Having a will and an emergency plan in place for your business is essentially telling your loved ones, “I love you.”
It sounds cheesy, I know, but one of the absolute best things you can do as a business owner is to have an emergency plan in place if something unfortunate would happen. What if you got severely sick? Or you ended up in the hospital and couldn’t work for weeks at a time? What if your life ended unexpectedly? Life happens, and without warning, everything can change in an instant.
I randomly started thinking about this topic while driving one day (that is when I do most of my thinking). I came to the realization my husband would have zero clue on how to do anything with my business. Since I am a one-person team (and you might be as well), I knew I needed to create a plan so he would know exactly what to do, who to reach out to, and be able to follow a clear plan in case of an emergency.
Are you able to answer the following questions with complete certainty? If something would happen…
- Who would notify your clients?
- How would your clients receive their images/products that were left incomplete?
- Would your spouse/significant other know how to access your social media accounts, banking information, files?
If you couldn’t provide any answers to the questions above, you are not alone! Most creative entrepreneurs don’t have anything in place in case of emergency, and that is essentially setting themselves (and their loved ones) up for heartache.
What is the importance of having an Emergency Business Plan?
It’s emotional to think about the worst case scenario, but, then I thought about my clients. What if they were never contacted? How would they feel if they never received their wedding or portrait images back? What sort of stress would I be putting on them? I adore my clients and want to give them the best possible service I can. Having a plan in place so they are still taken care of in case of an emergency is just another part of providing them with a great client experience!
Now, having a plan in place is important for many other reasons:
- It gives you control and a say on how things are taken care of if something should happen to you;
- Provides clear direction on how to access your social media accounts, calendar, business accounts, files, and client information;
- Allows for your significant other or Designee the ability to quickly contact your clients, find replacements for event coverage, and even help with completing outstanding projects, and;
- It allows for your family to grieve and not have to worry about how to handle your business affairs.
- … and much more!
Start Writing
Interested in writing your own emergency business plan? Here are a few things to include:
- Select a designee or a person who has reviewed your plan and is willing to implement it. I would highly suggest selecting 2-3 people. The first designee should be your spouse/significant other or person in charge of your legal affairs. The other two people should be either someone on your team or “friendors” who are in the same type of industry as you (and you know + trust!).
- Make a detailed list of all your social media accounts, login information, financial information and equipment.
- Write out directions on how to access saved files, calendars, workflows, and client information.
Don’t Go At It Alone
If you’re anything like me and prefer to utilize a template rather than start from scratch.. I got you covered!
In this 40-page Emergency Business Plan Template you will create an action plan, choose designee’s to put your plan into place, write out instructions on how to access client information, files, workflows, list out your social media and business accounts, and provide pertinent information on your business equipment. As a bonus, you’ll also receive an email template and social media template so your designee’s know just what to say to clients + audience!
Having this plan in place says “I love you” to your family and provides an added layer of customer service for your clients. It gives you a say on how things are taken care of, provide clear direction on how to access your business information, and it allow for your family to grieve without having to worry about how to handle your business affairs!
add a comment
+ COMMENTS