What documents should every small business have on file?
No two small businesses are identical, but many face similar questions from employees, clients, landlords, insurers and regulators: “Do you have a safety plan?”, “Where is your handbook?”, “What is your privacy policy?”.
This list is not exhaustive and is not legal advice, but it can help you see where you may want written documentation.
1. Employee handbook or core workplace policies
Even if you do not have a fancy handbook, it helps to collect your basic expectations in one place:
- How hiring, onboarding and probation work.
- Work hours, time off and attendance expectations.
- Workplace conduct, anti-harassment and anti-discrimination statements.
- Use of company equipment, systems and information.
The Employee Handbook & Policy Kit is designed to generate a first draft you then tailor.
2. Safety program and procedures
If your team works in warehouses, on job sites or with equipment, expect questions about safety documentation, such as:
- A safety policy or manual outline aligned with your OSHA obligations.
- Workplace safety standard operating procedures (SOPs) for key tasks.
- Emergency preparedness and response procedures.
3. Contractor and vendor expectations
Many small businesses rely heavily on contractors and vendors. Written expectations help reduce misalignment:
- Scope of work, timelines and deliverables.
- Communication and reporting expectations.
- Basic site rules, safety expectations and confidentiality requirements.
The Contractor / 1099 Compliance & Onboarding Kit is built for these relationships.
4. Privacy, data and website documentation
If you collect information about customers, visitors or employees, you should think about how you describe your practices. Many businesses adopt:
- A privacy, data and consent policy.
- An accessibility or ADA statement for their website.
- Internal notes on where data is stored and who can access it.
5. Where to start if this feels overwhelming
If this feels like a long list, pick one area that is causing the most friction or risk today: maybe safety for a physical operation, or a basic handbook and privacy policy for a team.
AI-generated kits can shorten the time from “we should write this” to “we have a workable draft”, but they do not remove the need for judgment and review. Always make sure your documents reflect how you actually operate and comply with applicable law.