Backup Power for Your Small Business

Written by Walter Stevens

What is Backup Power?

Backup power is a power supply which will run the power for your computers or business office in the case of a power outage. This can include a generator, which will actually generate power for your company or an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) which works essentially as a large battery that will keep your office online for a certain length of time, then shut down in stages to maintain the most vital elements of your business during a prolonged power outage.

Why do I Need Backup Power for my Small Business?

Power is vital to any small business, and damage can be great if you lose power for days, or even only hours. Having backup power means that you will be able to stay online no matter what happens to the power, and this can save your business greatly.

One of the greatest power outages to hit the North American continent hit the Northeast, causing power outages across the Northeastern United States as well as much of Southwestern Canada. This power outage lasted for days, and resulted in the loss of billions of dollars for small businesses. This is a big problem, and one that can easily be solved through the use of backup power supplies. However, 60% of small businesses do not use any sort of backup power for their business use.

If you are trying to keep your business ahead of the herd, you do not want to be one of the 3 in 5 businesses that will go down in a power outage, then you would be wise to purchase a backup power supply for your small business.

How Does Backup Power Work for my Small Business?

There are two primary types of backup power for computers. The first is a generator which will actually generate backup power for you. This mean that no longer how long the power is out, you will constantly be having new power generated to operate your business. Normally there will be a trigger switch which will connect you to backup generator power in the case of a power outage in your area. Having a generator can literally save your business in the case of a major power outage, such as that of 2003.

The other type of backup power supply is similar, but rather than actually generating power, this large battery will only hold power in reserve. The amount of power that this will give to your business depends upon the size of the backup battery. These systems are referred to as UPS systems, as mentioned above. While they do not offer as much as a generator, they can still greatly assist you business in times of need.

There are many different companies which offer backup power solutions for your small business. Emerson, American Power Conversion, or Energy Technologies Inc. These companies offer many different backup power solutions for your small business. While it is admittedly a large investment to purchase a backup power supply for your business or office, it can make a world of difference in the event of a major power outage in your area.