With a significant winter storm heading toward the Carolinas this weekend, local business owners need to act now, not when the first snowflakes start falling. North and South Carolina officials are warning about potential rolling power outages, which means normal business operations could be disrupted across the region.

Here's what most business owners don't think about: while you're dealing with the storm, your customers are searching online trying to figure out who's actually open. Someone at home with no power is checking Google on their phone to see if they can grab supplies, pick up medication, or get a hot meal. If your business information isn't current, you're either missing sales or frustrating customers who drive to locked doors.

Here's exactly what you need to do before this storm hits.

Your Google Business Profile Is Your First Line of Communication

When someone searches for your business or "hardware store open near me," your Google Business Profile is the first thing they see. Most business owners update their profile after hours change. That's too late.

Setting Special Hours (The Right Way)

Google has a specific feature for temporary hour changes called "Special Hours," and it's separate from your regular hours. Here's how to use it:

Log into your Google Business Profile at business.google.com. Look for the "Hours" section and click "Add special hours." You'll see a calendar where you can select specific dates when your hours will differ from normal.

For this weekend, set special hours for Saturday, Sunday, and Monday if you're closing early or staying closed. Special hours automatically revert to your regular schedule once the dates pass. You don't have to remember to change anything back.

Be specific about why the hours are different. Instead of just closing early, add a note: "Closing at 2pm Saturday due to winter weather. Check our website for updates."

If You're Still Deciding Your Hours

Maybe you're not sure yet whether you'll be open. That's understandable given the uncertainty around storm timing. Don't leave your profile silent.

Use the "Add update" feature (sometimes called "Posts") on your Google Business Profile to communicate your plan. This shows up prominently when people search for your business.

A good update: "We're monitoring the winter storm forecast closely. As of Friday afternoon, we plan to open Saturday morning but may close early depending on conditions. We'll post updates by 8am Saturday. Follow us on Facebook or check our website for real-time information."

That's better than saying nothing. Customers understand uncertainty. They just want to know you're on top of it.

Don't Rely Only on Google

Your Google Business Profile should be your priority, but smart business owners create multiple touchpoints for customer communication.

Your Website Needs a Banner

If you have a website, add a prominent banner or alert message at the very top. This doesn't need to be fancy. A simple colored bar with text works: "Winter Storm Update: We're monitoring conditions and will update our hours by Saturday 8am. Check our Google page or Facebook for latest info."

Most website builders (Wix, Squarespace, WordPress) have banner features built in. Use them. Set a reminder to remove it once the storm passes. Stale weather alerts in February look unprofessional.

Social Media (But Make It Pinned)

Post your storm plan on Facebook, Instagram, or wherever your customers actually follow you. But here's the key: pin that post to the top of your profile so it's the first thing people see when they visit your page.

On Facebook, click the three dots on your post and select "Pin to top of page." On Instagram, you can add it to your highlights with a clear label like "STORM UPDATE."

Regular social posts get buried fast. Pinned posts stay visible.

Make Sure People Can Actually Reach You

When conditions get rough, people need to be able to contact you without jumping through hoops. If your main business line rings to an office that might lose power, you've got a problem.

Phone Line Forwarding

Most phone systems (even basic landlines) allow call forwarding. Set your main business line to forward to your cell phone before you leave Friday evening. That way, if someone calls Saturday morning asking if you're open, you can actually answer.

Check your phone carrier's website or give them a quick call to set this up if you've never done it. It usually takes about five minutes.

Voicemail Messages Matter

Update your voicemail greeting to reflect your storm plan. Instead of the generic "We're unable to take your call," record: "Due to winter weather, our hours this weekend may be different than normal. We're posting updates to our Google Business Profile and Facebook page. For urgent needs, email [email] and we'll respond as quickly as possible."

People calling during a storm expect this. What frustrates them is hearing your regular summer hours when it's currently snowing.

Email and Contact Forms

If you have email or contact forms on your website, set up an auto-reply explaining that response times might be delayed due to weather and directing people to check your Google profile or social media for current information.

Most email providers (Gmail, Outlook) have auto-reply features. Use them. Don't forget to turn them off once things return to normal. Nothing says "we don't pay attention" like an auto-reply about last weekend's snowstorm still running in March.

Make Sure You Can Run Your Business Remotely

If you're used to doing everything from your office desktop computer and the power goes out, you could be stuck. Now's the time to make sure you have remote access to the tools you actually need.

Critical Systems Check

Ask yourself: if I couldn't get to my office for three days, could I still:

• Access my email
• Check my website or make updates
• Process payments or refunds
• Access my scheduling system
• Respond to customer inquiries
• View security camera footage (if applicable)

If the answer to any of these is "no," spend an hour today getting that fixed. Most cloud-based systems work from any device. You just need the login credentials handy and the apps installed on your laptop or phone.

Password Manager Reality Check

This is one of those things nobody thinks about until it's too late. If you use a password manager, make sure it's synced across all your devices. Test it by logging into a couple important accounts from your phone right now.

If your passwords are saved only in your office computer's browser, you'll have a rough time accessing accounts remotely.

Charge Everything

This sounds obvious, but Friday night before you go to bed: charge your laptop, charge your phone, charge any backup batteries or power banks you have. If power goes out Saturday, you want every device fully charged before that happens.

Backup Power Options

If your business absolutely needs to stay operational during power outages (pharmacies, grocery stores, essential services), having a generator or battery backup isn't optional.

For most businesses, a fully charged laptop and a couple phone power banks will get you through temporary outages. Just make sure you have them ready before the storm hits.

Where to Get Reliable Weather Updates

We've all seen the panic-inducing weather posts that turn out to be nothing, and we've all seen the "it's fine" predictions that aged poorly. Finding reliable, level-headed weather information matters.

The team at Digital Marketing Charlotte has been following North Carolina's Weather Authority on Facebook, and they've consistently provided accurate, no-hype updates about this storm system. Their team actively monitors conditions as storms approach the Carolinas and shares regular updates throughout the event.

You can find them here: https://www.facebook.com/ncweatherauthority

Local news stations are also good sources, but social media meteorologists who focus specifically on the Carolinas often provide more frequent updates without the commercial breaks.

Communication Beats Perfection

Here's what this all comes down to: you don't need to have a perfect plan figured out by Friday night. You just need to communicate clearly with your customers about what you know, what you don't know, and where they can get updates.

A business that says "We're monitoring conditions and will decide by 8am Saturday" builds more trust than a business that stays silent or, worse, has incorrect hours posted online.

Customers get that storms are unpredictable. What they don't forgive is driving through bad weather to a business that's closed when Google said it was open.

Final Checklist Before the Storm

Before you close up Friday evening:

• Update your Google Business Profile with special hours or a storm update post
• Add a website banner with your storm communication plan
• Pin a social media post with current information
• Set up phone forwarding to your mobile
• Update your voicemail greeting
• Turn on email auto-replies if needed
• Verify you can access critical systems remotely
• Charge all devices completely

One hour of preparation now saves you days of frustrated customer calls and lost business later.

Share Your Updates and Resources

If you have Charlotte-specific information about closures, road conditions, or resources available during the storm, share them with other business owners. We're all navigating this together, and the more we communicate, the better we all serve our community.

Stay safe, stay warm, and keep your customers informed. That's what good business owners do.

Digital Marketing Charlotte helps local businesses maintain strong communication with customers through all conditions. If you need help managing your Google Business Profile, website updates, or customer communication systems, we're here to help, even during snowstorms.