Having a Backup Plan
Living in the Pacific Northwest, I have become accustomed to power outages. Although the old-growth trees and forests create clean air and beautiful landscapes, they are also a power line’s worst enemy. During a 1993 windstorm that took out whole sections of the energy grid, my family lost power for over a week.
After having to move into a hotel for multiple days, we learned our lesson and bought a residential backup generator. Now when we lose power—which usually happens at least once a year—we don’t have to worry about computer crashes and losing hundreds of dollars of food. Having the necessities is great, but I enjoy having TV and other electronics too.
Keep Your Business Up and Running
As the owner of a small business – a bookstore to be exact – I’ve learned to prepare for every eventuality. Since money has been tight for the past few months, I’ve been forced to prioritize my expenses. I recently sat down and made a list of the supplies that could make my business more successful, and a commercial backup generator topped the list. If I’m not open six days a week, my profit margin decreases exponentially.
So much of my business is dependent on electricity, from the cash register to the credit card system. Without a reliable stream of AC power, I would have to put the work day on hold – and that means hundreds of dollars of revenue down the drain. Power outages aren’t uncommon during the rainy season, so backup generators are especially relevant now.