Write a continuity plan you would actually use

A free Word template that turns business continuity from a vague worry into a working plan: what matters most, how fast you need it back, and exactly who does what.

A free Word business continuity and disaster recovery plan template. Inventory critical systems, set RTO and RPO targets, and plan for local AK or HI disasters.

RTO & RPO
targets set per critical system
Local annex
for AK and HI disasters
$0
free, no strings, yours to keep

What you'll get

A practical, ready-to-use resource you fill in with your own numbers and keep. No expiring trial, no strings.

Business Continuity / DR Plan Template
editable Word template, yours to keep
Preview

What the continuity plan template does

Most small businesses know they should have a continuity plan, and most do not, because a blank page is intimidating and the templates online are written for enterprises with whole risk departments. So the work stalls, and the plan exists only as a hope that the backups are fine.

This template gives you a structure you can finish in an afternoon. You inventory the systems and data your business cannot run without, decide how fast you need each one back, and write down who does what when something goes wrong. It is the difference between a plan and a panic.

Fillable, not theoretical

Bracketed placeholders for your systems, people, and vendors. Fill it in and you have a real plan, not a stack of generic advice.

Right-size your recovery

Set a recovery time and recovery point target for each critical system, so you spend on protection where it matters and not where it does not.

Backup architecture that holds up

A 3-2-1 and immutable, off-island backup section so a single bad day does not take your only copy of the data with it.

Built for Alaska and Hawaii

A local-disaster annex for earthquake, volcano, tsunami, wildfire, and the connectivity loss that mainland templates never plan for.

What is inside the template

  • A critical systems and data inventory, so you know what you are actually protecting
  • Recovery time and recovery point targets for each critical system
  • A backup architecture section covering 3-2-1, immutable copies, and off-island or offsite storage
  • Incident roles and a communications plan for staff, customers, and vendors
  • Recovery runbooks you can follow step by step under pressure
  • A vendor and insurer contact list, kept in one place
  • A local-disaster annex for earthquake, volcano, tsunami, wildfire, and connectivity loss
  • A test schedule so the plan stays current

A plan you have tested beats a perfect plan you have not

The value of a continuity plan shows up in the drill, not the document. Walk your team through it once a year and update what was confusing. If you want help setting realistic recovery targets or pressure-testing your backups, we are happy to help.

Wondering if Microsoft 365 already has you covered?

A lot of continuity plans quietly assume the cloud is backing everything up. It is not, at least not the way most people think. Our article on whether Microsoft 365 is actually backed up explains the shared-responsibility model, and our backup and disaster recovery hub covers the full BCDR picture.

How it works

1

Tell us where to send it

Fill in the short form. Just enough so we know who we're helping and can tailor any follow-up, only if you want it.

2

Check your inbox

We email your copy right away, and the download is yours to keep. No expiring trial, no login.

3

Put it to work

Use it on your own, or ask us for a second set of eyes. No pressure either way.

We do not sell your information

You get the file and an email copy for later. That is it. No third-party sharing, ever.

Real local humans built this

Vicinity is a genuinely local IT provider with people in Alaska and Hawaii who plan for the disasters that actually happen here.

A working tool, not a brochure

The template is something you fill in and use. It is a starting point for your plan, not a sales pitch.