business continuity plan policy example

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This section will describe that training in detail, including:

Training should occur on a regular basis, in order to ensure that business continuity team members can respond competently and effectively if the plan is executed. Live exercises and drills can be used to simulate disruptions and give team members the chance to demonstrate their abilities.

Plan Activation Process

This section outlines the actual sequence of actions that will occur at the outset of the continuity plan.

In this section, it is useful to include:

Once these items have been completed and the plan has been activated, it is time to begin the core activities associated with this particular continuity plan.

Recovery and Restoration Procedures

Not every business continuity plan will have the same aim or purpose, though many revolve around disaster mitigation and recovery.

In such cases, restoration and recovery would be the primary aim of the continuity plan, which would include activities such as:

Since these actions are the primary effort that will drive every business continuity effort, it may be tempting to create plans that consist only of these procedures.

However, it is important to realize that every other section of the continuity plan is equally important – without the proper training, for instance, business continuity teams won’t actually be able to implement the plan successfully.

Contact Lists

Since business continuity plans should be implemented rapidly, it is important to have contact lists and details on hand.

These lists can include telephone numbers, email addresses, physical addresses, and other contact details for…

Having all of this information will save valuable time and ensure that business teams spend time only on the most important recovery and restoration activities, rather than spending that time searching for and compiling contact details.

Additional Information

An appendix can include other relevant information, such as:

The proper implementation of recovery and restoration plans can make a big difference in the outcomes and the effectiveness of those efforts. Therefore, the more detail that can be included, the better.

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How to write a business continuity plan template

To avoid the common pitfalls associated with growing a successful business, you’ll need to come up with a long-term plan. A business continuity plan template can help you anticipate and avoid disruptions to your company.

Unanticipated threats can wipe out your assets, while risky courses of action can lead to disastrous results. Take the pandemic as an example, which wrought havoc on companies’ plans for growth. In the first year, 43% of businesses temporarily closed , something few could have anticipated.

In this article, we’ll explore why you need a business continuity plan template to help you stay on steady footing, even if the ground beneath you shakes.

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What is a business continuity plan template?

A business continuity plan (BCP) is a roadmap for long-term success that factors in common pitfalls and risks. A business continuity plan template ensures that you dot your Is and cross your Ts, and craft a reliable plan to handle unexpected events or disasters.

The template will include fields for filling in information on your current resources, recovery procedures when you face critical setbacks, and a list of personnel responsible for addressing such issues.

The primary purpose of business continuity management is to analyze the current status of your company and its state of preparedness for unexpected threats. With it, senior management can find any weak spots in the business and proactively identify solutions to problems that could hinder progress toward your goals. Of course, there are other reasons you’d benefit from this template.

Why use a business continuity plan template?

Reiterating on the above, the main function of the business continuity plans template is to provide a framework for addressing any problems that may arise in various departments and areas of the business.

Without a plan for dealing with roadblocks, your business’s growth can be stunted, or worse, screech to a halt. All it takes is a few missteps or misguided risks to steer your company off course. 90% of small businesses fail within a single year if they can’t resume full operations following an unexpected disaster.

Don’t confuse a BCP with a disaster recovery plan. A BCP doesn’t just outline what to do in case of emergencies, but it presents ideas for recovering full functionality within the business to minimize the impact on growth.

Take your company’s sensitive data as an example. Relying solely on backups to external servers or hard drives could be risky. In your BCP template, you’ll want to detail how you can protect and manage your data in the event of a breach or severe weather conditions. For instance, a hybrid approach, using both a cloud-based solution and a private server, could afford you extra data security and safety.

There were 3,950 confirmed data breaches in 2020 alone, which highlights the dangers of ignoring your data security. The faster you can get back on your feet and recover from cyberthreats or unforeseen events, the easier it’ll be to hold onto your cutting edge and stay a step ahead of the competition.

Those are the benefits in theory, but let’s take a look at specific cases where BCP templates can help.

What are examples of business continuity plan templates?

Depending on your needs, these business continuity templates can provide a little extra inspiration to get started.

Risk assessment template for business continuity

Use a risk assessment table to calculate whether various weather conditions or other events could impact your day-to-day operations. Your business continuity management team could use resources such as this to identify potential threats—however unlikely —to make sure that the company isn’t caught off guard.

