BUSINESS CONTINUITY QUICK START GUIDE AND TEMPLATE

2 SOLUTIONS ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS 1 If you need a business continuity plan immediately in order to respond to a disruption or an unfamiliar situation, gather your key decision makers, and follow these steps. Keep the formatting simple, such as in a Word document in a shared folder. Later, you can take the time to build a thorough business continuity plan. You can also incorporate any learnings and best practices that you’ve derived from using this short plan. The first template below (pages 1-3, featuring potential business continuity steps for a small restaurant) serves as an example of how to fill out your quick start guide. A Blank template begins on page 4.

Brainstorm regarding how you plan to keep these functions continuing during a crisis. Consider how long you expect operations to be altered. Document the steps for keeping your key functions on track. each plan running. List 3-5 essential functions that must continue. Examples include accounts receivable, payroll, and production of critical products.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTION	SOLUTION
#1 Paying electricity, phone, suppliers, and lease.	Step 1 Track online notices of bills as they come due. Step 2 If you must delay payments because of poor cash flow, notify accounts and negotiate terms. Step 3 Continue selling food. Step 4 Update website and Twitter to tell customers we’re still here, cooking. Step 5 Contact bank to confirm line of credit if we need it.
#2 Paying staff.
#3 Ordering and receiving food and supplies.
#4 Cooking great food for delivery and pickup.
#5 Additional essential function

4 CHANGES 3

DAILY ROUTINES

Determine which daily routines will change or stay the same. Document how each new daily routine will change.

ROUTINE	DESCRIPTION OF CHANGE
Employee and Customer Safety	Everyone wears a mask. Wash all food packaging and produce with soap and water.
Table Service	There is no table service, only take away and pickup.
Daily Cleaning	Implement extra cleaning. Clean all surfaces in kitchen and in public area on an hourly basis.
Delivery Intake	Wipe surface of all packaging with cloth and spray sanitizer. Delivery drivers must wear masks and gloves, or we can’t accept deliveries.
Customer Interaction	Customer stands on spot indicated on floor. Cashier places to-go bags on table and holds out POS device for cards. Cashier uses sanitizer and cloth to wipe off POS buttons after each transaction concludes.

5

6

COMMUNICATION NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES

Describe your method of communication and the nature of your message. List internal and external parties that you need to alert re changes.

INTERNAL PARTIES	EXTERNAL PARTIES	NOTIFICATION METHOD
All kitchen and floor staff.	Post signage. Email details of changes. Provide link to updated handbook.
Vendors	Send email to owner, delivery manager, and sales representative to describe our mask and glove protocol. Call points of contact to confirm receipt of email and/or snail mail. Message: We are doing this for everyone’s safety.
General Public	Call local paper to tell them that we’re still here and that we have a protocol.

7

RECOVERY

Prepare for recovery. Consider what full operations entail.

SOLUTIONS + OUTLOOK
– Make repairs. – Establish an elevator protocol to limit passengers. – Leverage a backup supplier. – Maintain proper distancing for outside dining. – Maintain quarter-capacity seating for inside dining. – Continue frequent cleaning.

BUSINESS CONTINUITY QUICK START TEMPLATE

2 SOLUTIONS ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS 1

List 3-5 essential functions that must continue. Examples include accounts receivable, payroll, and production of critical products. Brainstorm regarding how you plan to keep these functions continuing during a crisis. Consider how long you expect operations to be altered. Document the steps for keeping Document the steps for keeping each plan running.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTION	SOLUTION

4 CHANGES 3

DAILY ROUTINES

Determine which daily routines will change or stay the same. Document how each new daily routine will change.

ROUTINE	DESCRIPTION OF CHANGE

5

6

COMMUNICATION NOTIFICATION OF CHANGES

Describe your method of communication and the nature of your message. List internal and external parties that you need to alert re changes.

INTERNAL PARTIES	EXTERNAL PARTIES	NOTIFICATION METHOD

RECOVERY 7 Prepare for recovery. Consider what full operations entail.

SOLUTIONS + OUTLOOK

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