How to Build a Simple Business Continuity Plan

Learn how to build a practical business continuity plan for your small business — covering critical functions, backup roles, and recovery steps.

Business Operations September 5, 2026 3 Min Read By MYDWARE IT Solutions Inc.

Tags business continuity plan disaster recovery small business operations data backup managed it services simcoe county

Open notebook with a numbered business continuity checklist beside a laptop and USB backup drive on a wooden desk

Key Takeaways

A business continuity plan documents exactly what to do when operations are disrupted by outages, staff absence, or a ransomware attack.
Start by listing your five to eight most critical business functions and identifying every single point of failure within each.
Assign a named backup person for every critical role before a disruption happens — never assume informal knowledge will be enough.
Your plan is only useful if staff can find and follow it without IT help; store copies in cloud storage and in print.
Review your plan at least once a year and whenever your team, systems, or key responsibilities change significantly.

A business continuity plan is a written document that tells your team how to keep critical operations running when something goes wrong — whether that is a power outage, a key employee absence, or a ransomware attack that locks your files. For small businesses in the GTA and Simcoe County, even a straightforward plan can mean the difference between a manageable disruption and a permanent closure.

Why Does a Small Business Need a Continuity Plan?

Many small business owners assume continuity planning is only for large enterprises. It is not. Small businesses are often more vulnerable to disruption because fewer people cover critical functions and there is less financial runway to absorb downtime. A plan does not need to be a hundred-page binder — a clear, honest document your team can actually follow under pressure is far more valuable than an elaborate one nobody reads.

How Do You Build a Business Continuity Plan Step by Step?

Step 1: Identify Your Critical Business Functions

Write down the five to eight things that absolutely must keep working for your business to survive. Consider how customers reach you, how you deliver your product or service, how you get paid, and how you pay suppliers. If any of these stopped tomorrow, what would break first?

Step 2: Assess What Each Function Depends On

For each critical function, list the people, systems, and data it relies on. Your invoicing process might depend on one specific employee, your accounting software, and a shared network folder. Any single point of failure — one person, one device, one login — is a risk that needs a documented backup.

Step 3: Assign Backup Roles and Contacts

Every critical function needs a named backup person who knows what to do if the primary person is unavailable. Document this clearly:

Primary responsible person
Backup person and their contact details
Where to find the instructions, credentials, or files they need

Do not rely on memory or informal knowledge. Write it down and confirm the backup person has actually read it.

Step 4: Document Recovery Procedures

For each critical function, write a short procedure in plain language — numbered steps explaining how to restore it after a disruption. Keep these brief. A half-page checklist is more useful under pressure than a detailed manual. Include who to call, which system to log into, and where backup data is stored.

Step 5: Confirm Your Data Backup and Recovery Baseline

Verify that your business data is backed up regularly and that you have tested restoring from that backup. A backup you have never tested is not a reliable backup. Know your recovery time objective — how long your business can function without a specific system before it causes serious harm — and make sure your IT support response aligns with it.

Step 6: Store the Plan Where Everyone Can Find It

Your continuity plan is useless if it only exists on the server that just went down. Store a copy in cloud storage, a shared drive, and a printed binder in your office. Tell your team where it lives, and review it at least once a year or whenever you hire new staff, change systems, or shift key responsibilities.

What Should You Do After Writing the Plan?

Walk through at least one scenario with your team — a simple tabletop exercise where you ask

Darryl Cresswell

CEO & President

MYDWARE IT Solutions Inc.

Small businesses are often more vulnerable to disruption because fewer people cover critical functions and there is less financial runway to absorb downtime.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to build a basic business continuity plan?

For most small businesses, a functional first draft takes four to eight hours of focused work. You are documenting what already exists — critical functions, responsible people, and basic recovery steps. Starting simple and refining over time is far more effective than waiting until you have a perfect document.

What is the difference between a business continuity plan and a disaster recovery plan?

A business continuity plan covers how your entire operation keeps running during a disruption — staff, processes, and communications. A disaster recovery plan focuses specifically on restoring IT systems and data. For small businesses, these often overlap, but continuity planning is broader and includes non-technical functions like staffing and supplier contacts.

How often should a small business update its continuity plan?

Review your plan at minimum once a year. Also update it whenever you hire or lose key staff, change core software or systems, move premises, or significantly alter your services. An outdated plan can be as harmful as no plan, because it creates false confidence in procedures that no longer reflect reality.

Does a business continuity plan need to cover cybersecurity incidents?

Yes. Ransomware, phishing attacks, and data loss are among the most common disruptions small businesses face. Your plan should include steps for isolating affected systems, contacting your IT provider, and accessing clean backups. Cybersecurity incidents often unfold quickly, so a written response checklist is essential rather than optional.

How do I know if my current backup and recovery setup is reliable?

Test it. Restore a sample of files from your backup and confirm they are complete and usable. Verify how long a full restore takes and compare that to how long your business can realistically operate without those systems. If you have never tested a restore, you do not yet know whether your backup works.