The storm ( Hurricane Irene ) this week reminded us all about the need for preparedness. Many were and are still without power. People who are past the basics (Food, Clothing and Shelter) can find the time and energy to think about staying in business.
What services and equipment can help us keep going when things get difficult?
Online Backup
In a flood or fire, your computers and backup might be taken out at the same time. A well thought out strategy would include an offsite copy of your information (maybe a backup drive taken to another location). If you include an online backup service ( Carbonite, Backblaze or CrashPlan) your data is safe even if your original and offsite copies are lost.
Smart Phone
Mobile email, web browsing, calendaring and contacts. Always with you and functioning even if you lose power and wired internet at your locations. Not the most ideal way to carry out your work, but it is an option. Many phones can also serve as a way to get a laptop or other wifi device online with optional tethering (sharing the phone’s internet connection).
Tablet
The same benefits as the cell phone but with a bigger screen. Think iPad or Android tablet with cellular data connection. The carriers allow you to get online with their data networks and you usually can pay just for the time you need (by the month) without a contract. The $25 you spend that month may allow you to keep going when you might not otherwise be able to. Tablets come with and without cellular data radios, so make sure that if you purchase one with this in mind, you get one with the cellular data. It adds $130 to the initial cost of an iPad.