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Business backup plan: what to prepare in advance

A backup plan is a set of pre-prepared "fallback options" that kick in during a disruption. We break down what should be ready before a crisis, not during it.

Updated: June 28, 2026 · Author: Evgeny Telenkov · ≈ 6 min read

What a backup plan is

A backup plan is the practical part of continuity: the specific fallback resources and arrangements that kick in when the main option has failed. These are the business's "safety cushions", prepared in advance.

What to prepare in advance

  • Data backups — including isolated (offline) copies against ransomware; with tested recovery.
  • Backup suppliers for critical items (see "loss of a supplier").
  • Backup communication channels with customers and the team.
  • Duplicated critical competencies (see "loss of a key employee").
  • A financial cushion for a downtime period.
  • Roles and contacts for an incident — available offline.
Rule: a reserve you have not tested is not a reserve. Test backup recovery and the switchover procedure at least once a year.

The backup plan is built into the BCP and verified in drills.

FAQ

How is a backup plan different from a continuity plan (BCP)?

A BCP is the full scenario of actions in a crisis. The backup plan is its "material" part: the specific fallback resources (copies, suppliers, channels, cushion) the BCP draws on.

How big should the financial cushion be?

A rule of thumb — the cost of several days of downtime of a key process plus a margin for recovery. The exact amount is calculated from the BIA.

Check your recovery numbers

The assessment shows where business deadlines diverge from what technology can deliver. Those numbers are then produced either by your specialist or by us.

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Evgeny Telenkov
Evgeny Telenkov
Director, business continuity practice · PhD in Economics · Academic Director & Chief Examiner
Risk Manager of the Year in Russia 2020 (RusRisk). Built business continuity from scratch at Nornickel, more than 20 plans; led risk functions at Beeline, Rosneft and EY. Chief risk officer of a 20 billion dollar petrochemical megaproject. Deputy chair of Rosstandart technical committee 010 "Risk management", co-author of six national standards. Author of the ERGP and SAFE programmes.
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