{"title":"Business Templates","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e\n.rte details{border-bottom:1px solid #e3e6e8}\n.rte details:first-of-type{border-top:1px solid #e3e6e8}\n.rte summary{list-style:none;cursor:pointer;position:relative;padding:1.3rem 3rem 1.3rem 0;font-weight:600}\n.rte summary::-webkit-details-marker{display:none}\n.rte summary::after{content:'';position:absolute;right:.6rem;top:1.55rem;width:.6rem;height:.6rem;border-right:2px solid #4b5157;border-bottom:2px solid #4b5157;transform:rotate(45deg);transition:transform .2s ease}\n.rte details[open] summary::after{transform:rotate(-135deg);top:1.8rem}\n.rte details p{margin-top:0;padding:0 3rem 1.3rem 0}\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn short:\u003c\/strong\u003e Business templates are ready-made documents that help you stop paying for the same mistake twice, get know-how out of one person's head, and plan for the day something goes wrong. Each one is \u003cstrong\u003ean editable Microsoft Word document, written by a C-suite executive of over 30 years\u003c\/strong\u003e for people who run businesses. Start with our \u003ca href=\"\/products\/sop-template\"\u003eSOP Template\u003c\/a\u003e, $29, and get your most important job written down this week.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey are working documents, not slide decks or flyers: the procedures, plans, checklists and reports that keep a business running the same way every day, whoever is working that day.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFind the template for the job\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDo the work the same way every time:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/products\/sop-template\"\u003eSOP Template\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/skills-matrix-template\"\u003eSkills Matrix Template\u003c\/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"\/products\/employee-onboarding-checklist\"\u003eNew Employee Onboarding Checklist\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/employee-offboarding-checklist\"\u003eEmployee Offboarding Checklist\u003c\/a\u003e. If the answer to \"how do we do this?\" is \"ask Dave\", start here.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eStop problems coming back:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/products\/root-cause-analysis-template\"\u003eRoot Cause Analysis Template\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/incident-report-template\"\u003eIncident Report Template\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eBe ready for what could go wrong:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/products\/risk-register-template\"\u003eRisk Register Template\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/business-continuity-plan-template\"\u003eBusiness Continuity Plan Template\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eUse AI safely:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/products\/ai-policy-template\"\u003eAI Policy Template\u003c\/a\u003e. If your team already uses AI tools at work, set the rules before something goes wrong.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSet the rules for your team:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003ca href=\"\/products\/employee-handbook-template\"\u003eEmployee Handbook Template\u003c\/a\u003e. One handbook, one current version, signed for by every member of staff.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy start from a template, not a blank page\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery growing business reaches the same point. The way things are done lives in people's heads, and it works, until someone is out sick, a new hire starts, or a customer asks to see how you handle something. Then it needs writing down, and writing well enough that people actually use it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat's where most owners stall. A blank page eats a weekend you don't have, and the result often reads like a legal contract nobody opens twice. A good template does the thinking for you: the right sections, in the right order, and in most of ours a worked example to copy. You spend your time filling in your business, not inventing a format.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWritten by someone who has run the business\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThese templates were written by a C-suite executive of over 30 years who built his own management systems to run his companies, including a care company with a nursing team of more than ninety and an aviation company under constant safety regulation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat shows in the documents. Someone who has signed the paychecks writes differently from a committee. Every section has to earn its place, and the layout is built for the people doing the work, so they actually use it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eTwo ways to start\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eStart free\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEvery template has a free Learn page that explains the job step by step, and many have a free printable version you can use today. No sign-up, no email. Browse them all in our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/management-system-skills\"\u003emanagement system skills Learn pages\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eGet the full template\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen you want the complete document to edit, keep and reuse, get the Word template, from $29. It downloads straight after purchase, and it's yours to keep.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy free templates can end up costing more\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can find business templates online for nothing, and some are fine. But many free ones are written for big corporations and need heavy cutting before they fit a small business. Many are locked inside a tool you have to pay for before you can edit them. And many are so generic they describe nobody in particular.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe real cost isn't the download. It's the hours spent fixing it, and the mistakes that keep happening while the document sits half-finished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eReady if you go for ISO 9001 later\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou don't need ISO 9001 to use these templates. But if a big customer ever asks for it, the work you've already done counts: these documents fit right into an ISO 9001 quality system. See our \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/iso-9001-templates\"\u003eISO 9001 templates\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFrequently asked questions\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003eAre these business templates for Microsoft Word?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Every template is an editable Microsoft Word document (.docx) that you download straight after purchase, then save, fill in and change as you like. They also open in Google Docs, although some formatting can shift.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003eAre there free business templates?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Many templates have a free printable version on their Learn page, with no sign-up. The paid Word template gives you the full document to edit, keep and reuse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003eAre these templates suitable for a small business?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. They are written for small and mid-sized businesses in any industry, by someone who has run small businesses himself, so your staff will actually want to use them. You fill in what applies to you and delete what doesn't.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003eCan I see an example before I buy?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYes. Each template has a free Learn page that explains how to use it, and most include a worked example you can read first.