Last month we talked about the many knocks that entrepreneurs face. We also conducted a survey and launched a report with loads of advice for Rolling With The Punches in your small business journey. This week, yet another hit has come our way. The dreaded load shedding.Stage 6, nogal. We know this is your peak season and timing couldn’t be worse. We’ve put together a list of not so well known tips for you to consider:
DON’T LIGHT UP
When making use of alternate power sources (generators, candles, gas, batteries), you always run the risk of exposing untrained personnel to potentially combustious (pun intended) situations. Ensure that you train your staff on back-up solutions and store the fuel and flammables in responsible and safe spaces.
SIZE MATTERS
Understanding your equipment loads are essential when deciding which high impact, low load equipment (POS machine, laptop, security doors, reception lights, etc.) should be provided for. This in turn will determine the minimum size of your back-up energy solution. It may also come as a surprise that the capital outlay to keep your business running as usual, is not as big as you thought.
CHARGE UP
Are you only planning to power a few devices for the night or will you need a daily power source that you can trust for months at a time? Find out what will work best for your business between an inverter (with battery) and a generator. Consider the pros and cons of both.
RESHUFFLE
Downloading a reliable load shedding app can go a long way to assisting you in your resource planning. When there are high loads or long uptimes required, it would make business sense (and save a few bucks) to create overtime staff shifts and run non-critical processes and machinery (ovens, printers, fridges) in non-load shedding slots.
SWITCH OFF
When sudden load shedding occurs, it often happens that one loses track of what equipment was switched on. Keep a lock-down checklist of equipment that could be adversely affected by load spikes (fridges, TV’s, etc.) or result in fires (ovens, heating equipment, open elements, etc.). Remember to switch off this equipment prior to an expected power outage, or soon after, to eliminate the risk of damage.
UNPLUG
Once you have deployed your power saving strategy – educate your employees on which non-essential equipment should be unplugged from back-up or UPS power sources to conserve as much power as possible for the next round or for more critical appliances when the time comes.
Consider long term solutions in your search of short term wins. For all of your cash flow, generator, inverter, LED-light and other load shedding needs; our quick and easy, instant funding is ALWAYS ON. Whatever your needs, we’re in your corner ready to support you. APPLY FOR BUSINESS FUNDING.
