Keeping your business running during a power outage requires backup power equipment, a secured fuel supply, and a documented activation process connected to your broader business continuity plan. Businesses with pre-contracted backup power solutions can typically restore critical operations within hours; those without one are competing for scarce equipment and fuel during the same regional emergency everyone else is dealing with.

Power outages used to be a regional inconvenience, just something that happened during hurricanes in the Gulf or ice storms in the Northeast. That’s not the case anymore. Outages are hitting harder, lasting longer, and spreading into parts of the country that haven’t historically had to deal with them. For businesses, the question is less if the power goes out and more how long can you afford to be down when it does.

Backup power for business continuity isn’t just a generator sitting in a parking lot. Done right, it’s a coordinated plan: the right equipment, the right fuel supply, and a deployment process that gets you operational before the losses start stacking up.

This article covers what’s driving the increase in outages, what a real backup power solution looks like, and how to make sure your business isn’t figuring it out for the first time during an actual emergency.

Why Power Outages Are Getting Worse

The grid was built for a different era. Most of the infrastructure in place today was designed in the 1950s and 60s before the current load demands of electric vehicles, data centers, and AI-powered systems that run 24/7. Meanwhile, the threats coming at it have grown more frequent and more severe.

Extreme weather is the headline driver.

Severe storms, hurricanes, and wildfires have always caused outages, but the scale has shifted. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, weather-related outages have more than doubled since 2003. What used to be a once-a-decade event for many regions is now an annual reality.

Heat is a growing factor.

Grid failures during extreme heat events happen for two reasons at once: Demand spikes as everyone runs their AC at full capacity, and transmission infrastructure operates less efficiently at high temperatures. The summers of 2023 and 2024 saw widespread stress events across the southern and western U.S. This is expected to worsen (IEA 2026 Energy Crisis Policy Response Tracker).

Fuel supply uncertainty adds another layer.

The energy mix powering the grid is shifting: more renewables, less coal, and more dependence on natural gas for peak demand, which introduces supply chain variables that don’t exist when infrastructure is simpler. During periods of high demand or supply disruption, that complexity shows up as outages (NERC/North American Electric Reliability Corporation, January 2026).

Non-weather causes are rising too.

According to J.D. Power, roughly 53% of power outages in 2025 were caused by non-weather events like aging equipment failures, animals, accidents, cyberattacks, and planned shutoffs like California’s Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPSs). These are harder to predict and just as damaging to operations.

The practical takeaway: Your business probably can’t rely on “it hasn’t happened here before” as a planning assumption anymore.

What Backup Power for Business Continuity Actually Means

There’s a common misconception that backup power just means having a generator. A generator is part of the answer, but it’s not the whole picture. For a generator to actually protect your business during an outage, you need three things to work together: the right equipment, a reliable fuel supply, and a deployment or activation process that doesn’t depend on everything going smoothly.

The Equipment Question

For most businesses, there are two paths: owning a generator or working with a provider who can deploy one on demand.

Owning sounds straightforward, but the costs and complexity add up quickly. A commercial generator requires regular maintenance, testing, fuel management, and service contracts, and even a well-maintained unit can fail when you need it most. The purchase price is just the start.

On-demand generator deployment, where a recovery provider has pre-staged, tested equipment ready to deploy to your location, offers a different tradeoff. You’re not carrying the capital expense or maintenance burden year-round, and you’re working with equipment that’s actively managed and serviced, not sitting idle between tests.

Fuel Supply

Fuel supply is where a lot of backup power plans break down. A generator is only as useful as the fuel supply behind it. During a regional outage like the kind caused by a major storm or extreme heat event, local fuel demand spikes fast. Suppliers get overwhelmed, delivery timelines stretch, and businesses that assumed fuel would be easy to get find out otherwise at the worst possible moment.

A solid backup power plan includes pre-arranged fuel delivery from a provider who can guarantee access even during high-demand periods, and a maintenance schedule for any on-site storage.

The Deployment and Activation Process

If your backup power plan only works when things go smoothly, it’s not really a plan; it’s a hope. The deployment process should be documented, tested, and connected to your broader business continuity plan. Who authorizes activation? How quickly can equipment be on-site? What loads are prioritized — IT systems, refrigeration, customer-facing operations?

These aren’t questions to answer during an outage.

How Long Can You Actually Afford to Be Down?

This is worth working through specifically, not just in general terms.

Research consistently shows that a single hour of downtime costs small and mid-sized businesses between $10,000 and $50,000 depending on the industry. For customer-facing operations like retail, healthcare, financial services, and food service the losses hit fast. Revenue stops and customers leave. In regulated industries, there may be compliance implications on top of the operational ones.

The other dimension is duration. Outages caused by major storms or grid failures increasingly stretch beyond a few hours. Businesses that planned for a 4-hour event find themselves at day two or three with no clear restoration timeline. Backup power that can only sustain operations for a few hours doesn’t solve the problem; it just delays it.

When evaluating backup power for business continuity, the right question is: How long does my backup solution need to run, and does my current plan actually cover that window?

