Business continuity templates: a cost-effective solution for small and medium sized businesses.
For many smaller businesses, or public sector organizations, investing in expensive specialist business continuity software isn’t practical or necessary. That’s where cost-effective Microsoft 365-based templates offer a smart alternative, providing a quick and reliable way to rapidly build a great business continuity plan.
Using a business continuity template gives you immediate access to a professionally designed framework that’s easy to customize. It will guide you step-by-step through essential elements, based on plans previously implemented in many organizations. With a clear structure already in place, you can focus on tailoring the plan to your unique business needs – without starting from scratch.
The main advantage of using a business continuity template lies in its simplicity and accessibility. Most organizations already use Microsoft Word and Excel, so there’s no need for costly software licenses, training, or integration. Templates can be shared, edited, and updated easily across teams, ensuring everyone remains aligned and prepared.
Compared to complex software solutions, a Microsoft Word and Excel based business continuity template is faster to implement, easier to manage, and far more affordable. It empowers businesses to develop a robust business continuity plan without incurring unnecessary costs.
Whether you’re starting your first business continuity plan or updating an existing one, a ready-to-use business continuity template can help you stay compliant, protect your operations, and respond effectively to unexpected events. It’s a straightforward, powerful tool that brings peace of mind – and you can add it to a credit card as a one-off small expense.
The top 10 benefits of using MS Word and Excel templates for business continuity planning compared to specialist business continuity software are:
1. Cost-effective
Microsoft 365 based templates are low-cost, while specialist software typically involves licensing fees, subscriptions, or consulting costs – making business continuity templates a budget-friendly choice for small to mid-sized businesses.
2. Quick to implement
With Word and Excel templates, you can start drafting your business continuity plan immediately. No software installation, setup, or lengthy onboarding process required.
3. Easy to customize
Templates in Word and Excel are fully editable, allowing businesses to tailor content to their specific operations, risks, and recovery strategies – without needing advanced software knowledge.
4. Widely accessible
Microsoft 365 is ubiquitous in most organizations. Team members can collaborate on a BCP without needing to learn a new platform or gain special access rights.
5. Familiar interface
Using familiar Microsoft software means there is no learning curve. Staff can focus on what goes into the plan rather than how to use the tool.
6. No forgetting!
With Microsoft Word and Excel, team members won’t forget how to use them! This is unlike specialist business continuity software which is only used a couple of times a year by most users.
7. Flexible formatting
Word allows you to incorporate tables, charts, images, and other formatting elements easily, offering flexibility that some rigid software platforms lack, certainly in terms of outputs. There are no complicated filters or exports to get the output into a Word or PDF format.
8. Version control made simple
With Word and Excel files, you can save versions locally or on the cloud (e.g., OneDrive or SharePoint), giving teams control over versioning and backups without complex software dependencies.
9. Easy sharing and printing
BCPs created in Word and Excel can be easily shared via email, cloud storage, or printed for physical distribution – critical during emergencies when digital access may be limited.
10. Ideal for smaller operations
For organizations with simpler continuity needs, Word and Excel templates provide a practical and efficient solution without the complexity or overkill of enterprise-grade software.
Where can you get a business continuity plan template from?
Resilience Forward has teamed up with business continuity plan template provider RiskCentric to provide you with a tried and tested template pack. For just £295 (currently around $385) you get a selection of templates to assist you to build a comprehensive BCP, as well as support and advice to help you use the pack. What’s more, if you use the code ResilienceForward during the checkout process you will gain a 10% discount.