Preparing a Small Business
A shop, a restaurant or a small office has no crisis department. When the power, the payment terminal or the internet goes down, the owner decides everything in minutes. A one-page plan, written on a quiet day, is the difference between a difficult week and closing for good.
1. Know what you cannot work without
- List your critical functions: taking payment, keeping food cold, reaching customers, paying staff.
- For each one, write what it depends on: electricity, internet, one supplier, one person, one computer.
- Decide how long you can manage without each, and what the manual alternative is.
2. Protect your people
- Post evacuation routes and a meeting point. Practise once a year.
- Keep a first aid kit, flashlights and a battery radio on site.
- Keep a printed list of staff phone numbers and emergency contacts.
- Decide who is in charge on each shift, and who makes the call to close.
- Encourage staff to prepare at home. People who know their family is safe can focus on work. Share Make a Plan with them.
3. Keep operating without power or network
- Payments: keep a cash float and a way to write receipts by hand. See Cyberattacks and digital outages.
- Cold storage: know how long fridges and freezers hold temperature, keep a thermometer, and have a plan for stock. See Power Outages.
- Communication: agree a backup way to reach staff and key customers when phones or email fail.
- Suppliers: have a second supplier for essentials.
4. Protect your data and money
- Back up key files automatically, with one copy offline.
- Use two-step verification on email, banking and the till system.
- Keep paper copies of insurance, licences, the lease and key contracts off site.
- Check what your insurance covers: interruption, flood, cyber incidents.
5. After an incident
- Check that the premises are safe before reopening.
- Photograph damage before cleaning up.
- Tell customers plainly what is open and when.
- Review what failed and update the plan.
One-page plan checklist
- Critical functions and their backups
- Printed staff and supplier contacts
- Evacuation route and meeting point
- Cash float and manual receipts
- Cold storage plan
- Backups and two-step verification
- Insurance checked
- Person in charge per shift
Need a guide tailored to your workplace, municipality or school? See our custom editions.
Sources
Educational material. Always follow instructions from your local authorities. Last reviewed: November 2026.