A Loadshedding Survival Guide For Your Business
With a bit of forethought and planning you can keep the lights on, both figuratively and literally.
Assess Your Situation
Your loadshedding survival guide starts with a risk and needs assessment.
Every business will be affected differently by loadshedding. A streetside café that relies on electric ovens will need a different plan than a clothing boutique for instance. Different businesses also face different risks during loadshedding, such as burglary, stock spoiling or damage to machinery.
Know Your Schedule
Make sure you know when loadshedding will strike next so you can plan accordingly.
Eskom customers can access the official Eskom Load Shedding website.
Use social media to gain real-time updates by following @Eskom_SA or searching #Loadshedding.
Protect Your Electronics
Does your business use electronic equipment like computers? If yes, then you had better make sure that you are taking steps to protect your electronics from power outages and surges. Steps include using surge protectors, powering equipment down before the power goes out and backing up your data.
Backup Power
If it’s important for your business to have an uninterrupted power supply during business hours, then you can get either a power bank or a generator.
A power bank is a portable charger that conveniently lets you top up the battery of any USB-enabled device, such as a smartphone, laptop or tablet, so that you can keep working while others are immobilised.
If you have more serious energy needs, however, you may want to invest in a generator. It might seem like a big purchase, but you need to weigh up the necessity of having uninterrupted power and the likelihood that loadshedding is going to be a reality for quite a while. Thankfully, South African suppliers are wising up to the local situation, which is why there are now new generator finance options for businesses.
Communicate With Your Clientele
Finally, some businesses might find it difficult to continue operating during loadshedding. If that is the case, it is good business practice to communicate this across to your clients or customers. It could be as simple as hanging a sign in the window, explaining why you are closed and when you will be open again. You could also use social media to make your announcements or respond to queries.
Do what you can to keep business going as smoothly as possible. At the end of the day though, the South African population will be mostly understanding about any inconveniences because we are, after all, in the same boat.
The content in this article was provided by WesBank – a leading Vehicle and Asset Finance provider and part of one of the largest financial services groups in Africa. WesBank is a division of FirstRand Bank Limited.
For more information, contact:
Website: https://www.wesbank.co.za/wesbankcoza/
Tel: 0861 922 677
Email: fcs@wesbank.co.za
