Download a business continuity plan template
If you’re ready to start business continuity planning, we have the perfect business continuity plan template. Download our free continuity plan template! It will help you conduct a business impact analysis, identify vulnerabilities, and create plans to ensure your key business functions remain operational in an emergency.
What is a business continuity plan?
Business continuity planning can help ensure your critical business functions and key team members have the resources and information to effectively manage an emergency. A business continuity plan is a document that outlines the systems and processes needed to prevent such incidents and aid the company in continuing its business operations after an emergency event like a natural disaster or cyberattack.
Benefits of using a business continuity plan template
While some businesses prefer to create their business continuity plans from scratch, using a template has its advantages. With a business continuity plan template, you can:
- Create your plan quickly
- It’s easy to use
- Save a ton of time
The importance of preparation
Natural disasters and other crises can often happen without warning and cause significant business disruption. Prepare your business by putting together a business continuity plan in advance.
How to create a business continuity plan
To create your business continuity plan:
- Put together a cross-divisional business continuity team
- Ensure the safety and well-being of your staff
- Identify key business functions
- Examine critical business processes and identify alternatives
- Conduct a business impact analysis
- Identify potential threats and quantify the impact of loss or disruption
- Do a risk assessment
- Plan preventative maintenance to better prepare buildings, vehicles, and equipment for disruptive incidents
- Identify alternate site locations in case a location becomes inoperable
What to include in a business continuity plan
Your business continuity plan should include the following:
- Business impact analysis
- Prioritized list of business functions requiring recovery procedures
- Recovery plans for all critical operational aspects of the business
- Recovery plans for IT equipment and electronic data, should it become compromised
- Evacuation procedures
- Contact lists for staff members
- Designated roles and responsibilities for each key area of the continuity plan
FAQ: Everything about business continuity plans
How do you write a business continuity plan?
A business continuity plan template is the best way to write your continuity plan. It will walk you through all the steps of formulating your plan. It’s a good idea to involve people from different business areas. Here are the six steps to creating a business continuity plan:
- Identify the scope of the business continuity plan
- Identify key business areas
- Identify essential functions for your business
- Identify internal and external dependencies of the business
- Determine acceptable downtime for critical functions
- Create a plan to maintain business operations or return to normal operations as soon as possible
Where should you store your business continuity plan?
Your continuity plan will need periodic updates as processes and personnel change. It should be easy to access and update by key team members authorized. Store a digital copy in the cloud and at least one offsite location for use in the event of a widespread power outage.
What are the elements of business continuity?
A business continuity plan must help the business adapt quickly to changing circumstances. To do so, it must include prevention, response, and recovery strategies for each of these areas:
- Infrastructure, including IT equipment and processes, data storage and management, and buildings and alternate locations
- Processes, including customer service, client communication, internal communication, supply chain, and finances
- Safety and security, including protecting private data, evacuation strategies, and impeccable safety standards
What are the four Ps of business continuity planning?
The four Ps of business continuity planning are People, Processes, Premises, and Providers.
Who should handle business continuity planning?
Business continuity planning is ultimately the responsibility of executive management but must involve all key business unit leaders. Each departmental manager must conduct the impact analysis for their business area and establish the protocols necessary to prevent, respond to, and recover from natural or human-made disasters.
If you are a solopreneur, the job falls on your shoulders, but thankfully, the process will be more straightforward.
What are the different types of business continuity?
A business continuity plan might include any or all of these five types of continuity planning:
- Crisis management
- Crisis communications
- Emergency management
- IT service continuity plan
- Business process continuity
