All your key players have their own copy of the business continuity plan, right? And they all keep a copy offsite like you asked them to, don’t they? And they all religiously keep it in their briefcase/home/car/at the golf club/with them in the pub (delete as applicable) don’t they? Of course they do….except when they don’t!

The problem is that most business continuity plans are fairly sizeable documents (some more so than others, but that’s another story), at best running to several pages. And with the best will in the world it’s often just not practical for people to keep it with them all the time, wherever they go.

But a business continuity plan needn’t necessarily be a large, detailed document. It may be possible to reduce the key information needed in the early stages of its activation to a single sheet of paper. Something that can be folded into three and kept in a pocket perhaps – you know the sort of thing. Or maybe even that’s too big for some. So how about a fold-out, concertina-style document that ends up half that size, or less? Or even a credit card-sized piece of card or plastic with some simple instructions and basic contact details.

The possibilities are almost endless. All it requires is a bit of imagination – and, as importantly, a bit of thought about what information is absolutely essential.