Five Things Your Backup Power Plan Should Cover

Most business continuity plans have something in the “power outage” section. Not all of them cover these specifically:

1. Fuel guaranteed through a provider, not just “we’ll call when we need it.”

Pre-arranged supply agreements are the difference between getting fuel during a regional emergency and waiting in line behind a hundred other businesses who had the same idea.

2. Cabling and connection included, not assumed.

A generator on-site doesn’t help if it isn’t properly connected to the loads you need running. Make sure your plan includes who handles the connection and that they’ve done it at your facility before.

3. Critical load prioritization.

Not everything can run on backup power. Know in advance what stays on: your server room, POS systems, refrigeration units, phone system. The prioritization decision should be made now, not on the fly.

4. A tested deployment process.

If you’ve never actually run through activating your backup power setup, you don’t know if it works. Testing isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s the only way to find out whether the plan holds up under real conditions.

5. Coordination with your broader BCP.

Backup power doesn’t operate in isolation. It connects to your communication protocols, vendor contacts, and customer notification plan. Make sure your power continuity piece is woven into the larger plan, not sitting as a standalone document.

What Agility Recovery Provides

Agility deploys backup power including generators, fuel logistics, and cabling to businesses across the country, with 24/7 support and pre-contracted access for customers. That means when an outage hits, you’re not starting from scratch. You have an established relationship with a provider who knows your facility and has the equipment staged to move.

The difference between businesses that weather a multi-day outage and those that don’t is usually preparation, not the outage itself.

Winter weather can bring a host of challenges for businesses, ranging from power outages to supply chain disruptions.

These interruptions can lead to costly downtime, lost revenue, and frustrated employees or customers. The unpredictable nature of winter storms means that businesses need to prepare for a variety of scenarios, from short-term outages to extended disruptions that can stretch over days or weeks. However, with the right preparation, your business can stay resilient and continue operations despite winter’s unpredictability. Let’s look at the most common winter weather interruptions and how you can prepare for them.

1. Power Loss

Power outages are one of the most frequent interruptions caused by winter storms. Heavy snow, ice, and high winds can down power lines, leaving businesses without electricity for hours or even days. This can severely disrupt operations, especially for businesses that rely heavily on technology or refrigerated goods. Without a backup plan, these outages can lead to lost productivity, spoiled inventory, and missed opportunities. Power loss doesn’t just affect your business operations—it also affects your customers who may depend on your services.

How to Prepare

• Backup Generators: Invest in backup power solutions, such as generators, to keep critical systems running during an outage. Make sure these generators are regularly maintained and tested so they are ready when needed. This can prevent unexpected downtime and help your business continue to serve customers, even during a power outage.
• Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS): Install UPS devices to keep critical equipment powered for short periods during an outage, giving your team time to save data and safely shut down systems. This buys you valuable time and reduces the risk of data loss or damage to sensitive equipment.

Agility Solution: Agility’s ReadyPower+ solution provides businesses with scalable backup power solutions to minimize downtime and keep essential operations running during power outages. With reliable power restoration tools and expert guidance, your business can quickly regain power and continue functioning smoothly. Agility can also assist in evaluating your power needs and ensuring your systems are fully supported during winter weather disruptions.

2. Flooding from Frozen Pipes

When temperatures drop, frozen pipes can burst, leading to water damage and flooding. This is a significant risk for businesses in colder climates, as water damage can shut down facilities and ruin equipment or inventory. The costs of flooding go beyond the immediate water damage—mold growth, structural damage, and long-term repairs can make it difficult for a business to return to normal operations. Additionally, even minor flooding incidents can result in extended closures and costly recovery efforts if not handled properly.

How to Prepare

• Insulate Pipes: Insulate pipes in vulnerable areas to prevent them from freezing. Pay special attention to pipes located in unheated spaces like basements, attics, and exterior walls. This small investment can prevent much larger repair costs down the road, keeping your business running smoothly.
• Keep a Steady Temperature: Keep the building’s temperature consistent, especially during cold nights, to reduce the chances of pipes freezing. It’s also helpful to allow a small trickle of water to flow from taps to keep water moving through the pipes, reducing the risk of freezing.

Agility Solution: Agility’s technology equipment solutions can help businesses quickly recover by providing critical equipment and resources in the aftermath of flooding incidents. From pre-configured laptops and tablets to internet connectivity, Agility offers the resources you need to minimize downtime. Agility’s fast response makes sure that water damage recovery is handled quickly, helping businesses avoid long-term closure and operational losses.

3. Supply Chain Delays Due to Storm Activity

Winter storms can wreak havoc on supply chains, delaying deliveries and causing shortages. This is particularly disruptive for businesses that rely on just-in-time inventory management or perishable goods. When supply chains are interrupted, businesses may face empty shelves, frustrated customers, and halted production. Planning ahead for these potential disruptions can help businesses continue to operate smoothly, even during the most severe winter weather.

How to Prepare

• Diversify Suppliers: Work with multiple suppliers so that if one source is delayed, you can still receive essential goods from another. This diversification spreads the risk and gives your business a better chance of receiving needed inventory.
• Stock Up: Consider increasing inventory levels of critical supplies before winter storms hit, allowing your business to continue operating even if shipments are delayed. This proactive step can help maintain customer satisfaction during disruptions, ensuring that you are still able to provide services or products.

