The businesses that ride out Florida storms without missing a beat have three things in common: their files and phones live in the cloud, their data is backed up offsite and tested, and their team already knows the plan. When our own office lost power during the 2025 season, that's exactly what kept us running. Here's what we learned, and a simple before, during and after checklist for your business.
Every year Florida businesses hear the same advice: batten down the hatches and hope your data survives. We think that fear-based approach is tired. Panic doesn't protect your business. Systems do. And the same setup that gets you through a storm makes you more flexible the other 11 months of the year.
Key takeaways
During the 2025 hurricane season, a storm knocked out power to our building. We didn't miss a beat. A battery backup kept critical equipment up long enough to shut down cleanly, our team switched to working from home, and because our files and phones run in the cloud, everyone had what they needed. Tickets stayed on track, calls kept ringing, and clients never noticed.
That's not luck. That's the same setup we build for our clients.
Before the 2024 season, we helped the Women's Resource Center move to a hybrid cloud environment. Their goal was simple: stay connected to the people they serve even if the office went offline. When storms hit in 2025 and power flickered across the region, staff kept working remotely with full access to their files and communication, and their mission continued without interruption. Read the full Women's Resource Center story.
Cloud isn't one-size-fits-all. Some businesses run entirely in the cloud, while others need a hybrid setup for specialized software. We'll help you figure out which fits your business.
What most businesses don't realize is that none of this is storm-only spending. Cloud files and phones make remote work and new hires easier all year. Tested backups protect you from ransomware and accidental deletions, not just flooding. It's the same investment, working every day instead of sitting on a shelf until September.
Backup and recovery are part of the "Secured" foundation of our cybersecurity framework, and we've never failed to restore a client from a ransomware attack. See how our backup and disaster recovery works.
Move key files and phones to the cloud so people can work from anywhere, keep tested backups offsite, put battery backups on the equipment that stays in the office, and walk your team through a simple plan before the season starts.
Yes. Shut down and unplug computers, printers and network equipment, move them off the floor and away from windows, and cover them if flooding is possible. Power surges when electricity comes back can damage anything left plugged in.
Cloud backup is essential, but only if it's tested. Restore a real file before the season starts so you know it works and how long a full recovery takes. Pair it with cloud file access so people can keep working, not just recover later.
Use a cloud phone system that rings on laptops and cell phones. When the office goes dark, calls follow your team wherever they are, and clients don't notice the difference.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through November 30, with peak activity typically from mid-August through October. Do your prep in May, before the season starts.
Check for water before powering anything on, bring systems up in order starting with internet and the firewall, confirm your backups ran, and call your IT provider if anything looks unusual.
We get it. Storm prep is one more thing on a long list. We're headquartered in Sarasota, we've been through these storms with our clients, and we can get your cloud, phones and backups ready, with same-day on-site help when you need it. Call us at 941-315-2380 or talk to our team.