( Image Source )

While nobody could have predicted the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Katrina, a rigorous risk assessment system ensures that you have most bases covered, including natural disasters.

Even if your headquarters is sheltered from severe weather conditions, there may be secondary offices or physical data servers in high-risk areas. As such, it’s important to factor in all of your infrastructure to avoid getting blindsided.

Alternate site evaluation template

If you have employees working from home or away from your primary place of work, you can use an alternate site evaluation table to evaluate the possible risks. Have your employees fill out a table like this one so that you have all the relevant contact information on your books in case of an emergency.

screenshot of alternate site evaluation table

This information can help you better understand your employees’ work arrangements and troubleshoot any issues should they come up.

BCP committee table template

Use a simple BCP committee table to determine member’s roles and responsibilities. For each member, you can fill out contact information, along with a list of the main duties they are required to carry out.

This will make it easy for the committee members to coordinate for meetings and have a clear action plan for what to do next.

Want a template that lets you do all of this in one document? monday.com has just what the doctor ordered.

monday.com’s business continuity plan template

On the monday.com business continuity plan template, you’ll be able to enter data such as committee member contact details, disaster recovery action plans, and evacuation information.

The template covers all bases regarding potential threats you could encounter as you grow your business. With it, you’ll be able to keep all the information in a single place and enter it in an easy-to-digest way to share with your employees.

Screenshot of monday.com's business continuity plan template

And that’s not all. With monday.com Work OS, your employees can easily share and collaborate on tables and forms, so you can ask for input regarding secondary places of work and contact information. Plus, managers can access this information from anywhere, allowing them to see crucial details at a glance for better preparation.

Part of business continuity planning is ensuring your sensitive data is secure, so you’ll appreciate that monday.com protects your information with permission-based access. Only those in the BCP committee will be privy to the plans unless you wish to grant access to other employees.

If you want to expand beyond the BCP and really detail how you’ll deal with potential disasters and risks, we’ve got a few templates for you.

Related templates from monday.com

Let’s take a look at a few templates that are related to a business continuity plan template.

Disaster recovery template

A Disaster Recovery Template falls under the scope of the business continuity plan committee. It’s just what it sounds like: a comprehensive plan for necessary actions if disaster strikes. More specifically, the plan should inform your approach for getting systems back online when they go down.

In this disaster recovery template, you can include everything from cyber-attacks and data breaches to worldwide pandemics or natural disasters. You can integrate these reports into your overall BCP to get a comprehensive overview of your recovery plans.

Operating functions template

An operating functions template gives you an idea of how you can cut costs in various processes and workflows. It can also inform how you can implement more sustainable business practices and initiatives.

Check out these different operations templates from monday.com that can be used with the BCP template to outline potential risks associated with new initiatives and suggested changes to work processes.

Program risk register

The Program Risk Register Template is for the early-stage process of identifying and evaluating potential risks to your business. It complements the business continuity plan template well — you can focus on valid, severe, likely risks in your BCP, and have a separate table for risks of all likelihoods and potential levels of impact.

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FAQs about business continuity plan templates

How do you write a business continuity plan.

You can write a business continuity plan by first listing the various departments of your company and what risks or threats they might face. From there, you can assess the likelihood of these threats coming to fruition. Once you have an idea of the probability of the various threats to your company, you can prioritize them.

With a prioritized list, you can start with the most pressing threat and proactively brainstorm what actions you could take if it were to arise. The purpose of the BCP is to shield your company against anything that could hinder your progress. Coming up with potential solutions for addressing hypothetical problems can prepare you for real ones in the future.

What is a small business continuity plan?

A small business continuity plan is a document that details potential risks and threats to a small business. It’s well worth creating such a document as a small business owner, as it can save you from disaster as you strive to scale the company.

For small businesses, any hitch can prove disastrous. 38.8% of US-based small businesses were affected by supply chain issues in 2021, which, for some, would have impeded growth significantly. Over-reliance on foreign suppliers could be an example of an unnecessary risk that, without being addressed, could spell disaster for a small business.

