How to write a useful small-business continuity plan.
The best continuity plan is not the longest. It is the one that gives the right person enough reliable information to protect people, make decisions and keep priority work moving.
Define the purpose and authority
State when the plan should be activated, who can activate it and who can make urgent operational or financial decisions. Name a deputy for every key role; disruption rarely respects the roster.
Prioritise activities and recovery times
Identify the products and services that matter most, the consequences if they stop and the maximum tolerable interruption. Set a practical recovery target for each activity. This prevents teams from restoring the easiest thing instead of the most important thing.
Document the dependencies
- People: specialist knowledge, approvals and minimum staffing.
- Technology: applications, data, devices and connectivity.
- Supply chain: vendors, contractors and delivery routes.
- Physical resources: premises, utilities, vehicles, stock and equipment.
Write actions for disrupted conditions
For each major loss, define the first safety check, the decision owner, immediate containment, customer and staff communication, the manual workaround, required contacts and conditions for returning to normal. Use verbs and short steps rather than policy language.
Make maintenance part of normal work
Review the plan after organisational change, a supplier change, a new system, an exercise or a real incident. A short current plan is safer than a comprehensive plan containing old phone numbers and assumptions.
Sources and further guidance
Australian guidance used in preparing this article. General information only; obtain advice for your circumstances.