Write a one-page business interruption plan

Write a short coordination sheet that names the disruption trigger, the person deciding what happens next, the work that can continue and the next update time. Keep detailed safety procedures and technical recovery instructions alongside it. Test whether a colleague can use the sheet when the normal workplace or online system is unavailable.

Put the coordination decisions on one page

Use this guide after you have chosen recovery priorities. Name the person coordinating the response so the team knows whom to contact. It does not authorise unfamiliar work, new spending powers or a change in employment conditions.

Business.gov.au: develop an emergency management plan separates continuity, emergency action and recovery. Keep references to those detailed procedures on the short sheet so somebody can find them without searching through an inbox.

Field	Worked example	Why it is on the sheet
Trigger	Shared project system unavailable; approved support channel confirms incident	An observable event starts the response
Decision owner	Maya, studio manager; backup Leo	One person coordinates service changes
First actions	Follow existing emergency procedures if relevant; identify affected deadlines	People and current commitments come first
Fallback	Use the dated approved job summary for work already confirmed; pause unverified revisions	Defines a limited operating scope
Contacts	Technical support [verified number]; client update owner Maya	Completed copies need actual checked contacts
Next update	10:30, even if there is no restoration estimate	Gives clients and staff a known checkpoint
Restart	Compare changes with restored records before normal scheduling	Prevents conflicting instructions
Exercise	Last tested [date]; next review [date]	Shows whether the plan has been tried

Read the example as a list

• Field: Trigger. Worked example: Shared project system unavailable; approved support channel confirms incident. Why it is on the sheet: An observable event starts the response
• Field: Decision owner. Worked example: Maya, studio manager; backup Leo. Why it is on the sheet: One person coordinates service changes
• Field: First actions. Worked example: Follow existing emergency procedures if relevant; identify affected deadlines. Why it is on the sheet: People and current commitments come first
• Field: Fallback. Worked example: Use the dated approved job summary for work already confirmed; pause unverified revisions. Why it is on the sheet: Defines a limited operating scope
• Field: Contacts. Worked example: Technical support [verified number]; client update owner Maya. Why it is on the sheet: Completed copies need actual checked contacts
• Field: Next update. Worked example: 10:30, even if there is no restoration estimate. Why it is on the sheet: Gives clients and staff a known checkpoint
• Field: Restart. Worked example: Compare changes with restored records before normal scheduling. Why it is on the sheet: Prevents conflicting instructions
• Field: Exercise. Worked example: Last tested [date]; next review [date]. Why it is on the sheet: Shows whether the plan has been tried

Original ASBG example, checked 27 September 2026. Adapt the decisions to your business; this is not a certified safety plan.

Make the trigger specific enough to act on

The studio's trigger does not require staff to diagnose the technology. They report what cannot be accessed and consult the normal support channel. The coordinator records the time, affected jobs and what is known. If the incident may involve compromised accounts or information, the technology provider handles that assessment; copying suspect files into a new service is not this plan's fallback.

Keep an uncertainty column in the working record. "No restoration time supplied" is a useful fact. "Probably back by lunch" is a promise nobody has supported.

Keep a current copy where it can be reached

Choose a controlled paper location or an approved offline file. Record the version date, owner and where updates are distributed. A link to a plan inside the failed system does not help during that system's outage. Completed copies can contain sensitive contacts, so restrict access and collect obsolete printouts.

Use the response card below as a blank starting point. Save or print it, fill in your own arrangements and verify the contacts. Keep passwords and recovery codes out of a general staff sheet.

Rehearse the handover

Ask the backup coordinator to work through a fictional outage with normal operations undisturbed. Check that they can find the current sheet, contact the appropriate support person and state which work is paused. Record the gap, owner and correction date. Business Queensland: business continuity planning recommends simulations and a staff debrief.

Set your own next exercise date and review after changes to systems, staff or premises. A three-month check could suit a rapidly changing team; it is an example planning interval, not a required legal frequency. Rehearse relevant safety arrangements separately with competent advice.

Write a one-page business interruption plan
ASBG source check: 27 September 2026
Guide: https://australiansmallbusiness.com.au/legal/one-page-business-interruption-plan
Planning example. Follow your assessed emergency procedures and current official directions.

Write a short coordination sheet that names the disruption trigger, the person deciding what happens next, the work that can continue and the next update time. Keep detailed safety procedures and technical recovery instructions alongside it. Test whether a colleague can use the sheet when the normal workplace or online system is unavailable.

Business: [name]
Plan owner: [name and contact]
Backup: [name and contact]
Local emergency/technical advice: [verified contact]
Last local test: [date]
Next review: [date]

Trigger: [observable interruption].
Decision owner / backup: [names].
Immediate action: follow assessed safety procedures; confirm affected work.
Minimum service: [approved scope].
Fallback information and location: [approved copy, date, place].
Customers and suppliers to update: [roles, contacts].
Next update: [time, owner].
Restart checks: [record reconciliation, authorised release].
Exercise: [date, findings, corrections].

Sources checked 27 September 2026:
Business.gov.au: develop an emergency management plan: https://business.gov.au/planning/business-plans/develop-an-emergency-management-plan
Business Queensland: business continuity planning: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/running-business/risk/continuity-plan

Check current warnings separately. Store completed cards securely and replace outdated copies.

Sources and next steps

• Business.gov.au: develop an emergency management plan
• Business Queensland: business continuity planning

Return to business risk and continuity to choose the next planning task.