Managing a business is not easy, particularly when you’re just starting. It entails not only managing financial resources, but also a lot of personal dedication, patience, resilience, and perseverance.
All businesses have their histories of how they started small. There are stories to tell about the struggles and hardships that these businesses experienced to keep up with the changes in the business industry.
There is no denying that certain disruptions may affect small businesses. These disruptions cost money, and no business wants to incur more expenses. This article will point out ten business disruptions and how these can be avoided.
1. Food Spoilage
If you are running a restaurant or a food manufacturing factory, your primary objective is to store food in refrigerators to avoid spoilage. When the power is out, you are worried about the state of the food inside the refrigerator.
Ingredients and ready-to-serve food inside the refrigerators are considered money. If the power is out for long hours, you are throwing away good money which is something you don’t want to lose.
The USDA recommends that food stored inside refrigerators that are not working due to a power outage should be thrown out. You also have to take into consideration the fact that after throwing everything out, you need to clean the refrigerator and restock it, which can cost you financial strain. So whether you own a restaurant or food truck, keep your eyes open and look for the best generator for a food truck.
2. Heater or Cooler
Different parts of the USA experience varying weather conditions. Some places are cooler than others, while some are warmer. Because of these changes in weather conditions, most business establishments need to invest and install heaters or coolers.
Heater and coolers make working conditions comfortable and bearable. You, your employees, and customers will find it advantageous to use heaters or coolers if necessary.
However, when these machines are unable to work during a power outage, work is paused for employees. This leads to a workforce that is uncomfortable and irritable. This can cause losses for the business.
3. Work at Home Setup
Due to the pandemic, many businesses shifted to working at home. If power is disrupted, you will be at an inconvenience for you cannot turn on your computer, WiFi, and printer. You will find yourself unable to hold meetings and keep up with deadlines.
4. Unfinished Work in Construction Sites
The construction industry is huge that when work is disrupted, millions of dollars are wasted. Most construction machinery requires a lot of energy or power to function. When there is a power outage, these machines cannot operate, and construction work cannot progress.
5. Unavailability of Water
All business establishments need water for varying reasons and purposes. For instance, restaurants cannot wash their kitchen tools and plates. They will be unable to provide quality food and service to their clients.
Most of the water source comes from water systems that require electric power to pump out water. If there is no electricity, water cannot be supplied to businesses for them to continue their operations.
6. Fire–Risk Locations
Fire-risk areas are places that are considered heavily wooded and drought-stricken. Businesses located in these areas should understand that electric utility providers turn off the power during windy days. This is done to avoid downed power lines that cause a fire. When this happens, businesses have no choice but to stop their operations and wait for the power to come back.
7. Medical Equipment and Medication
Some businesses focus on selling medical equipment. In cases of power outages, they are unable to test their medical equipment whenever customers want to purchase. Loss of power cost them their day’s profit.
Also, some businesses are distributors of medicines. Certain medications require refrigeration storage 24/7. With the long power outages, these businesses run the risk of spoiling the medicines, thus losing profit.
8. Technology Dependent
Many businesses are embracing technology as well as the never-ending innovations that go with it. Technology is used by businesses for their daily financial and data recording, project outputs, social media management, and many more.
Businesses are technology-dependent that work gets disrupted when technology is unavailable. Businesses cannot use their computers when there is a power outage for long periods.
9. Hiring
Hiring the best and most qualified employees is not easy and is a struggle for many businesses. When there is a high employee turnover rate in the company, most business owners are challenged to rehire and retrain employees, which would cost money and time. This often causes work disruptions and the business cannot push forward.
Thus, employers need to make sure that the employment packages and benefits that they offer are attractive. Also, comfortable working conditions are a must especially having a functional computer and a stable supply of electricity.
10. Food Trucks and Businesses on Wheels
One interesting innovation in the food business is the rise of food trucks or businesses on wheels. These businesses bring their food or products straight to their customers. This business concept is amazing for it is cost-efficient, making the owners hire less personnel and don’t need to pay for rental space.
As interesting as it is, food trucks also suffer from business drawbacks, especially when there is no electricity. Since food trucks can park and sell almost anywhere, the source of electricity is of primary importance and consideration.
How to Avoid Business Disruptions
When you are engaged in business, you always have to expect the unexpected. You need to have alternative plans whenever an emergency happens to avoid work disruptions. With all the disruptions listed above, there is a commonality and that is the unavailability of electric power.
Businesses and any industry for that matter, cannot thrive and survive without electric power. However, this disruptive concern can be addressed by businesses by investing in reliable generators. If you’re not convinced to get one yet, here’s a list of solid reasons why you may need a portable generator.
Conclusion
Different brands of generators have their set of pros and cons. You have to carefully take into consideration what generator specifications you need when choosing the generator for your business. You may refer to a generator size calculator to help you with your selection process.
Also, don’t forget that a generator is a machine that requires care and maintenance. When you purchase a generator, please do read its manual for proper handling, maintenance, and safety precautions.