Owning and running your own business has it perks, but things are bound to happen that keep you from being able to take care of the day-to-day. Whether you come down with an illness or get stuck in jury duty, here are some tips for a contingency plan for running your small business.

  1. Have a plan: You never know what could happen, so it is important to be prepared. Make a plan in case you can’t run your business for some reason or another. Write it down somewhere, and make someone else aware of where it is kept. Update it when needed. Hopefully it will never be needed, but it can’t hurt to be prepared.
  2. Determine how long your business can run without you: Could you stand to close your doors for a few days, or will someone need to take your place? If you are unable to work from wherever you are, it may be worth crunching the numbers and having a plan in place.
  3. Choose a fill-in: Pick someone who can fill in for you while you are out. Whether it is running your storefront if you are sick, or signing checks while you are out of town, choose someone you trust that can take care of things for you without you having to worry about it.
  4. Work remotely: Depending on the circumstances, arrange for the possibility of being able to work from wherever you need to be that is keeping you from the office. Whether it is having the correct programs on your computer and/or phone, or just participating in conference calls, this will help you from being completely slammed with emails when you do make it back into the office.

These are just a few ways to stay prepared. Do you have a contingency plan? Share it with us!