by Ron Daly
This week is Hurricane Preparedness Week. Here in Virginia, an area that is commonly soaked by the weather systems that push up from the Gulf, we have a Tax Exempt holiday in which we are allowed to purchase certain items tax free (see the .pdf of items here).
I think this is great, and not just because I love deals. It's great to have a kit prepared for ill weather, especially for situations in which you might not have power or communication for a while. Some of the things on our tax exempt list:
- Artificial ice packs/blue liquid ice packs - For storing water and food in coolers when power dips or disappears.
- Batteries/flashlights/glow sticks
- Personal radios/two-way radios/walkie talkies
- Cell phone charger for the car
- Ropes/straps/duct tape
- Containers/coolers/bottled water
- First aid kits
I've been thinking about hurricane preparedness a lot lately, since we've been working on extending our Crisis Management Notification System to credit unions and other small businesses. The idea that you can get the same level of communication you'd be getting out of some of the country's largest providers for a lot less has to be appealing. But I like our system because it works in a way that's fast and effective. "I'm not only the president, I'm also a client," I think is the saying? It's true. When I need my team to respond, the CMNS is what I use. My employees know to watch their phones and e-mail and I know when they've accessed the system in real time.
Communication is one of the pillars of an effective business continuity plan. How do you tell your customers or employees what is going on? Shell FCU and Keys FCU used their Crisis Management Notification System to stay in touch.
If you're in Virginia, don't let the tax holiday pass you by - take advantage and start working on an emergency plan for your household. If you run a company, a community or a credit union and you need effective communication, take advantage of DigitalMailer's service and support.
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