If you were planning on heading into Boston tomorrow to see the always spectacular Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular, it’s time to adjust your timeline. Due to the approach of Tropical Storm Arthur, which may be a full-fledged hurricane by the time it nears the Massachusetts shore, organizers have decided that the concert and fireworks will be held tonight instead.

Hurricanes are pretty much the embodiment of an unexpected event. You can’t control for hurricanes; you can’t ask the whirling winds, pounding waves and potential jaw-dropping destruction to just hold off for a little while to accommodate your plans. The Boston Pops team are experienced pros: they had a contingency plan in place, and therefore, their fans will be able to enjoy the festivities in safety. A little early – but safely!

As business owners, there are going to be times when we have unexpected events forcing us to change our plans. These may be weather related, tied to local social or political events, or connected to the technology you use.

I am the Technology Therapist, so let’s focus the conversation on having a fall back plan in case of a technological catastrophe. Whether it’s something as simple as your web server going down or a more complex issue related to a DDoS attack or an inability to access cloud-based functionality, it’s smart to have a fall back plan.

Your fall back plan needs to address 2 things: how will you continue to operate in the absence of critical technology, how will you communicate with your customers – both during and after the problem. Understanding all of the technological tools you have available to you makes this planning easier. For example, if your business’ website is down, using Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms to communicate with your customers is an option you should be taking advantage of. Additionally, we host our clients’ email and websites on separate servers in order to ensure that the lines of communication stay open in the event that the site does go down.

Having a good fall back plan is an essential part of superior customer service. If you need help developing one for your company, or you’re not sure where to start, give us a call. We’ll be happy to help you with this critical digital marketing task.