When your company experiences a power failure, it's much more than a simple inconvenience. Yes, it is a big annoyance when production has to shut down in the face of a power failure, but there are much bigger issues that can arise from a loss of power. To avoid these issues, it's always a good idea to consult a company such as Sure Power to find a backup power solution that will keep your company in business even when the main power source experiences a hiccup.

Let's examine the potential consequences that power outages can cause to a business.

1. Extensive loss of information

When the power goes out, it's quite likely that important (and possibly confidential and/or proprietary) information can be lost. Client lists, customer account information, investment information and other sensitive information could be at risk of being lost if the power goes out. That can mean serous trouble to a company. Although it is true that computer servers are designed to afford a certain amount of automatic backup, the backup process is not likely to be in sync with the timing of a power outage. In other words, any information generated in the time between the last backup and the time of the power outage is vulnerable to irretrievable loss. Small businesses are particularly vulnerable to loss during a power outage because they are less likely to have a backup system in place, but even large businesses can suffer data loss during a power outage.

2. Slowdowns in workflow

During a power outage, there is an almost certainty that the flow of work will experience a slowdown. Companies today rely heavily on technology in the daily run of their business. Whether it is electronic debit machines, POS systems, machinery or computers, virtually every business in every industry relies on technology and when the power goes out, operations grind to a halt. And if it's a massive power outage that takes a significant amount of time to be remedied, that can amount to business having to stop for an extended period of time. Not only does that mean a hit for current business productivity, it could also mean a loss of future business.

3. Diminished productivity

When the power goes out, productivity inevitably slows down. Even if certain areas of the workflow aren't affected by the power loss directly, the loss of things like lights, heat or air conditioning can make productivity slow down significantly. More likely, though, is the scenario where a loss of power causes machines to stop, computers to shut down, and assembly lines to grind to a halt. Even when power is restored later, you'll have to play a game of catch up in order to get your productivity back up to previous levels. That means overworked employees, overtime hours, stress and potentially disgruntled customers who have to wait longer for their products or services to be delivered.

Power outages can spell disaster for any business, big or small. Protect yourself by securing a backup power source before disaster strikes.