Does My Business Need a Generator? Is It Worth the Investment?

Imagine everything has been running smoothly for your business lately. You’re even on track to exceed your target metrics. Out of nowhere, a power outage makes it impossible to maintain your operations.

This can be a difficult scenario for many companies to accommodate, as unplanned downtime can cost businesses approximately $250,000 per hour. Having access to the right generator for business purposes could dictate whether you maintain business continuity.

We’ve created a brief guide that outlines the key benefits of using a standby generator during a power outage. Let’s explore the information to consider.

Maintain Customer Contact

When the power goes out, you may lose access to communication. If your customers can’t get in touch with you, there’s a chance they’ll visit a competitor instead. Imagine if your company was experiencing extended downtime and a handful of customers reached out to inquire about various attributes of your product or service, or perhaps even had issues they needed to resolve. When they don’t hear back, they’ll likely get frustrated and move on to other options instead.

If you lose a customer to a competitor for this reason, it’s almost impossible to retrieve them. Having a generator can ensure that your lines of communication, be it phone or email, are always open.

Power Load Accommodation

Outages aren’t the only issues that lead to business downtime. An inability to accommodate high power loads can cause the same problem. In situations like these, a backup generator would activate to handle the excess power your main system can’t supply.

Using a low quality generator might not be able to accommodate the extra load. To ensure this doesn’t happen, pay close attention to the product’s performance metrics before you make your purchase.

It’s best to purchase a generator that barely has enough. Having additional flexibility can prevent further issues from arising during emergencies.

Data Protection

Customers across nearly every industry are often concerned with how well their personal information is protected. Power outages could inadvertently put their data at risk.

Power outages can also prevent customers from accessing their data when they need to. A common scenario involves someone trying to log into an account hosted by a business. If that company experiences downtime, the user might not be able to access the required information. This can lead to a large number of complications in certain circumstances. Financial institutions, for instance, need to maintain a constant uptime for their users. If people can’t access their money, they might have trouble paying their bills or completing transactions.

Peace of Mind

There’s something to be said about the peace of mind you get from having a reliable backup generator in place. You’ll have confidence in your ability to address unforeseen issues without negatively impacting your company’s reputation.

This peace of mind allows you to focus your efforts on other areas of your business. You can even customize certain backup generators to prioritize key areas of your system in emergencies. The result is fluidly handling outages without experiencing interruptions.

Streamlined Maintenance

Some businesses make the mistake of using old or outdated generators. While these won’t always fall short of your needs, there’s a good chance they may do more harm than good.

Imagine thinking you have the proper precautions in place, but when an outage arises you aren’t able to maintain uptime for your company’s systems. This can make an already difficult situation even more complicated.

High-quality generators are typically easier to maintain than their older counterparts. However, you’ll need to ensure you have them regularly inspected. Inspection should involve coolant checks, fuel refills, intake tests, and pressure tests. Oil and filter changes are essential, as well.

It’s also not recommended to handle maintenance or inspections on your own. Experienced professionals have the tools and resources to avoid problems you may have otherwise encountered.

How to Know If I Need One

The best way to tell if you need a generator is by assessing your current plan for outages. If you haven’t updated it in a while, there’s a good chance that you can benefit from purchasing a new generator. If you don’t have a plan to manage the scenario, consider buying a generator as soon as possible.

Otherwise, your company faces unnecessary risk. As mentioned above, even a few hours of downtime can have a substantial impact on revenue loss for many companies.

Finding the Right Backup Generator

Not all generators are created equal, and you’ll need to research your potential options before you make your decision.

A pivotal aspect to consider is the provider’s reputation. Explore the feedback from past customers. Did the generator fulfill their requirements, and was it user-friendly? Insights like these will aid in narrowing down your options.

Cost is another crucial factor. While it’s advisable to steer clear of the cheapest options, there’s no need to aim for the highest price point. There’s a point of diminishing returns concerning utility versus cost. Opting for a generator in the middle of the price range can meet your needs without straining your budget.

Additionally, consider the provider’s customer support policy. Dealing with issues independently may prove challenging, and there might be instances where immediate support is necessary. Prioritize providers with robust customer support policies, ensuring a smoother experience in case any challenges arise. With proper due diligence, encountering issues should be a rare occurrence.

Choose the Right Generator for Business Needs

At first, finding the right generator for business purposes can seem like an overwhelming process. It’s much simpler than most people anticipate, though. The tips in this guide will ensure you streamline your search and get the best possible results.

Generator Supercenter Heartland prides itself on making customer interactions as pleasant as possible. We leverage our professional team’s unique skills and talents to deliver stellar service during each project. You can learn more about the benefits we provide by getting a free quote today.