Ask Kate: What happens to your business if you can’t show up tomorrow?

Every month, Kate Teves, HR consultant, recruiter and founder of The HR Pro, answers Realtors’ questions about anything and everything related to human resources. Have a question for Kate? Send her an email.

Like many members of the real estate community, I was deeply saddened to learn of Conrad Zurini’s passing. Though I had only met Conrad a handful of times in person, he was always memorable, authentic and an absolute dynamo of a real estate professional. His unexpected passing has left me, countless colleagues, clients, friends and industry professionals reflecting on his contributions and the impact he had on those around him.

When a loss like this occurs, our focus is naturally on the people affected. Business concerns seem insignificant in comparison — and rightfully so. Yet as I reflected on the news and the many tributes pouring into social media, I found myself thinking about a question that many business owners rarely ask themselves: What would happen to my business if I suddenly couldn’t show up tomorrow? What if I had to take a medical pause, care for a loved one or needed a mental break?

It’s not a comfortable conversation. In fact, it’s a topic many of us avoid altogether. Similar to preparing a will, discussing life insurance or planning for retirement, business continuity planning is often pushed to the bottom of the priority list because there is always something more urgent demanding our attention today.

When life doesn’t wait

The problem is that life usually doesn’t wait until we’re ready. When we think about business continuity, our minds often go immediately to death — but the reality is that countless situations can temporarily or permanently remove an owner from their business. A critical illness, a serious accident, a mental health crisis or the need to care for a spouse, parent or child can all have the same immediate effect: the person who normally makes the decisions, solves the problems and keeps the wheels turning is suddenly unavailable.

For many real estate professionals, that may simply mean taking some time away from transactions and client meetings. But for those who own brokerages, lead teams, operate mortgage businesses or employ administrative and support staff, the consequences can be much more significant.

The risk becomes even greater when the second-in-command is also a close family member — a spouse, sibling, parent or child. In the midst of personal turmoil, that person may be expected to keep the business running while managing their own grief or stress.

Without a plan, employees may not know who has the authority to make decisions. Critical deadlines can be missed. Clients may struggle to get answers. Financial obligations may go unattended. What begins as a personal crisis can quickly become a business crisis, placing additional stress on family members, business partners and employees at precisely the moment they are least equipped to handle it.

Start with what’s in your head

The good news is that protecting a business from these risks doesn’t necessarily require a complicated succession plan or extensive legal framework. In many cases, it begins with something much simpler: documenting what you do.

One of the most common vulnerabilities I encounter is that critical information exists only inside the owner’s head. Procedures that seem obvious to the owner have never been written down because they’ve been performed so many times they feel like second nature. Unfortunately, second nature is difficult to transfer during an emergency.

Every business should have a clear record of its most important operational processes. Someone should know how payroll is processed, how commissions are approved, who key vendors are, where contracts are stored and how to access the systems that keep the organization functioning. The goal isn’t to create hundreds of pages of procedures — it’s to ensure that someone else can keep the lights on long enough for the business to regain stability.

Identify who steps up

Equally important is identifying who would step into a leadership role if necessary. This doesn’t mean selecting a permanent successor. Rather, it means determining who can make decisions, communicate with staff, work with professional advisors and provide direction during a period of uncertainty. Whether that person is a business partner, senior manager, family member or trusted advisor, the decision should be made long before it becomes necessary.

Access to information is another area that deserves attention. In today’s digital environment, businesses often rely on dozens of platforms, passwords, accounts and software systems. If only one person knows how to access them, operations can come to a standstill almost immediately. Securely storing and sharing critical access information with authorized individuals can prevent unnecessary disruption when time and clarity matter most.

The legal and financial piece

Wills, powers of attorney, shareholder agreements, buy-sell agreements, insurance coverage and emergency signing authorities are not particularly exciting topics. Most business owners would gladly postpone those conversations indefinitely. Yet these are often the very tools that protect families and businesses when circumstances suddenly change.

Perhaps the most overlooked aspect of continuity planning is communication. Having a plan is important, but ensuring that key people know where to find it — and understand their role — is equally critical. A document hidden in a drawer provides little value during a crisis.

None of us can predict what tomorrow will bring. We cannot eliminate risk, nor can we prepare for every possible scenario. What we can do is create enough structure that our businesses can continue operating while we focus on what matters most during life’s most challenging moments.

The recent loss experienced by our industry serves as a powerful reminder that unforeseen events affect people, families, businesses and entire communities. While we hope we never need a business continuity plan, having one in place is one of the most responsible decisions a business owner can make.

After all, the true measure of a well-built business isn’t whether it can operate when everything is going according to plan. It’s whether it can continue to support the people who depend on it when life doesn’t.

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