Agility Solution: Agility’s supply chain resilience checklist provides tools and strategies to help your business create a robust supply chain strategy for winter weather. Agility’s experts work with businesses to identify weak points in their supply chains and develop a plan to reduce risk. These strategies help your business stay resilient and operational, even during storm-related supply chain delays.

4. Remote Worker Interruptions

As more businesses adopt remote or hybrid work models, disruptions to home power and internet services during winter weather can significantly impact employee productivity. Without power or connectivity, remote employees may be unable to perform their jobs effectively, leading to missed deadlines and lost productivity. Businesses that rely on remote workforces must have a plan in place to keep employees connected and productive, even during power or internet outages.

How to Prepare:

• Work-from-Anywhere Solutions: Equip your remote workers with tools that allow them to work from alternative locations when their home power or internet goes down. This could include portable Wi-Fi hotspots or access to nearby coworking spaces, ensuring they can stay connected even when home systems fail.
• Backup Communication Plans: Establish a communication protocol that allows remote employees to check in with managers and stay informed, even if they temporarily lose connectivity. Regular check-ins, along with clear expectations during outages, help employees stay on track.

Agility Solution: Agility’s ReadyTechGo allows remote workers to stay productive even when their home systems are affected by power or connectivity issues. This solution provides portable technology and connectivity tools to keep employees working from anywhere, helping businesses maintain seamless operations even during winter weather interruptions.

Take Action Now

Winter weather is unpredictable, but that doesn’t mean your business has to be caught unprepared. By taking proactive steps to safeguard against common winter interruptions, you can keep your operations running smoothly and minimize losses. Agility Recovery offers a range of solutions designed to help businesses prepare for and recover from the challenges of winter weather. Contact Agility Recovery today to learn how we can support your business through the winter months.

In today's interconnected world, businesses rely heavily on technology and remote work arrangements to maintain productivity and competitiveness.

However, unexpected disruptions such as natural disasters, power outages, or cyberattacks can severely impact an organization's ability to operate effectively. To mitigate these risks, businesses must prioritize business continuity planning and ensure that remote and hybrid workers have the necessary tools and strategies in place to maintain productivity and minimize downtime during disruptive events. This article provides essential tips and strategies for remote and hybrid employees to help their organizations maintain business continuity and ensure seamless workflow even in the face of adversity.

What Is Business Continuity?

In today's fast-paced and interconnected business landscape, organizations face a multitude of challenges that can disrupt their operations and jeopardize their ability to deliver critical services. From natural disasters and cyberattacks to pandemics and power outages, the potential threats to business continuity are diverse and unpredictable. Business continuity refers to the proactive measures and strategies an organization implements to maintain its essential functions and processes in the face of disruptive incidents. Effective business continuity planning involves a comprehensive approach that encompasses identifying potential risks, assessing their impact on operations, and developing robust plans to mitigate or respond to these disruptions. The goal is to minimize downtime, protect critical assets, and ensure the ongoing delivery of essential services, thereby preserving an organization's reputation and competitive advantage. The foundation of business continuity lies in the development and implementation of well-defined plans, policies, and procedures. These frameworks outline the specific actions and protocols that employees must follow during disruptive events to maintain productivity and minimize the impact on customers and stakeholders. Regular testing and updating of these plans is crucial to ensure their effectiveness in real-world scenarios.

How Business Continuity Impacts Remote and Hybrid Workers

For remote and hybrid workers , business continuity can be particularly challenging. Remote employees often have limited access to the resources and support that they would have in a traditional office setting. This can make it difficult for them to maintain productivity and efficiency in the face of disruptions. For instance, if there is a power outage in their area, remote workers may not be able to access the necessary tools and systems to continue working. Remote workers are also more susceptible to disruptions to their internet connectivity or power supply. This can be a significant challenge, as a reliable internet connection is essential for remote work. If a remote worker's internet connection drops, they may not be able to access the necessary files or applications to complete their tasks.

Essentials for Remote and Hybrid Workers to Maintain Business Continuity

To ensure smooth continuity of business operations in a remote work setup, several essential strategies and resources should be in place.

Safe Work Environment

Establishing a safe and conducive work environment is paramount, ensuring that remote workers have the necessary tools and a comfortable space to work effectively. This may involve setting up a dedicated workspace, using ergonomic furniture, and investing in noise-canceling headphones.

Backup Power and Connectivity

Power disruptions can pose significant challenges for remote work. To mitigate this risk, employees should have a reliable backup power source , such as a UPS (Uninterruptible Power Supply) or a portable generator . Additionally, having multiple options for maintaining internet connectivity is essential. This can include a primary wired connection, a mobile hotspot, and/or a USB tethering option. Devices like Agility Recovery’s ReadyTechGo can provide both power and connectivity, even during severe weather and blackouts.

