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Business Continuity Plan
Free business continuity plan template — how your business keeps operating through a disruption (outage, disaster, key-person loss).
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This free business continuity plan covers Purpose, Key Risks Identified, Critical Functions, Recovery Steps, Communication Plan with 11 clearly marked [placeholder] fields to fill in — built for founders, freelancers, and small business owners formalizing a business decision or agreement without paying a lawyer to draft it from scratch. Copy it into your own word processor, fill in the placeholders, and review it — or adapt it — before use. It's part of docstoc's free document template library, alongside business, legal, real estate, finance, and HR templates. Every template here is free to copy with no signup required, and each one carries a plain disclaimer: this is a starting point for informational purposes, not a substitute for advice from a licensed professional in your jurisdiction.
Business Continuity Plan — [Company Name]
Last updated: [Date] · Owner: [Name]
Purpose
This plan describes how [Company Name] continues operating (or recovers quickly) through a significant disruption.
Key Risks Identified
| Risk | Likelihood | Impact | Mitigation |
|---|---|---|---|
| [e.g. Key supplier failure] | [Low/Med/High] | [Low/Med/High] | [Mitigation] |
| [e.g. Office/site unavailable] | [Low/Med/High] | [Low/Med/High] | [Mitigation] |
| [e.g. Key person unavailable] | [Low/Med/High] | [Low/Med/High] | [Mitigation] |
Critical Functions
[List the 3-5 things that absolutely must keep running — e.g. "process customer payments," "respond to support tickets."]
Recovery Steps
For each critical function above, describe: who's responsible, what resources/backups exist, and the target recovery time.
Communication Plan
Who notifies whom, and how, when a disruption occurs — employees, customers, vendors.
Key Contacts
| Role | Name | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| [Role] | [Name] | [Phone/Email] |
Testing
This plan should be reviewed and tested at least [annually].
*A plan that only lives in a document, never tested, tends to fail exactly when needed — even a quick tabletop walkthrough once a year catches gaps a document review won't.*
Edit directly in the box above. Download PDF anytime — the docstoc.io footer is always included and cannot be removed.
What's included
- Edit online — click the document, fill in placeholders, download a PDF
- 7 standard sections: Purpose, Key Risks Identified, Critical Functions, Recovery Steps, Communication Plan, Key Contacts, …
- 11 clearly marked [placeholder] fields for quick personalizing
- Free to use — no account or signup required
- Fully editable — adjust any clause to match your actual situation
- Fixed docstoc.io footer on every PDF (not removable)
Who this template is for
Freelancers & solo founders
Handling routine business paperwork without commissioning custom legal drafting for every document.
Small businesses
Standardizing recurring documents — leases, agreements, notices — across a growing operation.
Anyone reviewing before signing
Using a clear starting structure to understand what a document should cover, even if a lawyer finalizes it.
Early-stage businesses
Getting the basics documented before things get more complex.
FAQ
Is this business continuity plan template really free?
Yes, completely free — view, edit, and download this business continuity plan as a PDF without creating an account.
What does this business continuity plan cover?
This business template includes Purpose, Key Risks Identified, Critical Functions, Recovery Steps. Fill in the [bracketed] placeholders, edit any clause online, then download a PDF — the docstoc.io footer stays on every export.
Is this legal advice?
No. This is a general-purpose starting structure, not advice for your specific situation. Business agreements can hinge on details — state of formation, industry-specific regulation, how a dispute would actually play out — that a template can't account for. Have a business attorney review anything that involves real money or real risk before you rely on it.
Can I edit the wording?
Yes — edit directly on the page, adjust any section or clause, and re-fill the 11 placeholder fields to match your situation before downloading a PDF. It's a starting structure, not a rigid script.
Where can I find more free templates like this?
Browse more free business and related document templates in the docstoc library at /document-templates/.
More free document templates
- Single-Member LLC Operating Agreement
- One-Page Business Plan
- Press Release
- Letter of Intent
- Executive Summary
Five products, one platform
Why use this instead of a generic template
Security
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Legality
Templates are drafted for general use, not a substitute for legal advice — check the note on each page for specifics.
Privacy
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Speed
Copy the subject and body directly — no form to fill in, no export step, no waiting on a download link.
Mobile-friendly
Every template page works the same on a phone as a desktop — copy on the go, no app required.
API available
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