Any business owner who witnessed Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast in 2012 or Hurricane Katrina’s southern wrath in 2005 knows that weather isn’t something to take one’s chances with. These so-called “super storms” devastated businesses not for just a few hours as is typically the case but for days or, in some cases, even weeks, hammering home the importance of a backup power supply.
But even shorter-term power outages can really add up when it comes to the lost worker productivity and lost revenue they bring about. Consider these facts:
- The Associated Press estimates that “Every day, 500,000 Americans lose power for an hour or more1,” and that seemingly benign downtime quickly spirals into substantial financial losses. Indeed, “Outages cost the economy $80 billion to $188 billion per year.” For big businesses, the hits can be even more crippling.
- A USA Today survey of “200 data center managers found that over 80% of these managers reported that their downtime costs exceeded $50,000 per hour. For over 25%, downtime cost exceeded $500,000 per hour2.”
A million dollars lost in under two hours? That’s the gamble of all gambles that no betting business owner wants to make. No wonder then that the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety calls commercial backup generators “an integral part of any business preparedness plan.”
One way to mitigate, or at least minimize, such financial hits is to have a backup generator at the ready when the lights go out. During a power interruption, they can pick up where the energy fails, offering business owners the opportunity to continue operating business as usual, even when the circumstances surrounding them are anything but usual.
There are several compelling reasons why a business owner might want to consider investing in a backup generator, lost worker productivity and lost revenue being just two of them. Here are a few other reasons you might want to look into a backup generator for your business.
- Damage to expensive equipment is minimized with a backup generator. Sudden power outages can damage the delicate inner workings of costly electronic equipment. When a backup generator detects such interruptions it can take over and prevent the short circuiting damage that might otherwise ensue.
- A backup generator supplies a reliably consistent flow of energy. Older electrical wiring in particular can be prone to brownouts and other disruptions that are not only aggravating but, like full-blown outages, can also damage your business’s pricey equipment. A backup generator combats voltage fluctuations from your power company as well.
Perhaps you’re now convinced that a backup generator is right for your business. Now comes the big decision. What kind of backup generator should you invest in? You have two main options.
- A portable backup generator, which may be a good choice if your budget and space are limited but will require more effort on your part to get up and running in an emergency situation
- A continuous backup generator, which is a more permanent solution that offers greater speed in returning to your business operations
A final note of advice: If you can’t afford a continuous backup generator but wish you could, buying used or refurbished is a viable possibility.
Aaron Equipment carries a large selection of used commercial generators of all major manufacturers. If you are looking to sell your used generator submit your equipment to our buying department through the online form.
Sources:
1 http://bigstory.ap.org/article/us-power-grid-costs-rise-service-slips
2 http://www.evolven.com/blog/downtime-outages-and-failures-understanding-their-true-costs.html#sthash.svBe74Nu.dpuf