In the business world, risk management is crucial. Every day, businesses grapple with unpredictable factors that, if not appropriately managed, could disrupt their smooth operation.
This is where contingency plan templates become vital. They provide a roadmap for businesses to follow when the unexpected occurs, like system failures or sudden market shifts.
These templates are especially beneficial because they allow you to create strategic backup plans, ensuring you’re always prepared. They provide the necessary support for dealing with financial uncertainties and operational roadblocks.
This article explores 10 of the best business contingency plan and backup plan templates from and Microsoft Word. These useful tools will guide you in building robust strategies to secure your business operations, no matter what comes your way.
By using these templates, you can effectively prepare for and manage potential risks, thus bolstering the resilience of your business.
What is a Contingency Plan Template?
A contingency plan template is a pre-structured document or tool to outline a strategic plan for handling unexpected situations or emergencies.
This tool aids businesses in identifying potential risks, allocating resources, using risk probability, and setting a course of action to mitigate or minimize the impacts of unforeseen events. It’s your road map to continuity in the face of unexpected events and hurdles, be it a financial downturn, a tech malfunction, or an operational interruption.
What Makes a Good Contingency Plan Template?
The best contingency plan template should be comprehensive yet simple to use. It should identify and categorize potential risks, specify preventive measures, and clearly outline the response plan.
A helpful business contingency plan also offers a mechanism for tracking progress and reviewing the plan’s effectiveness.
Lastly, it should be adaptable to your business context, offering the flexibility to tailor it to your unique needs and challenges.
10 Contingency Plan Templates
Here are our 10 favorite templates for contingency plans to use when hoping for the best but planning for the worst.
1. Contingency Plan Template
’s Contingency Plan Template is a robust and comprehensive tool for businesses of all sizes and industries.
You can view risks by stage or priority level, assign tasks to team members, and create automatic notifications so new developments don’t catch you unaware. This contingency plan template guides you through identifying potential risks, mapping response strategies, and assigning responsibilities.
Its well-structured layout makes it easier to manage all aspects of your contingency planning process, ensuring no stone is left unturned. With the Contingency Plan Template, you can confidently face any unforeseen business disruption.
2. Workplace Emergency Action Plan Template
In a fast-paced work environment, emergencies can arise without warning. ’s Workplace Emergency Action Plan Template offers a structured approach to planning and responding to these emergencies for contingency planning.
The Workplace Emergency Action Plan Template helps you map out evacuation plans, contact lists, and protocols to ensure everyone’s safety. Its design also promotes effective team management during crises.
This kind of crisis management plan is often highly sensitive, but rest assured, you can protect Docs with custom privacy controls and manage permissions based on who needs access to edit or view. Use this to help you keep normal business operations running.
3. Construction Emergency Action Plan Template
The construction industry is rife with potential hazards.
With ’s Construction Emergency Action Plan Template, you can establish a solid foundation for safety. The template allows you to identify possible emergencies, establish procedures, and allocate responsibilities effectively.
You can add tables, and images, create internal bookmarks, and link to other documents within the comprehensive contingency plan to make sure everyone has all the necessary context to understand the action plan and operate safely.
Its organized structure helps with project management and project prioritization during crisis management like natural disasters.
4. Small Business Emergency Action Plan Template
For small businesses, emergencies can pose serious challenges. ’s Small Business Emergency Action Plan Template supports small enterprises in setting up robust contingency plans.
The template encourages clear communication, task delegation, and resource allocation to handle emergencies swiftly.
Describe your office evacuation plan, layout mission-critical operations, and work processes, and make sure everyone has the proper emergency contacts with this contingency planning template.
5. Emergency Plan Template
’s Emergency Plan Template is a comprehensive business contingency plan for any organization type. It promotes clear objectives, allowing for more efficient goal-setting during emergencies and natural disasters.
With sections for action steps, responsible parties, stakeholders, technical issues, project requirements, and resource needs, it aids in the project’s success in handling resource constraints effectively. This business contingency plan template is a great solution to emergency planning across your org.
6. Corrective Action Plan Whiteboard Template
Corrective actions are crucial when an unexpected event happens. ’s Corrective Action Plan Template helps you brainstorm and lay out steps for disciplinary actions.
This visual contingency planning tool supports your organization’s strategic planning efforts, encouraging a detailed analysis of incidents and fostering better employee decision-making.
Encourage your entire team to work together on solutions with collaborative editing features and a visual approach to post-incident retrospectives. This is the perfect tool for building contingency plans together as a team.
Create categories like “Areas for Improvement,” “Possible Solutions,” and “Measures of Success,” then let your stakeholders and team write their ideas on virtual Post-its and place them under the appropriate section. It can be a great way to develop themes and address what you discover as a group.
7. Incident Action Plan Template
Incident management requires a structured response plan. ’s Incident Action Plan Template assists you in formulating a systematic response to incidents.
The template includes sections for a situation summary, an execution plan, emergency contacts, assignments, and more.
With its focus on process mapping and task allocation, this business contingency plan template makes it easy to understand your project controls and work within them.
8. Report Work Incident Template
Reporting work incidents is essential to risk assessment and management. ’s Report Work Incident Template ensures accurate and efficient incident documentation, aiding your issue-tracking efforts. It streamlines the reporting process, allowing for timely responses and corrective actions.
In addition to an incident report form, it includes views that let you sort by new reports, track progress on corrective action through a Board View, file different incidents based on category with a Table View, or use a Map View to determine trends in incidents based on where they happened.
This is sure to help your contingency planning process to find what areas or trends are happening across your business.
Bonus: Account planning templates!
9. Google Docs Contingency Plan Template by Template.net
This Google Docs Contingency Plans Template by Template.Net offers a straightforward layout for mapping your contingency plan. It’s easy to use, and its Google Docs compatibility allows for real-time collaboration.
This is the perfect tool for those who prefer the familiarity of Google Docs’ interface.
10. Microsoft Word Contingency Plan Template by SampleTemplates
The Microsoft Word Contingency Plan Template by SampleTemplates offers an intuitive design and simple layout. It’s an excellent choice for businesses who prefer the ease of Microsoft Word for their contingency planning.
Its structured sections make it easier to categorize, manage, and identify potential risks.
Effective Contingency Planning with
As we’ve seen, solid contingency plans are a game-changer in risk management. And with these templates, the simple steps to create contingency plans on your own will now become a breeze. They’re your roadmap to a business continuity plan and success, despite unexpected hurdles with significant risks.
But remember, a template is only as good as the platform it’s on. This is where shines. isn’t just a place for templates; it’s a comprehensive platform that simplifies and streamlines your work management.
One standout feature is Docs. It lets you create, collaborate, and store all your planning documents in one place. Say goodbye to switching between multiple tools. With Docs, you’ve got everything you need at your fingertips.
Another major strength of is it’s Hierarchy feature. It provides an organized structure for your plans and projects. No more getting lost in a sea of tasks or documents. With ’s Hierarchy, you can maintain a clear overview of your objectives, allowing for efficient project planning, project management, and execution.
So why wait? Explore for free today and elevate the impact level of your contingency planning and proactive strategy to new heights. It’s your tool to thrive, no matter what comes your way.
Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.