Communication

When employees may be working from anywhere, it's critical to ensure you know how to get in touch with them in case of a disaster. A well-structured communications plan should be established, outlining how team members will stay connected and collaborate during disruptions. Additionally, consider implementing a bi-directional form of emergency messaging with multiple modes of communication such as phone, SMS, and email.

Cybersecurity

Remote workers should use a virtual private network (VPN) to secure their internet connection and protect sensitive data. Regularly updating software and operating systems is crucial to maintaining security and ensuring compatibility with essential tools and platforms.

Emergency Kit

Last but certainly not least, every employee should have an emergency kit readily available for them and their loved ones containing essential supplies such as food, water, first aid items, and charging devices. By implementing these strategies, remote workers can enhance their preparedness and minimize disruptions, ensuring business continuity even in challenging circumstances.

Conclusion

Effective business continuity planning is crucial for organizations to function smoothly, especially if they have remote and hybrid employees . By identifying potential risks, assessing their impact, and developing strategies to mitigate them, remote workers can significantly contribute to maintaining business continuity. By utilizing strategies such as creating a safe and conducive work environment, having a backup power source, maintaining multiple internet connectivity options, having a structured communications plan, using a VPN, and preparing an emergency kit, remote employees can minimize disruptions and ensure business continuity even in challenging circumstances. Implementing these measures not only enhances the organization's resilience but also fosters employee confidence and productivity, ultimately contributing to overall success and sustainability.

As a business professional, it’s important to understand the value of investments and how they can lead to positive returns. Having a plan for backup power is essential in ensuring that your business can withstand any unexpected interruption. Depending on your specific industry, it may also be required by law. This article looks at the research from Hobson & Company and Agility Recovery in order to understand the return on investment, or (ROI), with an investment in backup power solutions.

When it comes to reliable backup power , traditional solutions can be expensive, and difficult to predict when they may be needed. The Department of Energy reports that power outages can have high costs associated with them and can cause waste if they occur in the middle of production. The Department of Energy estimates that outages cost the U.S. economy upwards of $150B annually . Agility Recovery provides a range of flexible deployment options that reduce costs, save time, and provide a tangible ROI. The research from Hobson & Company looks at the costs and risks of traditional solutions, the benefits of Agility Recovery, and how Agility’s solutions can help mitigate risk and control costs. Hobson and Agility have created a simple ROI calculator to see how your specific business can benefit from using Agility Recovery’s suite of continuity solutions.

Cost Savings

Agility Recovery provides a range of cost savings for businesses. This includes capital expenditure on generators, maintenance and testing expenses, and time spent responding to power outages. Customer research conducted by Hobson & Company indicates an 80% reduction in time spent responding to power outages while also avoiding maintenance and testing expenses. A participant in the Hobson report mentioned, “We were looking at buying a generator set to protect us from rolling blackouts due to weather events. They were not only prohibitively expensive at $2.5 – $4M per install but also had excessively long lead times of 1.5 – 2 yrs. We still have to run our business in that time and ensure we are protected from a business continuity perspective, and Agility provided a great solution for us, and we have coverage for all of North America without spending more than $100K/yr.”

Time Savings

Agility provides power, fuel, testing, and electrical connections to businesses in order to reduce costs and mitigate risks. This leads to time savings as businesses are able to respond to power outages more quickly, thereby avoiding costly losses associated with power outages. What does an 80% reduction in time spent look like? In the report, one senior buyer explained in detail. “I learned of a power interruption at one of our facilities in Texas while I was on the safari ride at Disney with my kids. I was literally on the safari ride ordering a generator, and it was so easy to get what I needed, even though I was on vacation. The whole process was very easy and only took about 10 minutes. Without Agility, I would have had to stop what I was doing, figure out who I would get the generator from, and what the cost was going to be. It would have taken me at least 2 hours.” Partnering with Agility will leave the guesswork out of business disruptions and let you do what you do best, serve your clients and your community.

ROI (Return on Investment)

The research conducted by Hobson & Company and Agility Recovery shows that an organization with given specifications could generate a 949% ROI after three years. For a medical device manufacturer with an annual revenue of $1.8B, an investment of $77,000 generated a positive return in less than one month. Depending on your business model and annual revenue, the ROI of Agility’s solutions can be seen almost immediately. Hobson’s research also signaled a 2% reduction in annual insurance premiums. With insurance rates continuing to rise, 2% can mean thousands of dollars saved each month. Partnering with Agility will not only improve your reaction time to a business interruption, but it will also reduce your costs year over year in ways you may not be able to predict.

Mitigating Risk

Agility's backup power solutions can help organizations protect against revenue loss, inventory spoilage, and idle employees. This is because Agility provides power, fuel, testing, and electrical connections to businesses in order to reduce costs and mitigate risks. Agility's solutions can help organizations avoid reputational damage due to late deliveries, canceled orders, and other hiccups that occur with unexpected downtime. In the report, a senior VP of operations stated, “Customer satisfaction and reputational risk are the biggest issues with late deliveries. People want their stuff when they want it. We operate 24 hrs/day, and if we experienced a prolonged outage, it would cost us $2.25M per day.”