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003cdetails\u003e\n\u003csummary\u003eDo I need ISO 9001 to use these templates?\u003c\/summary\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. They work for any business that wants to run more smoothly. If you are working toward ISO 9001, they fit into an ISO 9001 quality system too.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"CollectionPage\",\n  \"name\": \"Business Templates\",\n  \"description\": \"Editable Word business templates for SOPs, incident reports, root cause analysis, risk registers and more, written by a C-suite executive of over 30 years.\",\n  \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n  \"url\": \"https:\/\/plainstandards.com\/collections\/business-templates\",\n  \"isPartOf\": { \"@type\": \"WebSite\", \"name\": \"Plain Standards\", \"url\": \"https:\/\/plainstandards.com\" },\n  \"about\": { \"@type\": \"Thing\", \"name\": \"Business templates\" }\n}\n\u003c\/script\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n  \"itemListElement\": [\n    { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 1, \"name\": \"Home\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/plainstandards.com\/\" },\n    { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 2, \"name\": \"Templates\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/plainstandards.com\/pages\/templates\" },\n    { \"@type\": \"ListItem\", \"position\": 3, \"name\": \"Business Templates\", \"item\": \"https:\/\/plainstandards.com\/collections\/business-templates\" }\n  ]\n}\n\u003c\/script\u003e\n","products":[{"product_id":"sop-template","title":"SOP Template: Standard Operating Procedure Template (Word)","description":"\u003cp\u003eAn SOP template built so your staff will actually want to use it. You add the task; the layout does the rest.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen I set up my online shop, I needed SOPs my remote assistants could follow without phoning me every ten minutes. Most of the SOP templates I found online were no use: too generic, pitched at the wrong level, steps out of order, or so full of detail nobody would read them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSo I wrote my own, the way I had learned to write procedures over 30 years of running businesses. This is that layout, ready to use. Open it, write one task, and anyone in your business can do that task the same way, every time.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55285095498065,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/PScardsoptemplate.png?v=1791880948"},{"product_id":"root-cause-analysis-template","title":"Root Cause Analysis Template and Corrective Action Plan (Word)","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe same mistake keeps coming back because nobody fixed the cause. This root cause analysis template finds it, step by step.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost businesses deal with a problem by fixing what is in front of them: refund the customer, redo the job, have a word with whoever was on shift. Then, a few weeks later, it happens again. Each time costs money, time and a little more of the customer's patience.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs a production manager on a factory floor, and later running my own companies, I learned that people will not tell you what really happened if they are worried about the reaction. So in over 30 years running businesses, the investigations that worked all followed the same method: look at the process, not the person, keep investigating until you reach something you can change, and check the fix worked. This template is that method, laid out so anyone in your business can follow it.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55297659339089,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/PScardrootcauseanalysistemplate.png?v=1791959404"},{"product_id":"skills-matrix-template","title":"Skills Matrix Template: Training Matrix and Training Record (Word)","description":"\u003cp\u003eKnow at a glance who can do which job, and close the gap before it costs you a customer.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost small businesses run on what people know, not on what is written down. That works until the one person who can do a job is off sick, on holiday or handing in their notice. Suddenly nobody can open up, run the machine or answer the customer's question, and the work stops.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn over 30 years running businesses, I have trained a lot of staff, and the simplest tool for keeping the work going has always been a skills matrix: every task down the side, every person along the top, and a rating in each box. This template is that tool, with a training plan and a training record built in, ready to use.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55297909915985,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/PScardskillsmatrixtemplate_3456061f-3412-4ee9-aad3-8c9d91e5c3d4.png?v=1791961121"},{"product_id":"employee-onboarding-checklist","title":"New Employee Onboarding Checklist Template (Word)","description":"\u003cp\u003eEvery new starter set up properly, by whoever is on hand, without you worrying you have missed something.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTaking someone on costs a lot of money, and the first few weeks decide whether it pays off. Forget the login, the safety briefing or the training on one key task, and the new starter spends their first week waiting, guessing or picking up someone else's bad habits.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI learned this the hard way. I once stepped into a role with no onboarding process at all, just as we started taking on several people at once. I did the first from memory and made several mistakes. So I stopped, spent a couple of hours writing a checklist almost identical to this one, and from then on I could relax, and the new starters could see my confidence.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55298024636753,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/PScardemployeeonboardingchecklist.png?v=1791963244"},{"product_id":"risk-register-template","title":"Risk Register Template (Word)","description":"","brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55372095226193,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/ps-card-risk-register-template.png?v=1792462400"},{"product_id":"business-continuity-plan-template","title":"Business Continuity Plan Template (Word)","description":"","brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55372576260433,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/ps-card-business-continuity-plan-template.png?v=1792470410"},{"product_id":"incident-report-template","title":"Incident Report Template (Word)","description":"","brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55372727812433,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/ps-card-incident-report-template.png?v=1792478935"},{"product_id":"ai-policy-template","title":"AI Policy Template: AI Acceptable Use Policy (Word)","description":"","brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55418374685009,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/ps-card-ai-policy-template.png?v=1792646542"},{"product_id":"employee-handbook-template","title":"Employee Handbook Template (Word)","description":null,"brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55534694433105,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/ps-card-employee-handbook-template.png?v=1793258826"},{"product_id":"employee-offboarding-checklist","title":"Employee Offboarding Checklist Template (Word)","description":null,"brand":"Plain Standards","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55535031222609,"sku":null,"price":29.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1073\/0107\/7329\/files\/ps-card-employee-offboarding-checklist.png?v=1793262890"}],"url":"https:\/\/plainstandards.com\/collections\/business-templates.oembed","provider":"Plain Standards","version":"1.0","type":"link"}