The Bare Minimum Business Checklist
A gentle guide to keeping things running when you literally can't even.
Absolute Essentials (Do These First)
These are the things that will keep your business afloat. Every business is different, so modify as necessary.
✨ Client Communication
⬜ Set up an email autoresponder
⬜ "I've received your message and will respond within [X] days"
⬜ Include FAQ links if you have them
⬜ Emergency contact info if applicable
🌟 Revenue Protection
⬜ Make sure payment systems are running
⬜ Check automated delivery systems
⬜ Confirm recurring payments are processing
⬜ Basic customer support automation active
💫 Minimal Presence
⬜ One social post daily (can be automated, or memes, or cat photos—keep it simple)
⬜ Like/heart 3 posts from your community
⬜ Basic email monitoring (5 minutes daily)
⬜ Maintain essential community connections
👯♀️ Client or Product Deliverables
⬜ Absolutely nonnegotiable deadlines
⬜ Set expectations—send an email about current time horizons or potential delays
⬜ Be proactive about refunds if you know the work isn’t going to happen
Nice to Have (But Can Wait)
If you have someone to delegate these tasks to, feel free to do so. If it’s just you, then all of this stuff is a bonus right now.
🌱 Content Continuation
⬜ Queue up 3-5 basic social posts
⬜ Simple "checking in" community updates
⬜ Reschedule non-urgent content
⬜ Let your audience know you're human
🏠 Business Housekeeping
⬜ Track essential expenses
⬜ Note critical deadlines
⬜ Delegate what you can
⬜ Postpone non-urgent tasks
Can Completely Skip
❌ New projects
❌ Long-term planning
❌ Non-essential meetings
❌ Complex content creation
❌ Business expansion
❌ Networking events
❌ Optional training
❌ Inbox zero
Build Out Your Support Systems
Business is a marathon. So when crisis hits, look to shore up your foundations. What’s that look like to you? How can you build better systems next time? Pay attention to what’s missing, and document it now.
Energy Management
10 minutes of work still counts
You can take breaks between tasks
"Good enough" is perfect right now
Everything else can wait
Keep Accessible
Emergency contact numbers
Password manager
Essential business docs
Support team contacts
Community resources
Permission Slips
Take care of yourself first
Do the minimum
Let some things slide
Ask for help
Rest when needed
Say no to new things
Maintain rather than grow
Be human
Recovery Planning
Then, when you start to feel ready, we can move on to recovery.
Start with one small task
Build momentum gently
Increase gradually
Keep expectations minimal
Quick Recovery Tasks
(10 minutes or less each)
1. Quick Business Check
⬜ Scan important emails
⬜ Check payment systems
⬜ Review urgent messages
⬜ Note critical tasks
2. Basic Maintenance
⬜ Update key automations
⬜ Confirm systems running
⬜ Quick community check-in
⬜ Essential client responses
3. Simple Progress
⬜ One small task completion
⬜ Brief team update if needed
⬜ Basic planning notes
⬜ Celebration of small wins
Future Automation Quick Wins
Set these up once, they'll run themselves:
1. Social media post scheduler
2. Email autoresponders
3. Meeting scheduler with buffer times
4. Content partner for basic presence
5. Customer service templates
Remember:
✨ Your business can handle you being human
✨ Systems exist to support you, not drain you
✨ Community is here when you're ready
✨ Small steps still count
✨ Everything else can wait
Want this as a Notion Dashboard? I’ve got you.
Want help setting up systems that run themselves? I’ve got a YouBot for that.
Remember: This checklist isn't about doing it all. It's about knowing what actually needs to be done right now. Everything else can wait.