Who this checklist is for
This business access checklist is for owners and office managers who rely on one or two trusted people to run the tools. It works the same for a shop, a clinic, a factory, an agency or a distributor. The problem shows up on the day your best person resigns: only she knew the passwords, the login codes go to her phone, and the website, the bank portal and the WhatsApp Business number are all tied to her.
Use it now, while everyone is still happy and nobody is leaving. The first items take minutes. The later ones are habits that keep you in control as the team grows. For the steps on the day someone actually leaves, see our employee exit checklist.
The 15 things, and why each one matters
Password manager
Keep every business login in one shared vault such as Bitwarden, 1Password or Google Password Manager. When someone leaves, nothing lives only in their head or their browser.
You are the admin
Make yourself the main admin on every business tool, from email to accounts. Staff get their own user, so you can always add or remove people.
Two admins each
Give every key account a second admin, such as a partner or office manager. If one person is away or gone, the other can still get in.
2-step on your phone
Send login codes to a phone or SIM the business owns. If the codes go to an employee's personal phone, they leave with your access.
Company recovery email
Set the recovery email of every account to a company address, never a personal Gmail. Check it in each tool's security settings.
Print backup codes
Google, Microsoft and many other tools give one-time backup codes. Print them and lock them in a drawer, so a lost phone never locks you out.
Domain in your name
Register the website domain to the company, with a company email on the account. Whoever controls the domain controls your website and email.
Own bank users
Give staff their own user on the bank portal with limited rights. Never share the owner's login, so you can switch one person off without touching the rest.
Tax portal logins
Keep GST portal or IRS and state tax logins with the owner or your accountant, not a junior who filed last quarter.
One access sheet
List each tool, who the admin is, who has access and when it renews. When someone leaves, this sheet becomes the list of what to change.
No shared logins
Give one login per person instead of one shared login for the team. Then you can cut off one person without changing everyone's password.
WhatsApp on your SIM
Run WhatsApp Business on a number the company owns. Your customers know that number, and it should never walk out with a phone.
Record the how-to
Ask key staff to screen-record the weekly tasks only they do, like the payroll upload or the GST filing. A five-minute video saves weeks of guessing.
Train a backup
Teach a second person every critical task and let them do it once a month. That way the knowledge is tested, not just written down.
Quarterly access check
Every three months, open the access sheet and remove anyone who no longer needs a login, including past freelancers and agencies.
Questions about business access
What should I do first if only one employee knows the passwords?
Is it safe to keep business passwords in a password manager?
How often should I review who has access?
Does your business still depend on one person's phone?
Book a digital audit. We will look at how your tools, logins and data are set up and show you what to fix first.
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