5 Ways To Prepare Your Business for a Power Outage

Many different occurrences can cause a power outage, such as malignant weather, natural disasters, lightning strikes, power grid damage, fallen trees, and more. If you run a business, you must prepare for potential power outages in advance. Here are five ways you can do so.

1. Install a Generator

An emergency generator will keep your place of business powered up even if the local electrical grid goes dark. If you do not yet have an on-site emergency generator, get one. Seek generator repairs Philadelphia PA at least once a year; the more frequently you use your generator, the sooner you should have it inspected.

2. Use Surge Protectors

Power outages are often preceded by electrical surges; similarly, putting downed electrical grids back online sometimes causes sudden, strong electrical discharges. Defend your computer systems and other machinery against electrical hazards with surge protectors. Surge protectors work by rerouting excessive electricity back to the grounding wire located in your outlet.

3. Backup Your Data

A power outage may compromise the data stored on your computer. Depending on what type of business you own, losing data could fatally damage your enterprise. You should make data backups. Keep at least one physical backup on a device of your choosing, such as an external hard drive or a USB; additionally, backup your data using cloud storage.

4. Stockpile Emergency Supplies

You should keep a stock of basic emergency supplies at your place of business. Your stock does not have to be elaborate. At the bare minimum, you should have a well-equipped first aid kit, a fire extinguisher, an extra cell phone charger, spare batteries, flashlights, bottled water, and non-perishable snacks. For more ideas about what to include in your emergency supply stock, consult this government resource.

5. Prepare Your Employees

The best thing you can do to prepare your business for a power outage is to talk to your employees in advance. Have an emergency plan in place, and routinely review it with your employees to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Keep a list of emergency contacts posted where everyone can see it. Make sure that everyone knows where the first aid kit is and how to use it.

You never know what Mother Nature may throw at your small business. Make sure that you and your employees are prepared for potential power outages. A power outage may temporarily stall your business, but if you make thorough preparations, it will not permanently sink it.