With the business continuity plan in place, you can protect your business in its most vulnerable state of growth. The plan forces you to think laterally about the threats that could sink your business. That way, you can make necessary course corrections and increase your chances of long-term survival.

What is an example of a business continuity plan?

An example of a business continuity plan is to plan out how you’ll protect your app’s uptime in the event something happens to one data center: for example, running a clone in AWS you can always fall back on.

What are the 3 elements of business continuity?

The three most vital elements within business continuity are resilience, recovery, and contingency.

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Life doesn’t always go according to plan. Even some of the most experienced business owners can be caught short when they’re faced with the unexpected. That’s why it’s important to have a tried-and-tested plan ready and waiting should the worst happen. Whether it’s a heavy snowstorm or a sudden broadband outage, business continuity is about keeping your business up and running when things go wrong.

According to the Office for National Statistics , over 10% of UK businesses fail each year. And while there are lots of reasons a business can go under, many fail because they’re unable to recover from a single event that suddenly devastates their business. Here, AXA explains more about business continuity planning and you’ll find an easy-to-follow checklist and template so you can start thinking about your own plan.

What is business continuity planning?

Business continuity planning refers to the systems and procedures that allow businesses to maintain or quickly resume functions in the event of a major disruption. Essentially, business continuity is like having a back-up plan.

A business continuity plan should outline procedures and instructions for staff members in the event of a disaster. The plan should cover things like:

Business continuity plans are commonly used when businesses experience disruption during extreme weather. But they also come in handy for day-to-day problems like your customers not paying on time, a staff member being off sick, or a supplier letting you down.

Here, AXA shares some tips and advice to get you thinking about what your own business continuity plan might look like. However, when it comes to putting your plan down to paper, we recommend consulting with professional bodies or other experts. The Business Continuity Institute and the ISO – Business Continuity Management Systems can help with business continuity planning standards and frameworks. They also provide training and resources (many of which are free) to businesses who need help with continuity planning.

Carry out a risk assessment

Before writing your business continuity plan, you’ll want to carry out a comprehensive risk assessment to identify the areas where your business is more vulnerable. Here’s a brief risk assessment checklist with the most common things to consider…

Top tip: Get your staff involved in the risk assessment because they might be able to identify things you’re not aware of.

AXA offer a range of Risk Management guides which you can access guides here.

Write the BCP: what to include

For smaller businesses and sole traders, business continuity plans (BCP) don’t need to be as complex as the BCPs large corporations have. In your risk assessment, you will have identified several key areas of vulnerability and they be the focus of your plan. For example, your key areas might be things like ‘burglary’, ‘flooding’, ‘fire’ or a ‘staff member leaving’ and therefore the main body of your BCP will be made up of checklists in each of these key areas. The checklists will detail different scenarios and explain who’s responsible for what and provide timescales for different tasks.

A comprehensive contact list of all the important people you might need to speak to in an emergency is an essential part of business continuity planning. This will include key customers and suppliers, staff members, local emergency services and insurance providers. It’s good practice to update your BCP contact list regularly. And remember, any personal information about your employees must be kept secure and only shared with those who have a need to know.

You’ll also want to include an action and expenses logbook which is a great way to understand what worked well and what didn’t so you can improve your processes in the future. Equally, it can be a useful tool to document any essential expenses to show your insurance company

Top tip : Write your BCP in plain English so it’s easy to understand and everyone knows what’s expected of them. Instead of jargon and long-winded explanations, use simple sentences and bullet points.

Test and communicate the BCP

Good communication is essential when it comes to business continuity. Everyone who works for your business should read and understand the BCP before it’s fully implemented. This means you’ll have time to plan any additional training the staff might need. To test your BCP, you might want to rehearse your responses to the key areas you identified in your risk assessment. This will give you time to iron out any issues and ensure everyone knows exactly what to do and when.

Some businesses choose to send their BCPs to key customers and suppliers so everyone’s on the same page. It also means if you do encounter an emergency or disaster, you won’t need to waste your time sending it to all the relevant people.

Business continuity plan checklist

This business continuity plan (BCP) checklist template is a simple outline that you can build on and make specific to your business. When you go to create your own BCP, we recommended consulting with the Business Continuity Institute or other professional bodies.

