As hurricane season approaches, some small businesses worry that they could lose service. HughesNet, a company that offers satellite services and that has been in the business for about 50 years, is trying to help businesses prepare for the season to prevent a loss of internet services or to get their services back up and running as soon as possible. The company is offering a backup service called HughesNet Internet Continuity as a way to try to keep businesses online through hurricanes. It’s also providing several tips that businesses can use to prepare for hurricane season.

Keeping the Doors Open
Peter Gulla is the vice president of HughesNet and understands that hurricanes can lead to flooding and a loss of power that can then lead to businesses losing customers and revenue. He understands that businesses need to be able to communicate during these times so that they know about outages and know when they can safely open their doors to the public. A benefit of using HughesNet is that the satellites that are used by the company aren’t in the path of hurricanes since they are in orbit. A backup source is a way that businesses can have at least a minimal internet connection if the primary source fails as the router will switch the type of connection to a satellite.

Checklist
Businesses should make a checklist before hurricane season arrives so that they are prepared. There should be contact details for all employees and managers so that they can stay in touch with each other. All of the log-in information for the business should be on the list in the event that an outage requires you to restart your computer system.

Stay Responsible
Each person with the business should know what their responsibility is before, during, and after a hurricane. Management should be at the top of the list and will likely be responsible for contacting employees and protecting the assets of the company. You should also have someone available who can contact customers who might be on their way to the store or who could have orders that they need to pick up so that they can be rescheduled.

Emergency Apps
There are several apps that you can download in the event of an emergency that can be beneficial for keeping you and your business safe. FEMA has an app that can help with locating financial resources. The American Red Cross has an app that is beneficial for helping with shelter, food, and clothing if these items are needed. You also want to have an app that gives information about weather watches and warnings so that you have time to prepare before a hurricane or another natural disaster occurs.

Communication
Try to have a few different methods of communication in place for receiving weather bulletins. Most of the time, announcements are made on television or through text messages. You can usually sign up to receive phone calls and emails as well. It’s a good idea to have a few different methods available in the event that one doesn’t work properly or that you don’t have a device with you.

Shelter
As a business owner, you need to make the decision as to whether employees and customers will stay in the building or evacuate. This is a plan that you need to have ready before a hurricane arrives. Exits should be clearly marked, and there should be someone available who can help customers leave the store in a safe manner.