A
Step 01Airway / Cash Flow
Protect liquidity immediately. List every cash inflow and outflow in the next 30 days. Freeze non-essential spending. Open a war-room dashboard updated daily.
Crisis Management Plan Template
Most crisis plans read like corporate memos — long, vague, and useless when the building is on fire. This template uses the paramedic-inspired ABCDE protocol so your team can triage a business emergency in minutes, not weeks.
The 5-step ABCDE plan
B
Step 02Breathing / Operations
Stabilize delivery. Identify the 3 processes that must not fail. Assign a single owner per process. Document the minimum viable workflow on one page.
C
Step 03Circulation / Revenue
Restore inflow. Re-activate dormant customers, accelerate collections, push the highest-margin offer. Track revenue velocity weekly.
D
Step 04Disability / Decision-Making
Eliminate confusion. Name a single decision-maker per domain. Define the 5 decisions that cannot wait. Set a 24-hour decision SLA.
E
Step 05Exposure / External Factors
Manage risk and stakeholders. Map legal, regulatory, supplier, and reputational threats. Prepare one message per stakeholder group.
How to use this template
- Print the ABCDE grid above and pin it where the crisis team meets.
- For each letter, write the single most important action you can take in the next 24 hours.
- Assign one owner and one deadline per action — no shared ownership.
- Review the grid every morning until the emergency is downgraded.
- Run a 30-minute post-mortem within 7 days of stabilization.
Want the full manual?
The Business First Aid book expands every step of the ABCDE protocol with case studies, checklists, and decision trees adapted from emergency medicine.
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