Conclusion

This article is just an overview of the research conducted by Hobson & Company and Agility Recovery, focusing on the need for reliable and affordable backup power sources and the impact of Agility's backup power solutions. We’ve looked at the costs and risks of traditional solutions, the benefits of the Agility solution, and how Agility can help mitigate risk and control costs. Can you really put a price on the importance of customer satisfaction and avoiding reputational damage? Ultimately, it is clear that investing in Agility Recovery can help businesses reduce costs, save time, and generate a positive ROI. For more information, or for a breakdown of your organization's potential ROI, click here .

Whether or not your business has been impacted by power loss in the past, preparing for fast power restoration is an absolute foundation in business sustainability. On average, losing power for just four hours costs an organization between $10,000 to $20,000 , so the question is no longer whether companies can afford planning and recovery, but instead, how much will a business save by investing in a comprehensive business continuity plan that includes power restoration support? Your company’s safety, productivity, and revenue should never be left vulnerable to power loss. An effective power recovery plan includes strategies to address many contingencies. To do this, planners must avoid outdated power recovery myths and consider these critical facts:

Myth #1: Local vendors will be able to assist in the event of a major outage.

Fact: Without a formal agreement that includes guaranteed access to generators, fuel, and connection services, local vendors may allocate their inventory to larger organizations. We recently supported a small business that believed their agreement with a local provider was all they needed to secure a backup power solution. Unfortunately, as storms took out critical lines throughout their community, the provider was approached by a larger corporation that needed all available generator inventory to support its various locations. Because the small business lacked buying power compared to their enterprise-sized competition, the vendor canceled their agreement with the small business to serve a larger customer with a bigger budget. Fortunately, Agility was able to step in and quickly source, service, and connect a generator for this small business. Otherwise, the vendor’s questionable business practices could have meant a critical loss of revenue and reputation for the small business. While it may seem safe to assume that what you need will be available when you need it, unpredictable storm seasons, supply chain issues, and inflated demand lead to severe resource scarcity and price gouging. When local availability is compromised, this could cost you days, weeks – or even longer – of downtime. If we’ve learned anything from disasters like Hurricanes Harvey and Ida, 9/11, and the initial panic of the COVID pandemic, local fuel scarcity can cause incredible delays and increases in the cost of recovery. Unless you manage a large fuel storage unit on site, your power recovery plan must include quick access to the kind of fuel you need to operate your business’s gasoline- and diesel-dependent equipment. Lesson: While Agility guarantees rapid deployment of power recovery assets to all contracted customers, many providers do not offer this promise. Be sure to get your power recovery agreement in writing and review contracts for clauses that allow vendors to prioritize larger customers. When securing power recovery assets, be sure to include a plan for quick delivery of fuel to keep your generators , vehicles, and other equipment operational.

Myth: Buying our own generator will provide our company with the best value and fastest power recovery.

Fact: The initial investment you make in a generator is just that – initial. Cost over time will only increase as the reliability of your unit inevitably decreases. The investment made when a generator is purchased is only the beginning. Several factors significantly increase the total cost of a backup generator over time, including:

• Delivery and connection fees
• Ongoing maintenance
• Storage
• Training and testing
• Fuel
• Repairs

Even regularly serviced generators and other power recovery resources are vulnerable to damage caused by severe storms and other natural disasters. If your power restoration plan is entirely dependent on an on-site generator, you need to ensure that you have a reliable backup plan for your backup plan. Lesson: Purchasing one or more backup generators may seem like an easy, cost-effective solution, but power equipment requires regular maintenance, servicing, and fuel, which could drive costs up year-over-year compared to securing power recovery services with fixed, pre-negotiated rates. And when an unexpected storm or disaster causes a major outage, there’s no guarantee that on-site generators and fuel won’t be impacted, too. An effective power restoration plan accounts for these contingencies and includes assured alternative access to generators, fuel, and licensed electrical support.

Myth: Storm-related outages haven’t impacted our business before, so we don’t need to invest in a power recovery plan.

Fact: Historically, storm-prone regions are no longer the only parts of North America where storms cause significant power outages. In addition to storm-related outages, non-weather-related power loss is also rising. In recent years, some of the most damaging storms have been completely unseasonable and largely unpredictable. Lack of preparedness for these events – including the 2021 Texas ice storm – has resulted in critical community damage, economic loss, and permanent business closures. The United States’ aging power grid means that storm-related power outages are more of a threat to all regions and that non-weather-related outages are a growing threat every business should be prepared for. Common non-weather power outages are caused by various disruptions, including vehicles/accidents, animals, vandalism, trees, cyberattacks , and planned outages . Combined with a power grid in desperate need of an overhaul, these events are linked to more frequent, longer-lasting outages . Lesson: Unseasonable and unpredictable storms will increase in regions not traditionally impacted by severe weather. As the threat of non-weather-related outages grows across North America, businesses everywhere are vulnerable to revenue and productivity impacts caused by power loss. An effective recovery plan with services that include access to generators, fuel, connection, and testing will return thousands over the program’s cost after only one power-loss event.

