Business Continuity Planning Guide

Why Business Continuity Matters

Every business faces risks: ransomware attacks, hardware failures, natural disasters, power outages, and human error. The question isn't if you'll experience a disruption—it's when.

60%

of SMBs close within
6 months of cyberattack

$5,600

average cost per
minute of downtime

93%

of companies without DR
fail within 1 year of disaster

The 3-2-1-1 Backup Rule

The traditional 3-2-1 backup rule has evolved for the ransomware era. Modern business continuity requires:

3 copies of your data (production + 2 backups)
2 different media types (local storage + cloud)
1 copy offsite (geographically separate location)
1 copy immutable (cannot be modified or deleted by ransomware)

Critical: Ransomware now specifically targets backup systems. Without an immutable backup copy, your backups can be encrypted along with everything else.

Understanding RTO and RPO

Term	Definition	Your Target
RTO Recovery Time Objective	How quickly you need systems restored after an outage	____________ hours
RPO Recovery Point Objective	How much data loss is acceptable (time between backups)	____________ hours

Example: If your RPO is 4 hours and disaster strikes at 3pm, you can restore data from your 11am backup—losing 4 hours of work.

Business Impact Analysis Worksheet

Identify your critical systems and acceptable downtime:

System/Application	Impact of Downtime	Max Acceptable Downtime	Priority
Email (Microsoft 365)	Communication stops	4 hours	HIGH
Line of Business Apps	Cannot process orders/serve clients	____________	____________
Accounting/ERP	Financial operations halt	____________	____________
Customer Database	Cannot access customer info	____________	____________
Phone System	Cannot receive calls	____________	____________
File Shares	Cannot access documents	____________	____________

Disaster Recovery Options

DR Type	Recovery Time	Cost	Best For
Cold Site	Days to weeks	$	Non-critical systems
Warm Site	Hours to days	$$	Most small businesses
Hot Site	Minutes to hours	$$$	Critical operations
Cloud DR	Minutes to hours	$$	Recommended for SMBs

Business Continuity Checklist

Use this checklist to evaluate your current preparedness:

Backup & Recovery

All critical data backed up at least daily
Backups stored in geographically separate location
At least one immutable/air-gapped backup copy
Monthly restore tests performed and documented
RTO and RPO defined for all critical systems

Documentation

Network diagram and asset inventory current
Emergency contact list maintained
Vendor and support contracts documented
Recovery procedures written and accessible offline
Insurance policies reviewed annually

Testing & Training

Disaster recovery plan tested annually (at minimum)
Employees trained on emergency procedures
Communication plan tested (how to reach staff if email is down)
Lessons learned documented after each test/incident

Emergency Response Contacts

Complete this section and keep a printed copy offsite:

Role	Name	Phone
IT Provider/MSP	_________________	_________________
Company Leadership	_________________	_________________
Insurance Agent	_________________	_________________
Internet Provider	_________________	_________________
Phone Provider	_________________	_________________
Banking Contact	_________________	_________________

Need Help Building Your Business Continuity Plan?

Sabre IT Services provides comprehensive backup, disaster recovery, and business continuity solutions for Columbus-area businesses. We'll help you define RTO/RPO objectives and implement tested recovery procedures.

Schedule a Free Assessment →

Or call us: (614) 683-0060

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