Amid some of the worst weather seen in the UK for years, estimated to be costing the UK economy £600 million per day, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) is calling for the Government to review its contingency planning for such adverse conditions.

In a new policy paper, entitled Let’s Keep Britain Moving, the FSB highlights a loss of supplies, school closures and ‘snow-bound’ roads as a few of the most damaging effects of the current climate. Such incidents have led to many working in small businesses needing to work remotely from home, and others potentially losing business. The FSB is putting pressure on the government to put in place better contingency plans to ensure that the countries 4.8 million small businesses are receiving the best support when affected by extreme weather.

For those who are unable to perform certain tasks when working remotely, the Business IT Guide has a number of guides exploring how IT can help SMEs during tough times.

For more information on how you can access information, software and email from a remote location, why not read the following guides:

• Remote data access – shows how you can connect to your business securely when out of the office, to ensure that you can still create and share documents

• Cloud computing – explains how you can make use of Software- as-as-Service to support your business

• Accessing email remotely - Explores options for connecting to the office to collect emails, handheld devices and webmail

• Online sharing of documents - helps you find the best solutions for a collaborative environment, outside of the office