Topic 06
Business Continuity
A disaster response plan isn't paperwork — it's the difference between reopening in 3 days and never reopening at all. FEMA reports 40% of small businesses never reopen after a disaster. Continuity planning is why the other 60% do.
What you'll learn
- The essentials of a written continuity plan
- Which systems and data to protect first
- Where to keep vendor contacts, insurance info, and backup access
- How to test the plan without disrupting operations
Identify your critical functions
List the 3–5 activities the business absolutely must perform to earn revenue. Everything else can wait a week.
Off-site everything that matters
Cloud backups for data, off-site copies of key vendor and insurance contacts, and a printed one-page recovery checklist for whoever answers the phone first.
Practice the plan
A 30-minute tabletop exercise once a year catches more gaps than any binder ever will.
When to call a professional
Talk to your insurance agent, IT provider, and restoration partner together before a disaster — not after. Most will help you build a plan for free.
Quick answers
How long should our plan be?
One page is fine. If nobody reads it, it doesn't matter how thick it is.
What about a temporary location?
Identify one now. Have a written agreement — even informal — with a nearby space you can occupy short-term.