Business Continuity Toolkit
Whatever happens, the standard holds
Business Continuity Toolkit – $49 +GST
A structured, practical toolkit that tells your team exactly what to do, and what to tell your customers, the moment something goes wrong.
Nine common disruptions covered, expert guidance on every section, put your plan together in a few focused hours.
Most businesses are one bad day away from chaos
You know what to do when the power goes out, or when a supplier falls through, at least, you think you do. But does your team know? Does whoever’s on shift when it happens know who to call, what to tell a customer standing in front of them, or whether to keep trading at all?
If a customer walked in right now during a disruption, would they be told what’s happening, or would they just be left to work it out themselves?
For most businesses, the honest answer is: it depends who’s working that day. Not because anyone’s careless, because it’s never been written down.
This toolkit is how you write it down.
What is the Business Continuity Toolkit?
A structured set of templates that walks you through exactly what your team should do for the disruptions most likely to hit your business, and just as importantly, what your customers should experience while it’s happening.
Most continuity planning stops at “what do we do.” This toolkit asks a second question on every scenario: how does this look and feel to the customer? Because how you handle a disruption is usually what a customer remembers, not the disruption itself.
When it’s complete, what you have is a working plan any team member could pick up mid-disruption and act on, whether you’re in the building or not.
What’s inside the toolkit
The toolkit is divided into five parts, each part builds on the last.
Foundations
• Who’s responsible for this plan
• Priority contacts
• Quick how-to: common actions
• Severity guide – what counts as minor, major or critical
Disruption Response Plans
• Cyber attack or IT breach
• Flood or water damage
• Access to premises denied
• Staff illness or major absence
• Internet or phone system outage
• Key supplier or delivery interruption
• Equipment or machinery failure
• Theft or break-in
Plus a framework to build your own scenario for anything specific to your business
Communication & Escalation
Recovery & Review
Governance & Maintenance
Expert guidance included throughout Every template includes guidance notes explaining what good looks like and what the person using the document mid- disruption will need from you. Delete the guidance once each section is complete.
The question other continuity plans skip
Most continuity planning treats a disruption as a risk problem – insurance, downtime, liability. It rarely asks what a customer standing in front of you, or waiting on the phone, is actually experiencing while your team scrambles.
Every scenario in this toolkit asks that question directly: not just what do we do, but how does this look and feel to the customer? It’s the difference between a plan that gets your business running again, and a plan that keeps the customer standing in front of you while it happens.
That’s usually the part that gets remembered, long after the disruption itself is forgotten.
How it works
- Download the toolkit: You receive a Word document formatted and ready to complete. No special software required – open and start.
- Work through one section at a time: Work through the sections in order, starting with Part A. Everything else refers back to the roles and contacts you set up there. Take it in stages, not one sitting.
- Use the guidance notes: Every section includes guidance explaining how to complete it. Focus on clarity over perfection – a simple, honest answer is more useful than a polished one that takes weeks to write.
- Delete the guidance, save your plan: Once each section is complete, delete the guidance notes. Save the finished document in at least two locations, digital and physical and make sure at least one trusted person knows where it is.
- Review it every year: Or whenever something changes, new systems, new suppliers, new premises.
This toolkit is right for you if…
- You run a business of any size where a disruption would be noticed by customers, not just your team.
- You don’t currently have anything written down for what your team does when something breaks.
- You want your team to keep the standard whether you’re reachable or not.
- You want to work through it yourself, at your own pace.
- You want the peace of mind of knowing a bad day doesn’t have to become a bad week.
Get the toolkit
Business Continuity Toolkit (self-guided)
• Nine disruption scenarios, plus a framework to build your own
• Expert guidance notes on every section
• Ready-to-use communication templates for staff, customers and suppliers
• Decision-making and escalation authority framework
• Recovery checklist and post-incident review
• Review & update tracker
Want Expert Feedback on Your Plan?
Put the plan in place. Then get on with running the business.
Most businesses know they should have something like this. Very few do. It doesn’t take long to build, it’s not complicated, it just needs you to write down what your team would need, and what your customers should hear, while it happens.
FAQs
Frequently asked questions
Everything you need to know about the Business Continuity Toolkit
What format does the toolkit come in?
The toolkit is delivered as a Microsoft Word document. You can open it on PC or Mac and type directly into the templates. No special software is required beyond a standard version of Word.
How long does it take to complete?
Most businesses complete it across two to three sessions of around an hour each. Part A, the foundations section, should be done first, since every other section refers back to it.
Do I need a lawyer or accountant to complete this?
No. It’s designed to be completed by you or your team, with guidance built into every section. Some sections, particularly decision-making authority and financial limits, may prompt a conversation with your accountant, but the toolkit itself doesn’t require professional advice to complete. The toolkit is not a legal document or provide legal advice, if you are unsure it is advisable to speak to a lawyer.
What if my business doesn’t have any staff?
The toolkit still works. Several sections will be quick to complete, and the sections on system access, supplier contacts and communication templates arguably matter more for a sole operator, since there’s no one to fall back on.
Is this the same as the Owner Continuity Toolkit?
No, they cover different ground. This one is for day-to-day disruptions, a power outage, a supplier falling through, a team member off sick, built for your whole team to use. The Owner Continuity Toolkit is for if you specifically are out of action, short-term or permanently, built to capture what only you know.
What if I want help completing it?
The Guided Business Continuity Plan is a facilitated process where we build the plan together, drawing out what’s specific to your business. From $1,850 + GST.
Disclaimer: This toolkit is a practical planning guide and does not constitute legal, financial or insurance advice. For matters involving contracts, liability or insurance cover, seek professional advice specific to your business.