While most of us are used to the idea of reliable constant electrical energy, the reality is that it can be one tenuous string. In many parts of the country, storms, deep freezes, snow, and other natural disasters can rapidly cut regional electricity for hours or even days. Furthermore, even if your business is located in a reasonably weather-stable area, there’s always the possibility of freak accidents, human error, or planned outages. The reality is that there’s no way to be sure about the constant reliability of any externally derived electrical source. For businesses and organizations of many kinds, a loss of electricity can be catastrophic, even if it lasts for just a few minutes; a multi-day electrical shortage can cause financial, data, and logistical effects on any organization. Just how costly can these events be? Research estimates indicate that power outages cost U.S businesses more than $27 billion per year, and the cost trend is growing upwards, not downwards. You need to protect yourself and maintain business continuity, and the one surefire way to do that is by maintaining your own internal backup power supply, ideally, one that’s capable of keeping the lights on and your systems running for several days or longer if needed. This guide explains the five crucial things you need to consider for achieving just this sort of secure redundancy.

Maintain a Robust Portable Generator

Depending on the size of your business installations and power needs, your quickest, best, and most useful source of emergency electrical power will be a compact portable generator that you keep on standby. These can be bought in almost any hardware store, and larger, truck-mounted models are capable of supplying electricity for days. The critical thing to keep in mind for these generators is to buy and have them ready before the next power outage occurs. Once disaster strikes, retailers tend to run out of items like generators of any kind rapidly (as we saw during recent hurricanes and wildfires), and even fuel can rapidly become scarce. For these reasons, you should have your portable generator ready well in advance, have it inspected regularly, and always keep it fully fueled, or contract with a company that guarantees this preparation.

Maintain Long-Term Standby Generators

While portable generators are a rapid and often highly affordable solution to power outages, they’re far from appropriate for all situations or power needs. Furthermore, many of them require you to plug equipment directly into them and turn them on manually. All of these measures will take time and can cause unexpected problems. A standby generator is an even more robust solution for emergency power. These power systems work much like portable generators but do so on a larger scale. They’re also crucially different in that they’re installed directly into your organization’s internal electrical system so that they can kick into gear as soon as the power goes out. Standby generators tend to be much costlier to buy, install, maintain and often require permits for their specialized installation, which is why we recommend partnering with a company that takes care of this for you and minimizes the chances of a supply shortage. With all that in mind, if your business needs genuinely robust, long-lasting emergency electricity, these devices are an extremely effective option.

Ensure Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)

Even with the best standby generators waiting to kick into gear automatically, most grid power failures will mean at least a few seconds or minutes of zero electricity for your facilities and equipment. This isn’t a problem for many businesses, but if you have time-critical computer systems running, even a single moment of electrical loss can mean enormously costly data losses. There are also susceptible electronic devices running in some facilities, which cannot be suddenly shut down without the risk of damage. For these contexts, you should also invest in what are called Uninterruptible Power Supplies, or UPS devices. These are generally inexpensive and can integrate with your existing emergency power systems to provide those few crucial minutes of continuous electricity when the power grid dies and your alternative power system kicks into life.

Work Towards Long-Term Alternative Power Sources

While generators and continuous power supply systems are superbly helpful for most business needs, your best bet for secure long-term electrical power will be to switch over to alternative renewable electrical sources if at all possible. By these, we’re referring to systems such as roof-top solar power arrays, wind energy devices on your property, or possibly even other sources of ultra-localized, consistent, and renewable electricity. Your transition to your own renewables doesn’t need to be total. As a middle choice, it’s possible to invest in them for the sake of crucial systems power provision. This way, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that even if the general grid goes down, the most critical part of your electrical needs was never relying on it in the first place. Your own renewable power sources, combined with emergency generators in the case of extreme emergencies, should make your organization all but impervious to even the worst power cuts.

Further Solutions for Reducing the Effects of Power Outages

Ensuring a robust and continuous supply of emergency energy is a powerful tool against disaster in almost any context. Still, there are also ways to lighten your possible harm if your electrical systems fail. Keep some of these tips in mind for achieving this: Minimal perishable inventory: If you’re in a business that involves highly perishable products that are only kept fresh with constant electrical resources, work to keep a reduced inventory that will minimize your losses in the event of an energy cut. External cloud solutions: If your company depends on a heavy dose of software and data storage to function, one solution is to invest heavily in cloud-based data backup and business-data management systems. By having these active in the background at all times, power losses don’t need to become data losses, and you might even be able to rapidly relocate your business functions to a place where electricity still works. You can then reconnect with your cloud provider accounts. Emergency response exercises: When the power goes out, and especially if it does so in the middle of a general emergency, you should have your staff trained on handling all the needed tasks for activating generators, saving data, and saving crucial capital assets or inventory. This means training them beforehand and ensuring that the training has been internalized.

Seek Professional Help and Installation

Setting up a truly robust, professionally installed recovery protocol for power outages can be a complicated task, and choosing to do so yourself can open your organization up to vulnerabilities and high costs. This applies especially if your business is more complex or has unique needs. For these situations and in any context in which you need emergency power sources, calling in professional assistance for your power backup needs is an ideal choice that will save you time, money, and stress. Agility experts can help and have the tools for a robust backup energy system for your business.

