2 formats
The Owner's Record
If you're suddenly out, who runs the business? A fill-in record for small business owners: where everything is, who can sign what, and what has to happen in the first 72 hours.
Fillable PDF and print PDF, together. Fill it in once, look it over once a year.
All sales are final. This is a digital download — once payment is received, no refunds are given.
- Instant download
- Fillable PDF
- Print PDF
- No passwords inside
Why this exists
Payroll is due Friday. Nobody else can sign.
Most small businesses run on one person. You sign the checks, you know which bills come out automatically and which supplier gives you thirty days. That works until the day you can't come in.
Then someone steps in: a spouse, a grown child, the person who's worked for you longest. They're frightened, they've never seen the books, and they find out the hard way that being married to the owner doesn't give anyone authority to sign for the business.
Attorneys prepare the documents that give someone authority. Nobody writes down how the business actually runs, or where those documents are. This record is that page.
8%
of small business owners say they're fully prepared to hand off the business (Chase survey of about 1,000 owners, March 2026)
72
hours: the first three days, as a checklist for the person stepping in
8
parts, from who can sign to the renewal calendar
0
passwords, account numbers or alarm codes. There's no page for them, on purpose
Part 2 · The authority check
The page to take to your attorney.
Before anyone can pay a bill or sign a contract for you, they need authority. Part 2 asks the questions that decide whether anyone has it. Each answer is either "yes, and here's where it's kept" or "ask my attorney".
It writes no legal documents. It shows you, in one sitting, which ones you have and which you don't.
- Is there a durable power of attorney, and does it cover the business?
- Does the operating or partnership agreement say who manages if you can't?
- Is there a buy-sell agreement, and how is it funded?
- Who besides you can sign on each bank account?
- Is there key-person or business-overhead insurance, and where is the policy?
What's inside
Eight parts, in the order someone will need them
If I'm out: read this first
A letter from you to whoever steps in, who to call first and in what order, the first 72 hours as a checklist, what must not wait and what can, and a call log. It covers both situations: you're out for a while, or you aren't coming back.
Who can sign what
The authority check. Is there a power of attorney that covers the business? Does the operating agreement say who manages if you can't? Who else is a signer on each account? Each answer is "yes, kept here" or "ask my attorney". It ends with the page to take to your attorney.
The money
How the business is set up, the bank accounts (the bank and a contact, never numbers), payroll and pay dates, money coming in, every automatic payment, loans and leases, tax filing dates, and the money in five rules.
The people
Your staff and who can open, close and order, your advisers (accountant, attorney, insurance agent, bookkeeper, IT), family, how to talk to the staff, who has access to what, and what to do when a key person leaves.
Customers, vendors and contracts
The customers who must hear from someone this week, promises already made, key suppliers and their terms, where every contract is, and what to say when you call.
Running the place
Licenses and permits with renewal dates, who holds the keys and the alarm code, who controls the website, domain and email, and the equipment and vehicles.
The year at a glance
A month-by-month calendar of renewals and deadlines, and a once-a-year review so the record stays true.
Two cut-out cards
A wallet card for your family ("If I'm out, call these three") and one for your second-in-command. Nothing on either card is secret.
Where, not what
Write where the passwords are kept and who has the alarm code. Never the password or the code itself. If the record is lost, it tells a stranger nothing they could use.
Fillable PDF
Type straight into it in any free PDF reader. Save it, update it each year, keep a copy where the right person can find it.
- Type, save and re-edit
- Stays on your computer
Print PDF
Letter size, for a binder in the office or at home. Use pencil for what changes, pen for what doesn't. The cut-out cards are on the last pages.
- Prints on any home printer
- Two wallet cards included
Who it's for
Filled in by the owner. Written for whoever steps in.
Small business owners
Restaurants, shops, trades and small offices, where the owner is also the only signer, the bookkeeper and the person with the keys.
The person who'd step in
A spouse, grown child or longtime manager who knows they'd be the one making the calls, and would rather the owner wrote it down now.
Attorneys, CPAs and agents
A co-branded copy for owner clients, to go alongside the documents you prepare.
Licensing for firms →A record, not a legal document.
The Owner's Record is an organizer for information about your business. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice, and it cannot give anyone authority to act for you or your business; only documents prepared for your state by a qualified attorney can do that. Rules differ by state and by type of business. Never write passwords, account numbers, PINs or alarm codes in it.
Read the full terms →FAQ
Before you buy
Who is this for?+
Owners of small businesses, usually with somewhere between no employees and twenty: restaurants, shops, trades, small offices. It's also for the person who would step in: a spouse, a grown child, a manager. Many buyers are that person, buying it for the owner.
Is this a legal document?+
No. It can't give anyone the authority to run your business, and it gives no legal advice. Only documents an attorney prepares for your state can do that. What it does is show you and your attorney which of those documents you have, which you don't, and where they're kept.
Does it ask for passwords or account numbers?+
Never. It says where things are kept and who holds them. A record like this gets left on a desk or carried to a lawyer's office, so if it's lost it should tell a stranger nothing they could use.
Doesn't my spouse automatically get to run the business?+
Usually not. Being married doesn't give someone authority to sign for a company, and a power of attorney ends at death. Who can act depends on the papers you have. That's why Part 2 asks about each one.
Does it work for my state and my type of business?+
Yes. It's written for any state and for sole proprietors, LLCs, partnerships and small corporations. Where the rules differ, it gives you a line to write in what applies to you and tells you who to ask.
What do I get?+
A fillable PDF you can type into and update each year, and a print PDF for a binder, both 61 pages on letter-size paper. You can download them right after you pay. A paperback is coming to Amazon for people who'd rather write in a book.
How long does it take to fill in?+
Part 1 and Part 2 matter most and take an afternoon. The rest you can fill in over a few weeks. Leave a line blank rather than guess, and look it over once a year.
We're an attorney, CPA or insurance agency. Can we give it to clients?+
Yes. We license co-branded copies for firms to give to clients. See the For Professionals page or write to support@resilientedgegroup.com with "licensing" in the subject.
Write it down while everything is ordinary.
Start with Part 1 and Part 2 this week. That's the afternoon that keeps payroll going.
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