Free template: handoff checklist

Run through this on your last day, or better, a few days before it. Print it or copy it. Check each box only when it's true, not when you plan to do it.

The reasons behind these are in how to write a one-page handoff document and how to teach staff a new tool.

Ownership

• Every account, sheet, and tool belongs to the business, not to you or any one employee
• At least two people at the business have admin access
• Your own access is removed, or you've told them how to do it
• Any password or login is in the business's own password manager or safe place
• Two-factor codes go to a business phone or email, not your personal one

People

• The people who'll use it have used it on a real task, with you watching
• A named person is in charge of it, and a backup is named
• A cheat sheet is posted where the work happens
• The old way is retired on a set date, and everyone knows it
• You have scheduled check-ins at day 2, day 7, and day 30

Paper

• The one-page handoff document is written and has been tested by someone who didn't build it
• It says what the tool does, where it lives, who can change it, and what to do when it breaks
• It lists what it costs, when it bills, and who pays
• It names what's connected, so nobody breaks it by accident
• It's dated, and a copy is printed and in a shared folder

Safety

• You've tried a backup, or you've downloaded a copy of the data
• You know what happens if the tool shuts down or the subscription lapses
• Nothing sensitive is sitting somewhere it shouldn't be, like a shared link open to anyone
• Customer permissions (texting, email) are recorded and honored

Follow-up

• You told the owner how to reach you, and what you'd help with and what you wouldn't
• There's a date to review the whole thing in six months
• You wrote down what you'd do next, and what you didn't get to