Largely as a result of the pandemic, many companies are taking a “work-from-anywhere” approach , allowing their employees to work from home or elsewhere. With this comes a host of challenges, including how to keep critical employees connected and productive in the event of a major disaster. Agility recently surveyed 229 customers representing a mix of business sectors, company sizes, locations, and roles to determine the biggest challenges faced and how companies are solving them.

Biggest Concerns About a Distributed Workforce

Data security , productivity, and internet connectivity were most frequently mentioned as the biggest concerns with a distributed workforce. C-suite respondents, however, were more likely to mention concerns about productivity and company culture. Of those prioritizing connectivity:

• – 27% of customers recognize the importance of ensuring critical employees have internet connectivity and/or a backup power supply
• – 24% have prior experience with storms and the pandemic and report a general sense of wanting to be prepared

Customers from the financial, professional services, and health care sectors were slightly more concerned about data security when employees work remotely, while government organizations are more concerned about internet connectivity for remote workers. Professional services and insurance firms have more significant concerns about a distributed workforce impacting company culture.

At the pandemic’s beginning, spotty internet for several employees was one of our major problems.

Professional Services Firm, TN

Using Work From Home as Part of a Recovery Strategy

Using a work-from-home strategy during a recovery when a disaster impacts access to an office building or workspace is more accessible after many organizations used this approach during the pandemic, with 83% of respondents reporting it as part of their ongoing recovery plans. More than 90% of professional services, insurance, and health care companies currently plan to have their employees work from home in the event of a major disaster that results in the loss of access to their workspace.

Return to Office Plans

The majority of companies (60%) are planning a hybrid return to office after the pandemic. Only 29% of respondents reported requiring employees to return to the office full time. Financial and government sector customers are slightly more likely to require employees to be in the office full time.

Disruptions When Employees Work From Home

When asked how organizations would address critical employees’ access to power and internet in the event of a major disaster when working from home, they gave a range of open-ended responses, ranging from “Unsure” to in-depth recovery plans.

If the power is out for everyone and there's a major disaster that wouldn't allow us to operate in our buildings, I'm not sure how we'd be able to function.

Education, CO

Some customers indicated that they had thought about meeting critical employees' needs remotely in the event of a disaster, but in truth, few have created detailed plans that would address remote workers' needs. Most plans involve employees working from alternative sites that have power; only about 25% who claimed to have thought about addressing employees' basic needs while working from home actually had viable plans in place.

Most Common Plans

• 48%: Employees would go to an alternate site with power/connectivity, such as the main office (with a backup generator or recovering with the help of Agility Recovery)
• 25%: Detailed plan with contingencies; critical employees’ possible needs have been addressed
• 20%: No clear plan or unknown, often relying on employees to find their own solutions
• 7%: Case-by-case basis; already have it figured out because of the pandemic

A Work-From-Anywhere Solution

When the "office" can truly be anywhere, it's essential to have plans in place to support employees and help them maintain connectivity and productivity. Customers ranked the top five requirements for a work-from-anywhere product:

1. – Unlimited high-speed internet access
2. – Backup power supply and charging mechanism for personal computer, phone, and other devices
3. – An enterprise-grade backup network connection
4. – Personal preparedness app to assist employees or individuals with survival tips in the event of a disruption
5. – Continuous monitoring and support, offered as a managed service

We listened to these concerns, and created a product to address all of these priorities: Agility ReadyTechGo , a lightweight, waterproof, rugged, work-from-anywhere product to keep critical employees connected, no matter what.

COVID-19 has forever changed the way we work. As organizations quickly transitioned to remote work models, they gradually adopted systems to retain employees and keep their businesses running. HR professionals are now tasked with maintaining continuous communication across a dispersed workforce, demanding careful planning and preparation. Human resources (HR) leaders have been forced to rethink and reorganize their office environments for a post-COVID-19 world. Most important is the strategy involved in reevaluating how work gets done, including the evolution of the workforce. Organizations that carefully plan and develop remote work strategies based on trust and transparency can increase their employees’ engagement and loyalty, which will, in turn, benefit their business. This article explores critical business continuity trends and tips for HR leaders in a remote work environment.

Business continuity trends for HR leaders in 2021 and beyond

The pandemic has created a new business climate focused on remote work. As a result, organizations have had to review and update their business programs. To ensure business continuity, HR leaders must be prepared to manage several critical phases of any crisis simultaneously: preparation, response, recovery, and resilience—and do so seamlessly despite much of their workforce being offsite.

Trend #1: Flexible and adaptive planning

An ongoing trend toward flexible and adaptive planning has continued to increase. As the traditional office workforce moved to a more distributed labor model, HR management processes evolved to align with remote work adjustments. HR leaders have had to adapt quickly to meet the challenges of a remote workforce. For example, the sudden shift from the traditional office environment to working from home created employee morale and engagement challenges. In addition, distributed workforces without proper security protocols created new vulnerabilities for employers and increased opportunities for cyberattacks.