Introduction

Key area checklists

Contact lists

Action and expenses log, business continuity plan example for uk business.

The introduction to your business continuity plan will include company information and contact details as well the overall objectives for the BCP. It might look something like this…

This Business Continuity Plan has been designed to prepare ‘ Company Name’ to cope with the effects of an emergency. This document will provide instructions so ‘Company Name’s’ business functions can be maintained or quickly resumed in the event of a major disruption.

Key area checklist

For every area of vulnerability you identify in your risk assessment, you should complete a checklist to outline what the response should be. Here’s an example of a checklist to give you an idea of what to include…

When you’re creating a list of contacts for your BCP, it’s important to consider who you might need to speak to in an emergency. Most continuity plans have contact details for staff members, suppliers, customers, utility companies, local emergency services and insurance and banking companies.

When you’re dealing with an emergency and following your business continuity plan, it’s a good idea to document what you’re doing and when. Not only will it help you understand what worked and what didn’t in your BCP, but it could also act as evidence of the costs incurred during an emergency or for any potential insurance claims.

Your logbook might look something like this…

Insuring your business against interruption or unforeseen events

Having business insurance should be an integral part of any business continuity plan. AXA’s business insurance gives you protection from everyday business risks to large, unexpected compensation claims. It can protect your work, your people, your reputation, and ultimately, your future livelihood.

With AXA’s business insurance you can easily combine different covers and choose from a list of add-ons. So you only pay for the cover you need. You’ll leave with business insurance unique to your business, no one else’s. Click here to find out more about business insurance and how much the level of cover you need might cost.

Running a small business isn’t easy. Protecting it is.

Running a business is hard work. That’s why we’re doing all we can to make your insurance a bit simpler. From working to pay claims quicker to cutting down on business insurance jargon, find out what we’re doing to help.

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Business continuity plan template for entrepreneurs

While some companies have developed contingency plans, most have not. This lack of preparedness not only threatens the viability of the Canadian economy but, as in the case of manufacturing, it also jeopardizes the delivery of critical goods that depend on complex supply chain systems. Creating and maintaining a business continuity plan helps ensure that your business has the resources and information needed to deal with an emergency.

A well-designed plan will help you minimize the risk that an emergency poses to your employees, clients and suppliers, the continuity of your business operations and your bottom line.

To plan your business continuity exercise and mitigate the potential effects of an emergency, we suggest that you read our complete article on business continuity planning and use these templates:

Planning team for business continuity

Essential services/functions ranking

Essential services criticalness factor

Action plan for maintaining essential service/activity

Key customers

Critical suppliers

Critical business partners or support providers

List of questions and initiatives

Business continuity plan checklist

Terms and conditions

We allow you to use these templates only as part of your business activities, but we do not guarantee that they fit your needs.

Unfortunately, we do not offer any assistance.

You are responsible for the content of the documents you create using these templates. We are not responsible for the value or accuracy of these documents, nor for the damages resulting from their use.

If you do not agree with what you just read, do not use the templates.

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Sample, Example & Format Templates: 11+ Information Technology Business Continuity Plan Template
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COMMENTS

