Staying Connected When Disaster Strikes: A Business Continuity Guide
Introduction
Staying connected on the go!
Hey guys, this week on When You Need 'Em, Ask Neadom, we're gonna take a look at how to stay connected during a disaster. How do you do it? I don't know. Stay tuned, we'll check it out. See you then.
Hey guys, welcome to the week of When You Need 'Em, Ask Neadom. I'm Neadom Tucker, owner of Kotori Technologies, and today we're gonna talk about how to stay connected during a disaster. We just got through Hurricane Dorian. My whole staff was off for a week. South Carolina declared an emergency. How do we stay connected during this disaster?
We're not talking about staying connected while the wind is blowing and tornadoes are tearing through your house. We're talking about how to keep your organization functioning when you're forced to send your employees home due to a declared state of emergency.
Here are seven things to help keep you connected during a disaster.
File Management
You should have some sort of cloud-based file management system like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. Keep access to your files when you're offline. Many of these services have cloud-only synchronization, so you need to manually select which files to keep offline. Do this before you lose internet connectivity to stay online and connected.
Internet Access
If you can't get online, that's a problem. But if you have a way to stay online during or after a disaster, you're ahead of the game. Use a mobile hotspot on your phone, a dedicated hotspot device, or a laptop/tablet with 4G service. If none of those are available, consider going to a café or hotel with internet access. Communication is key—if you can't reach your team via email or other methods, staying connected becomes very difficult.
Power
Battery chargers or power packs for your phone or mobile device are essential. If you don’t have power, you need a way to keep your systems charged. If you do have power, you likely have internet. But if your location doesn’t have power, how do you conduct business? Where are your calls being forwarded? How are you handling inbound calls?
Have a backup generator or power packs ready. Windows PCs often have replaceable batteries—keep a spare charged. MacBooks may require large amp-hour battery packs. Solar panels can also help charge devices during the day.
Spare Devices
It may sound crazy, but having a spare device is important. If your business relies on taking pictures, have an extra camera. If you rely on being online, have an extra phone or tablet. If you leave all your PCs at the office, make sure you have spares elsewhere or a backup location. Being prepared with spare equipment can make all the difference.
Communication
How do you stay connected to employees and customers? Use email, but also consider chat clients like Teams or Slack, or messaging apps like WhatsApp. If your organization restricts email access outside the network, you need alternatives.
Use social media to notify customers that you're open for business. If your phone lines are down, tell them to email. If email is down, tell them to call. Use Facebook, Twitter, or whatever platform your customers follow. Let them know you're available and ready to help.
Emergency Contact List
This might be the most important item: an emergency contact list for you and your employees. If someone has to evacuate, how will you reach them? Do you have their cell number? Do you know their backup contact? Are they going to their grandmas in North Carolina or their dads in Texas?
Stay connected. Know where your people are and how to reach them.
Conclusion
That sums up another week of When You Need 'Em, Ask Neadom. We want to make sure you're safe, but we also want to make sure your business can keep running before and after a disaster.
If you need help with any of these things, please reach out to us online at Kotori Technologies.
