How to Use SMS for Business Continuity

Business owners are no strangers to overcoming challenges. There are always fires to put out, ranging from the relatively minor to the major.

But no one could have predicted the upheaval caused by the Coronavirus. It created massive challenges for nearly every industry. 

While you might consider yourself a cool head in a stressful situation, the past 12 months have taught us one thing: the importance of planning for the unexpected.

That’s where a business continuity plan comes into play.

What Is a Business Continuity Plan?

Lightning that causes a fire to break out in an office building is not an eventuality that every organization plans for. 

But that’s exactly what happened to Cantey Technology, an IT company with 200 clients. All of the company’s network infrastructure was destroyed–not a great outcome for a company that hosts servers for other businesses.

The silver lining? Cantey had actually set up a remote data center where continual backups were stored. While all the staff had to move office, its clients never experienced any interruption in service.

The backup servers were all thanks to its business continuity plan. 

These plans detail the processes and procedures that will help keep operations running despite a disruptive event–think pandemic, natural disaster, or cyberattack.

How Does SMS Fit Into a Business Continuity Plan?

The core driving force of a business continuity plan is to minimize the disruption of an adverse event to your business.

Essential to any business continuity plan coming together is the emergency communication that underpins it.

Whether you’re the victim of a ransomware attack or a hurricane, one thing remains the same: you’ll need to communicate with your employees and customers.

Why Use Text Messages for Critical Communications?

90% of text messages are read in three minutes, making SMS messaging one of the few ways you can communicate in real time with staff and customers. On top of this, a text alert system benefits from the fact:

• 95% of Americans own a mobile phone of some description
• Recipients don’t need internet access to receive messages
• Recipients don’t need to install an app or learn a new software
• 98% of text messages are opened

How Businesses Use SMS for Business Continuity

The University of Alabama set up a text messaging service that allows them to send emergency information to students and staff who register called UA alerts. 

They send texts when there’s an emergency that poses an imminent physical threat to the community.

We also see businesses use SMS during major incidents to:

• Communicate requirements and Coronavirus notices
• Ensure staff are safe during a natural disaster
• Keep staff updated during an emergency
• Communicate critical IT issues and outages
• Send mass notifications to customers letting them know there’s a disruption

To incorporate SMS into your business continuity plan, you need to determine what you’ll send and when you plan on sending it. You’ll also need a text messaging service to send your messages.

How to Use Our SMS Service for Business Continuity 

We make it easy to send out critical SMS as this one-minute video shows.

You also benefit from the fact that: 

• SimpleTexting is web-based, meaning you don’t need to purchase any expensive equipment or hardware
• You can purchase an annual subscription that gives you a set amount of SMS to send each year
• You can have two-way SMS conversations with people and provide customer support and answer questions

Getting Started With SimpleTexting

The best way to get started is to sign up for a 14-day, risk-free trial. And, if you have questions about getting set up, email us at support@simpletexting.net.