Business Continuity Policy Samples & Template
Here is an example of a business continuity policy format: Header Block: Depending on your company's style, you might need to include a header block on the policy. A header block includes the policy holder, policy signatory, policy date, review cycle, and version control details.
Business Continuity Plan: Example & How to Write
The following is a brief ILO example of how a small business owner developed a business continuity plan to mitigate the impact of COVID-19: COVID-19 Risk Assessment: high-risk profile Key Products: different types of canned sardines Objectives: Maximize the physical and emotional safety of the owner and workers
How to Write a Business Continuity Plan
You can also approach your business continuity planning as including three types of responses: Proactive Strategies: Proactive approaches prevent crises. For example, you may buy an emergency generator to keep power running in your factory, or install a security system to prevent or limit loss during break-ins.
PDF Business Continuity Management Policy
The focus of this policy is business continuity management. This policy defines the ongoing management process and procedures that each unit follows to: • identify and prioritize essential business functions • identify potential threats which could cause a break in their operations; •
Business Continuity Plan
Development of a business continuity plan includes four steps: Conduct a business impact analysis to identify time-sensitive or critical business functions and processes and the resources that support them. Identify, document, and implement to recover critical business functions and processes.
Business Continuity Plan (BCP) Templates
An example of a continuity strategy that a lot of businesses had to implement during the pandemic was remote working or work-from-home. This enabled businesses to continue their operations and keep their employees safe from contracting COVID-19 in the workplace. 5. Business Continuity Plan
Free Business Continuity Plan Templates
This template outlines the structure involved in creating a business continuity plan. It provides an easy, comprehensive way to detail the steps that will comprise your unique BCP. Use this template to plan each phase of a typical BCP, including the business impact analysis, recovery strategies, and plan development.
Business Continuity Policy template, free to download now
A business continuity policy sets out the intentions and direction of your business continuity programme and communicates the scope and requirements to your employees. This helps your employees understand their roles and responsibilities for delivering the programme so they can meet the expectations.
Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Policy Template
Business continuity planning should ensure that: the safety and security of personnel is the first priority; an adequate management structure is in place to prepare for, mitigate and respond to a disruptive event using personnel with the necessary authority, experience, and competence;
Sample Business Continuity Policy
20+ SAMPLE Business Continuity Policy Privatization Commission Business Continuity Policy download now Business Continuity Planning Policy Statement download now Business Continuity Management and Resilience Policy download now Business Continuity Policy Service Level Business Continuity Plans download now Sample Business Continuity Policy
Business Continuity Plan Template & Examples
Here is a sample of one of the completed sections from a business continuity plan for XYX Inc. Section 3: PLAN ACTIVATION Circumstances This Plan will be activated in response to any incident causing significant disruption to normal service delivery, particularly the delivery of key and critical activities.
PDF Business Continuity Plan
Defne the scope, objectives, and assumptions of the business continuity plan. Business Continuity Organization Defne the roles and responsibilities for team members. Identify the lines of authority, succession of management, and delegation of authority. Address interaction with external organizations including contractors and vendors. Figure 1.
Business Continuity Plan
33+ Business Continuity Plan Examples 1. Business Continuity Plan Template Details File Format MS Word Pages Google Docs Size: A4 & US Download 2. Work From Home Business Continuity Plan Details File Format MS Word Google Docs Size: US Download 3. Business Continuity Plan Remote Work Template Details File Format MS Word Google Docs Apple Pages PDF
What Is A Business Continuity Plan? [+ Template & Examples]
These will set the foundation for the business continuity examples and templates we'll share later on. Types of Business Continuity 1. Operational Operational continuity means that the systems and processes your business relies on are able to continue functioning without disruption.
Small Firm Business Continuity Plan Template
Updated resources for business continuity planning; and; The previously free-standing BCP Disclosure Statement is now a part of the template itself. September 1, 2004. Attachment added to provide a draft BCP disclosure statement, which is discussed under "Section XIII Disclosure of Business Continuity Plan" of the revised template.
What Is a Business Continuity Plan (BCP)?
Business Continuity Planning - BCP: The business continuity planning (BCP) is the creation of a strategy through the recognition of threats and risks facing a company, with an eye to ensure that ...
An Easy-to-Use Business Continuity Plan Sample and Template
An Easy-to-Use Business Continuity Plan Sample Template Continuity plans will vary in length and complexity, depending on the organization's scale, its industry, and its needs. However, the following outline can be customized and applied to a wide variety of circumstances.
How to write a business continuity plan template
A business continuity plan (BCP) is a roadmap for long-term success that factors in common pitfalls and risks. A business continuity plan template ensures that you dot your Is and cross your Ts, and craft a reliable plan to handle unexpected events or disasters. The template will include fields for filling in information on your current ...
How to write a business continuity plan
Business continuity plan example for UK business Introduction The introduction to your business continuity plan will include company information and contact details as well the overall objectives for the BCP. It might look something like this… ' Company Name' Business Continuity Plan Date Name of person responsible Phone/Email/Address
Business continuity plan template
To plan your business continuity exercise and mitigate the potential effects of an emergency, we suggest that you read our complete article on business continuity planning and use these templates: Planning team for business continuity Essential services/functions ranking Essential services criticalness factor