and build simple, consistent risk habits aren’t just protecting themselves - they’re positioning themselves to grow with confidence.
Your 5-step risk habit routine to make risk work for you.
(Start small. Build a habit. Grow stronger.)
You don’t need a huge IT department or a full-time risk officer to start getting a grip on risk. Most businesses don’t have dedicated cyber or risk experts, which is exactly why small issues can quietly snowball into coffee-machine-breaking chaos.
However, here at KIZAN., we truly believe that getting to grips with risk is a game-changer for businesses - a way to unlock real potential for growth.
Don’t worry: there’s no Rubik’s-cube-style matrices of corporate anxiety, no endless dashboards, no confusing jargon. Just simple, repeatable steps that anyone can start today.
The even better news? If you turn these steps into a habit, they’ll help you start protecting your business, reduce stress, and give you the confidence to grow. Think of them as your risk “seatbelt” - small actions you repeat until they become second nature.
Here are five simple things anyone can do in 10–15 minutes to start building strong risk habits:
1. Notice those little “hmm…” moments, and the “please don’t break today” ones.
Start by paying attention to anything that makes you pause, even for half a second.
The late invoice. The spreadsheet that only Dave understands. The report that’s missing every month but somehow still “fine”. Or the big ones: that system update you’ve been ignoring because “it only screams at me once a week”… r that shared password everyone promised would be “temporary” but has somehow survived longer than your office pot plant.
But also notice the near-misses - those quiet, slightly guilty thoughts like:
“If this stopped working, we’d be in trouble…”
“We really should fix that… someday…”
Just start by jotting them down. Not a long list. Not a complicated list. Just a list.
2. Imagine what could go wrong
Now that you’ve spotted your “hmm…” moments, think about what might happen if they became reality. Ask yourself:
“What would it affect?”
“If this went wrong, what would stop?”
This is your “so what?” moment, it’s not about listing every possible apocalyptic scenario, just the realistic stuff that could trip you up. Treat this as your starting list; you’ll discover more as you go, and it’s totally normal if it changes over time.
3. Prioritise what really matters to your business.
Not every hiccup will break your business. Some things are minor annoyances; others could snowball into chaos. So go through your list and give it a simple “traffic light” rating:
🔴 High: could stop the business cold
🟡 Medium: would slow things down or frustrate staff/customers
🟢 Low: annoying but manageable
We get it, businesses are busy, and you definitely don’t need more stuff on your plate. That’s why prioritisation is everything: it helps you focus on the few things that really make a difference, actually get them done, and avoid spreading yourself so thin that nothing gets finished.
4. Write down one small action which will help you start to minimise the risk.
Now that you know what’s important, jot down one small action for each high or medium risk. It doesn’t need to be a grand overhaul, just something that nudges the problem in a safer direction.
For example:
Schedule that overdue system update
Limit who knows that “temporary shared” password
Automate a report that always goes missing
These small fixes are like tightening a loose bolt before it falls off: tiny actions, big impact.
This is also where a little extra guidance can make things easier. Our KIZAN. CISO and Risk team can help turn your list into simple, practical routines that fit your business, workflow, and risk appetite, without adding unnecessary stress. Even if all you want is to test the coffee machine and have a friendly chat about risk, we’re here.
5. Check in regularly.
Risk isn’t static, businesses change, people change, tech changes. That list you started last week? Believe me, it’s going to grow.
So set a recurring reminder to check in weekly, monthly or how ever often you can afford to, as long as you are building a habit of doing it.
Add new “hmm…” moments, update your “so what?” consequences, tweak priorities, and plan new small wins. Over time, this becomes automatic; your very own cyber-safe habit.
That’s it! Congratulations, you’re now doing the foundations of risk management! Let’s not fool ourselves that this is not the ultimate risk management approach and there is plenty more which businesses should do - but in the spirit of KIZAN., starting and building enduring habits is the first step - and we’re here to help you on your journey.
Where most businesses stop - and where real growth begins
Since that infamous caffeine-free Monday, I’ve worked with all sorts of organisations, from public sector and critical infrastructure players to nimble startups. And the first question I ask is always:
“So… what are your risks?”
You might be surprised (sometimes I still am) by the answers. Not because anyone’s failing; risk management is tricky, even for the “big kids” with fancy dashboards and huge teams.
So if you’re reading this thinking, “Oh no, we’re failing because we don’t do this properly,” take a deep breath.
You’re not. You’re human, and habits take time to build.
That’s exactly why KIZAN. exists: to help businesses like yours lay the foundations, build good cyber habits, and grow with confidence without the overwhelm, the spreadsheets, or Monday-morning panic.
Following our five-step plan already puts you ahead of most SMEs. Noticing risks, imagining what could go wrong, prioritising, planning, and checking in - it’s a huge step forward.
But most businesses stop there. Not because they don’t care, but because habits alone aren’t always enough. Sometimes you need a partner with the experience and perspective to help you move to the next level, someone who can help you ask the right questions, spot what’s really critical, and keep your plans alive and on-track while you do what you do best: run your business.
Which risks really matter most?
How do you keep plans up to date when day-to-day work takes over?
How do you spot the hidden risks nobody even knows to look for?
How do you get the right cyber risk expertise without hiring a full team - and in a way which is actually affordable?
That’s where KIZAN.’s experienced risk professionals make all the difference.
Our team lives and breathes IT and cyber risk, turning complex frameworks into practical, easy-to-use processes that actually work for real businesses. We don’t do cookie-cutter solutions, we design proportionate, right-sized risk management routines tailored to your team, your workflow, and your business priorities.
Whether you’re a lean startup or an established SME, we can help you:
Spot the risks that really matter, not just the obvious ones
Prioritise actions that make the biggest difference
Build processes and routines that actually stick
Make confident, informed decisions without guesswork
And when risk management becomes part of your everyday business habits, it doesn’t just protect you - it enables smarter decisions, drives innovation, and makes costs more effective.
Ready to buckle up?
So, next time your coffee machine dies, your supplier fails, or a system crashes, remember: small, unexpected problems can have huge consequences.
But with a little planning, smart thinking, and as always, a sense of humour, you can keep your business running smoothly, even when Monday tries to ruin everything.
Risk management doesn’t have to be scary or complicated. Think of it like buckling your seatbelt: small, consistent habits that protect you from chaos and give you the confidence to take the wheel.
Wherever you are in your risk journey, starting from scratch or levelling up, KIZAN. is here to help. No jargon, no panic. Just calm, tailored support to help you build habits that stick, spot what others miss, and keep your business moving forward.
If you’re ready to start building your risk habits, we’d love to help, and thanks to our KIZAN.Collective™ fund, we can offer discounts on our services for businesses that might feel expert guidance is out of reach. Drop us a message and let’s see how we can support your journey.
Get in touch and let’s start your risk journey together.
Let’s make sure your next Monday morning chaos is just coffee-related, not business-breaking. While you’re at it, why not put the coffee machine at the top of your risk list this week? That flashing clean-me-light isn’t going to fix itself, and trust us, a caffeine-less Monday is more disruptive than you think.