Whether it would work.
WHY TEST
An untested plan is an assumption.
WHAT TO TEST
Restoring a backup Accessing an account without your usual device Reaching customers without your usual system Whether someone else could follow your documentation
THE DOCUMENTATION TEST
Have someone else attempt a task from your written procedure.
Where they get stuck is where the documentation fails.
THE BACKUP TEST
Restore to a staging site.
That proves both the backup and your ability to use it.
THE ACCESS TEST
Attempt to recover an account without your usual phone.
Many people discover they cannot.
HOW OFTEN
Annually is sufficient for most small businesses.
WHAT TO RECORD
What worked, what did not, what you changed.
WHAT PEOPLE DISCOVER
Incomplete backups Recovery arrangements that do not work Documentation nobody else can follow
WHAT TO DO WITH FINDINGS
Fix them. That is the point.
