During the Icepocalypse of 2011, TrendyMinds did not just simply call it quits and close up shop for the day.  Oh no, we’re a bit more dedicated than that. But in order to stay safe and warm, we decided to work remotely from the comfort of our homes. While that may mean a pajama day and low productivity for some, our “trendy” technology allowed us to operate much like we would on any given Tuesday/Wednesday.

To be honest, most of us did in fact sit in our pajamas all day. But we still managed to be productive. Here’s how we managed it:

1. Preparation – Upon hearing of our impending doom, we packed up any important documents, notes and files (hard copy or digital) that we would need should the dire weather predictions come true. 
2. Email – Pretty standard, but vital to key communication with clients and each other. By using webmail, each of us can login into our accounts from any computer.
3. Campfire Chat Room – TrendyMinds uses 37signals applications daily to manage projects, communicate with clients and organize contacts.  But during the Icepocalypse the Campfire application allowed us to have a group chat room to stay connected. By keeping the chat room open, we were accountable for our whereabouts and available for conversation. The chat room also allows for file sharing as an added bonus.
4. Cisco phone system – Our phone system allows us to automatically forward our calls to our cell phones. With a few people to hold down the fort, we were able to continue communication with clients. The system also sends digital voicemails to our emails, in case we missed anything before call forwarding was set up.

Reaching our information isn’t an issue either. Nearly all of our applications are web based, allowing us to access them from any computer.

One of the few changes the ice forced us to make was our meeting schedule, but only slightly. Our face-to-face meetings were canceled, but we could still carry them out over our phone system – bringing in each member on their cell. 

In fact, as I sit here in the comfort of my couch, I can think of at least seven different ways to reach my co-workers without breaking into that ice fortress previously known as my car.