Bushfire preparedness for business records

Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF) - For Mundaring and Midland businesses, summer bushfire risk makes record resilience non‑negotiable. Keep financial data offsite, automate backups, and rehearse a rapid recovery so operations and compliance continue with minimal owner intervention.

“Preparation is the quiet work that makes resilience look effortless.” — Business maxim

Disclaimer . This blog provides general guidance only and is not tailored accounting, financial, HR, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional before changing data storage, security, or continuity plans.

Introduction

Bushfires threaten premises, not your ability to meet obligations—if your records are resilient. Treat record protection as a compliance checkpoint: redundant storage, quick verification, and a tested recovery path. The bookkeeper/ops team owns the mechanics; the owner sets intent, approves thresholds, and steps in only for strategic decisions. In the Perth Hills, factor transport constraints (trains stopping at Midland) into your recovery logistics and staff access plans.

Three strategies to implement record resilience

• Strategy 1 Keep critical records offsite and redundant

  • What to store: Accounting files, payroll/STP confirmations, BAS history, bank reconciliations, contracts, insurance policies, asset registers, ID copies.

  • How: Use encrypted cloud storage with versioning plus a secondary region; avoid local‑only or single‑device storage.

  • Owner rule: Approve which records are “critical” and the retention window.

• Strategy 2 Automate backups and verification

  • What to do: Schedule daily backups for accounting and payroll systems; weekly snapshots for supporting documents; monthly recovery drills.

  • Verification: Run checksum/version tests; confirm restore ability to a clean environment within a set time (e.g., 2 hours).

  • Exception rule: Any failed backup or restore test escalates immediately.

• Strategy 3 Rehearse a rapid recovery playbook

  • What’s in the playbook: Roles, access paths, priority systems (accounting, payroll, communications), a 24–48 hour cash continuity plan, and client notification templates.

  • Local tip: Pre‑plan alternative work sites and transport routes given Midland rail endpoints; include remote‑first workflows.

  • Owner rule: Owner approves communications and any policy exceptions.

Implementation checklist

• Ownership: Ops/bookkeeper maintain storage, backups, and recovery tests; owner sets criticality and sign‑offs.

• Intent: Records survive any event; operations continue with minimal owner touch.

• Automation: Scheduled backups, versioning, health alerts, and quarterly restore drills.

• Documentation: Minimum viable—inventory of critical records, access list, recovery SOPs (3‑minute videos), and contact trees.

• Security: MFA on all financial systems; least‑privilege access; audit logs enabled.

• Exception thresholds: Backup failures; restore time > target; missing MFA; unverified access changes.

• Continuity buffers: Emergency payroll plan; vendor contact list; cash reserve equal to 2–4 weeks fixed costs.

Next steps

1. This week: Approve the critical records inventory and retention policy; enable MFA and versioned cloud storage.

2. Within 14 days: Automate backups; run and document a restore test to a clean environment; fix any gaps.

3. Within 30 days: Conduct a full recovery drill, including transport/work‑from‑home logistics and client communications; refine the playbook.

Useful AI prompts

• “Create a critical records inventory template with access roles and retention periods.”

• “Draft a 3‑minute SOP: how to run monthly restore tests and log verification results.”

• “Generate client and supplier notification templates for continuity events with clear next steps.”

Mission Command Principles for Business

• Build mutual trust: Leaders trust teams to act; teams trust leadership to support.

• Create shared understanding: Everyone knows the vision, objectives, and constraints.

• Provide clear commander’s intent: Goals and outcomes are explicit; execution is flexible.

• Exercise disciplined initiative: Teams solve problems without waiting, aligned to strategy.

• Use mission orders: Objectives are assigned; methods are left open.

• Accept prudent risk: Smart risks are encouraged for innovation and growth.

These principles ensure the owner sets the aim, the team executes, and the system flags exceptions — without dragging the owner into the weeds.