Durban – As South Africa navigates through the second week of rolling blackouts, Devan Moonsamy, the chief executive officer of the ICHAF Training Institute, says there are methods that small businesses can adopt to minimise the damage caused by load shedding
Moonsamy, who specialises in conflict and diversity management, said being a business owner comes with its challenges on an ordinary day, but on days when the power is out every few hours, those challenges can become impossible to cope with.
“Small business owners are the ones facing the worst of the load shedding which has plagued us these last few weeks. The fluctuating levels from stage 5 to 3 and so on has made it impossible to plan the workday with minimum disruptions,” he said.
Besides impacting productivity, Moonsamy said load shedding was also causing supplier delays and disruptions to the workflow.
“The load shedding causes traffic delays, this results in suppliers or drivers not meeting the timeous deadlines that businesses promise customers. The power outages can also cause staff members to come late to work. For many who work from home, the power outages might now force them back to the office to cope with the workload as the load shedding at home cuts in on their work time,” he said.
Moonsamy also said the power cuts can lead to clients having to be turned away, especially in service businesses such as salons or print shops, stock losses for fresh produce and frozen and refrigerated items, damage to equipment and security risks as criminals take advantage of the darkness and non-functioning security systems.
Moonsamy said these tips can help small businesses work around the load-shedding challenges:
1. Flexibility is key. Allow your team members to work flexible hours according to the load-shedding schedule. This means checking the schedule ahead of time and putting a work schedule together that is flexible. This could also mean adjusting start and finish times to ensure work is completed when there is power to prevent production delays.
2. Work on an alternate energy source. There are a number of solutions to keep the power on in the workspace, the easiest being a generator. This does, however, come at a cost therefore assess the situation in the office. Look at the processes which require the most amount of work to be done. If it is a computer that must be up and running, try to get a UPS (uninterrupted power supply) for those areas that are essential to the business. You can also use this time to catch up on admin and filing.
3. Avoid stockpiling. Don’t stock up on items that require refrigeration. Rather order them as you need them. This will minimise stock wastage and also allow you to better manage the goods on hand. Use plug protectors to prevent damage to equipment.