Risk and resilience

Protect your business by planning for events that could disrupt operations, damage assets, or endanger people. Identify your critical assets and create a plan to prevent loss in case of disaster.

Risk and resilience quick links

Understand your business risks

Understanding your biggest risks helps you focus your time and money on the actions that will make the most difference.

What you can do:

List your top risks (e.g. bushfire, flood, cyber attack, illness, supplier failure, equipment breakdown).
Think about how likely each risk is and how badly it would affect your business.
Note what you already do to manage each risk and where the gaps are.
Talk about risks with staff, co‑owners and key advisers (e.g. accountant, broker).

Useful links:

Natural disasters – bushfires, floods, severe weather

Our region is exposed to bushfires, storms, coastal flooding, heatwaves and power outages, all of which can disrupt trading at short notice. The Mornington Peninsula emergency dashboard brings key emergency information together in one place, helping residents, visitors, community groups and services know where to look before, during and after emergency events.

Preparing before an emergency, by maintaining your property, backing up records and knowing when you will close or leave, builds business resilience and makes it easier and safer to recover afterwards.

What you can do:

Check how exposed your premises are to bushfire, flooding, storm damage and power loss.
Create a simple emergency plan that covers when you will close, how you will evacuate and what you will take.
Back up important business records (including insurance policies and customer data) to the cloud or off‑site.
Maintain gutters, vegetation and equipment to reduce damage in extreme weather.
Talk to neighbours and nearby businesses about how you can support each other in an emergency.

Useful links:

Disaster resilience
Resources to help prepare effectively, minimise disruption and support a quicker recovery

Cyber security and protecting customer data

Simple cyber security steps like multi‑factor authentication, software updates, staff awareness and regular backups can significantly reduce the risk of losing money or customer data.

What you can do:

Turn on multi‑factor authentication for email, banking, accounting and other key systems.
Use strong, unique passwords and a password manager instead of re‑using passwords.
Keep software, devices and websites updated and remove access for former staff.
Train staff to spot suspicious emails, links and payment‑detail change requests.
Back up important data regularly and test that you can restore it.

Useful links:

Manage cybersecurity in your business
Small business hub – keep your small business secure from common cyber threats

Your people, wellbeing and workplace safety

Your business depends on you and your team, so protecting health, safety and wellbeing is central to staying resilient over the long term.

Having clear safety procedures and knowing where to get confidential support can help you manage stress, conflict and the impacts of difficult events on you and your staff.

What you can do:

Identify key safety risks in your workplace and put simple controls and checklists in place.
Make sure staff know how to report hazards, incidents and near misses.
Schedule regular check‑ins about workload, stress and wellbeing, including for yourself as the owner.
Share contact details for free small business wellbeing and advisory services.

Useful links:

Visit the WorkSafe Victoria website for guidance on how to assess and control hazards and risks at work
Learn more about Workplace Wellbeing

Money, insurance and continuity planning

Understanding your fixed costs, checking your insurance cover and having a simple plan to keep operating or to restart quickly can improve your chances of surviving a setback.

What you can do:

List your fixed costs (e.g. rent, wages, leases, loans) and understand how long you can cover them if income drops.
Talk to your broker or insurer about cover for bushfire, flood, storm and business interruption.
Keep an inventory of critical equipment, suppliers and systems you rely on.
Write a short business continuity plan that covers how you would operate from another location, online or with reduced capacity.

Useful links:

Where to get advice and support

You do not have to manage risk and resilience on your own. Local, Victorian and Australian services can help you prepare, respond and recover so you can focus on running your business and looking after your customers.

What you can do:

Save key support contacts in your phone and share them with any co‑owners or managers.
Reach out early if you are facing financial, legal, landlord or supplier issues.
Use free advisory services and online tools to review your risk and resilience plans each year.

The Victorian Small Business Commission offers support and information so you can grow your knowledge and make sure you understand your rights and responsibilities. They can help with: