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"One of the greatest benefits to us is the fact that the number is not “trapped” in a building or an individual cell phone. This is important because each year, two elected officers and their appoint...

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Hendersonville, TN

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Stay in Business and Stay in Touch

10 Tips to Stay In Business and Stay in Touch From Business Communications Solution Provider VoiceNation

Learn how to:
  • Plan to succeed despite a pandemic
  • Keep your business functioning despite high absenteeism
  • Audit your communications system for potential gaps
  • Leverage innovative communications services such as live answering and virtual PBX to provide the support you need during a pandemic
Traditional business continuity plans will fail in an avian flu pandemic. Restricted movement, quarantines and transportation failures could make moving everyone to a remote location unfeasible. Few plans in place today could successfully continue business operations for the flu's predicted duration of several months and absenteeism rates soaring to 40%. By rethinking business as well as their plans, business owners and crisis planners can take concrete steps today to keep their companies operational even under these unusual circumstances. A sound plan for an avian flu outbreak focuses on strong communication systems and policies.

In a recent TMIA survey of organizations throughout the U.S. and Canada, respondents overwhelmingly said that voice mail not only improved productivity and internal communication, but also customer service.

VoiceNation offers companies ten tips for staying in touch and staying in business:

  1. Contract to back up your telecommunications services so in the event that phone lines go down or reach capacity, your critical business communications are automatically re-routed through another supplier. VoiceNation has the country's most robust suite of communications re-routing services available to help your business succeed in emergencies.
  2. Ensure your carrying capacity and that of your communication partners will accommodate a sudden, large load as companies switch to remote operations.
  3. Create and publicize a communications plan. Critical elements include:
    • Establishing a communications team responsible for all crisis planning and protocols
    • Publishing a schedule for releasing information in a crisis
    • Keeping contact information (land line, cell, satellite phone numbers and home email addresses) for all employees, key vendors and customers where it can be reached, no matter what
    • Developing a bullet-proof process for communicating business and employee status
  4. Publicize a toll free hotline that employees can use to receive updates so they know whether to come into work, how to contact their managers, what actions the company is taking, and when to return.
  5. Create a dedicated website to communicate business status to employees, vendors and customers. A publicized web site can simplify notification to large groups and reduce load on phones and IT systems in a crisis. The web site can let customers know what services you can offer, any special conditions, and changes in your operations.
  6. Offer remote access through a virtual private network to your employees. Ensure that managers and staff have access to the critical information and programs they need through secure systems. Consider managing pressure on your company servers by adopting multiple shifts.
  7. Arrange for your phones to automatically transfer to an automated or live answering service that will route calls to cell phones, home phones or other locations. Customers and suppliers can still reach staff through your main number, regardless of their actual location.
  8. Provide robust teleconferencing services to enable staff, customers and vendors to continue to work collaboratively without needing to meet.
  9. Plan to forward faxes to another phone number or email address so you do not lose incoming orders. VoiceNation's business continuity support services not only re-route faxes, but also back up faxes digitally on VoiceNation servers so they are available when business operations return to normal. VoiceNation can also email faxes to appropriate parties.
  10. Leverage live answering services to take orders and requests for information if your staff becomes overwhelmed. Remote operators can keep your business in business while your staff recovers from illness or crisis. The Department of Health and Human Services pandemic flu plan assumes that 20% of working adults will become ill in a pandemic.
With today's communication technology and a sound crisis communication plan, pandemic flu, terrorist threats, and even natural disasters do not have to become business disasters for your company.



VoiceNation can help you protect your critical business communications in a crisis. To learn more about how VoiceNation's affordable solutions can protect your critical business communications and keep your business in business, call 866-766-5050 and ask for a business continuity specialist.

About VoiceNation
VoiceNation is committed to helping businesses succeed by providing creative cost-effective telephony solutions. VoiceNation provides voicemail, Virtual PBX, answering services and disaster recovery services to businesses of all sizes throughout the United States. To learn more about how VoiceNation's affordable solutions can protect your critical business communications and keep your business in business, call 866-766-5050 and ask for a business continuity specialist.

Reprint permission:
To reprint this article or interview VoiceNation business continuity experts, please contact:

VoiceNation Media Relations
Graham C. Taylor
gctaylor@voicenation.com
866.766.5050, ext. 150
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