What happened to your business the last time the power went out? Maybe it was a hurricane or an ice storm. Maybe a car accident took down the power lines. Or maybe a utility contractor mistakenly cut the lines. Whatever the reason, a business with no power means a business in trouble.

That’s why it was so surprising to see the results of a recent LinkedIn poll of small business owners: A staggering 59 percent of respondents said they do not have a back-up plan for their phone system. What’s more: almost 85% of those without a plan said they don’t need one.

Sure, you may think that with all the communications devices we have today, a telephone outage isn’t such a big deal. You can always use a mobile device for outbound communications. But what happens when customers, prospects, partners and suppliers want to contact your company and they can’t because they don’t have your personal mobile number?

That’s why having a reliable phone service with a back-up plan is essential and makes good business sense. At the very least, your phone back-up plan should address:

• How to manage your phone service from remote locations. If you can’t get to your place of business due to a storm or emergency, make sure you can change your phone features through either a voice or online portal.
• Automatic routing of calls to another line. Before disaster strikes, make sure you’ve made plans to route phone calls to another number (mobile, home phone, or remote office) so you don’t miss calls. Some providers offer automatic re-routing so there’s no action required.
• Forwarding calls to a cellular phone for a “do-it-yourself” option.
• How to maintain point-of-sale and/or alarm systems during an outage. Always check to make sure you have a back-up power source for these important business needs.

What’s your plan? How will you keep essential business communications running the next time the power goes out? Share your ideas in the comments section.