As the IT provider for a small business, you need to be proactive in their preparation for hurricane season. On some parts of the east coast, even a tropical storm can result in power and internet outages for over 24 hours. Here’s how to help your clients stay in touch with their customers and get back to work quickly.

Battery Backups

First things first: if your client isn’t using battery backups and true surge protectors, this should be your first priority. Ensure they have the right equipment, that the battery backups are charged correctly, and the devices are plugged into the right outlet on the surge protector.

Not only does this keep the equipment protected from damage, but a battery gives each employee the few minutes they need to save their work (and save to their device if necessary) before they lose power. Then, if the power goes right back on, they haven’t lost any time.

Call Forwarding

One of the reasons business owners fear switching to VoIP or UCaaS is the reliance on an internet connection. If they live in an area where power and internet service go out during every storm, you can understand the concern. But that’s where call forwarding comes in.

In the administrator dashboard, the user has an option to forward calls to a mobile phone number in the case of an outage. 

As part of the business continuity process, ensure call forwarding is set up with the correct phone numbers in case of an outage. Also, set up the mobile app on designated phones, so the business never misses a call. 

Always-Up Network

As a white-label partner for Viirtue, you can take advantage of our geo-redundant network that rarely experiences an outage! While we can’t control the internet access in a particular town, the app and all its features will be active and usable. 

You can explain to your clients that a geo-redundant network means the same data and systems are stored in multiple servers across the country. So if there’s a hurricane impacting one of them, the others will step up without missing a beat.

Of course, with a power or internet outage, a building may not have Wi-Fi or internet on site. That’s when users will rely on call forwarding and the mobile app to communicate with any customers who might be calling. 

Voicemail to Email

Another feature to highlight during business continuity discussions is the voicemail to email option on the Viirtue platform. Even if the phone doesn’t ring during an outage, the caller can leave a message that will be sent to your voicemail. Then when the office is back to functioning properly, or the team member has internet in their own home, they can keep track of the voicemail in their email.

Generators

Generators are not an area typically discussed with the IT provider, but you may want to make the suggestion to your clients. If they have any on-site server storage or a call center, generators ensure data isn’t lost. Also, if the town has a power outage, but still has internet service, they could still be running business as usual with a generator.

Transition Your Clients to UCaaS

Help your clients prepare well for any disaster by getting them started with business continuity plan. As a Viirtue white label partner, you can give them access to the best communication tools in the industry to keep their business running during a tropical storm, hurricane, or just a standard summer thunderstorm.