Trend #2: Renewed emphasis on employee well-being

The impact of the recent pandemic presents many challenges for both business managers and HR professionals. Employees who are worried about their health or job stability are less productive. But HR managers can help alleviate employees’ anxiety . Such challenges present opportunities for businesses to think about how they effectively communicate with their teams, maintain the security and sustainability of remote operations, and sharpen their enterprise focus on health and well-being.

Trend #3: Testing to prepare for any disruption

Simultaneous business disruptions are on the rise—including the pandemic and numerous other outside factors. An increased focus on risk management, regulation, and compliance has pushed organizations in regulated industries to revise their business plans to avoid penalties and fines. To create a company-wide culture of preparedness and threat resilience, organizations must establish a unified business continuity testing strategy that HR leaders communicate to all employees. Conducting tests based on simultaneous threat scenarios is a definitive way to prepare your workforce and business operations for the unexpected. In addition, such testing reassures your employees that you are ready for any challenge.

Trend #4: Timely and effective incident management and crisis communication

The COVID-19 pandemic has helped illustrate the importance of an effective incident management and communication strategy. A good plan will still fail if you can't communicate through the process. HR leaders in organizations of all sizes must evaluate, plan, and execute multiple methods to communicate with employees about a disaster situation. When traditional voice communications and telecommunications are impaired, consider alternative systems such as emergency notification software so that everyone has access to the latest information.

Tips for managing and motivating a distributed workforce

Most organizations have transitioned to at least some remote work. While many people believe that employees prefer to work remotely, some members of your team might be struggling. In fact, more than seven out of 10 employers have struggled with this transition. And when researchers measured what motivates employees, they found that those forced to work from home were the least motivated . People with home offices spend more hours working in them than intended, but the home office environment can impact the quality of their work . If your organization plans to maintain a work-from-home structure, even part time, the HR team should work closely with remote employees to ensure their success. To help employees stay engaged and productive, HR leaders must consider employees’ overall well-being, both physical and psychological:

1. Be empathetic

As you maneuver the challenges of managing a remote workforce, remember to be patient. Everyone is working in a different environment and faces their own challenges. Online communication may not always convey a person's intended tone. Be aware of how a recipient might interpret an electronic message. Trust your teams, and help the company's leadership shift its focus from just meeting deadlines to delivering quality work.

2. Establish a schedule and set expectations

To maintain momentum, it’s important to set boundaries, such as work hours and breaks, as well as communicate team expectations. Decide how often you need to communicate with various teams and individual employees. Encourage the use of software that tracks progress and sends project updates, which can add transparency to cross-departmental processes. Remind employees to take time off to recharge and decompress so they don’t burn out.

3. Stay connected

Working remotely can lead to feelings of isolation or a lack of connection between team members. As Gallup research noted , isolation under normal circumstances can decrease work efficiency by 21%. The pandemic has undoubtedly increased this percentage. HR leaders should encourage managers to check in on team members, conduct virtual meetings, and publicly acknowledge employees’ efforts to deliver projects. Another aspect of staying connected is making sure that your team can indeed maintain an internet connection and power. Have you considered how a major weather event could impact work-from-home employees? Consider investing in hotspots and generators, or products like Agility ReadyTechGo , for critical employees to stay online and powered up, no matter where they are.

4. Lead by example

The HR team should demonstrate a commitment to the success of working remotely. Use the same tools to interact and share work progress within the HR team, and don't hesitate to turn on your video when chatting with employees.

5. Update roles and responsibilities

Whether due to layoffs or challenges of working remotely, some team members may have taken on more responsibilities. HR specialists can help team leaders review, update, and clarify the responsibilities of every role in the team, along with the team's objectives.

6. Ask for feedback and celebrate success

Be available to receive various teams’ perspectives to find new and improved ways to accomplish business goals. During check-ins, discuss which processes are working well and ask for suggestions on what to improve while teams are working remotely.

7. Be agile and flexible

Newly remote workforces are sure to encounter challenges that your HR team hasn’t dealt with before. Be ready to adjust to ever-changing circumstances and the inevitability of the unexpected while keeping business continuity in mind.

Communicating with a distributed workforce

Many business leaders have struggled with the concept of staying in touch when their employees are not physically in the office. With so many employees now working remotely, it's more important than ever to be able to easily communicate with them on any device—no matter where they are located. Establishing and deploying a comprehensive communications plan builds employees’ trust and increases their motivation and productivity. For example, monitoring and communicating federal, state, and local updates and guidelines as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves is part of such a plan. Updating workers on the latest company guidelines and protocols can help alleviate employee confusion and anxiety. With the right resources, HR leaders can keep the workforce up to date on any changes made to the company's business and emergency preparedness training. Platforms like Agility Central offer centralized access to a shared library of various resources and educational training for everyone on the team. Emergency notification tools can send a check-in note as a text message or an email to a specific group of people based on their department or location. These tools allow companies to target communications by geo-fencing, ensuring that the appropriate employees receive the necessary information. Maintaining timely and transparent communication with employees is integral to a successful remote work environment.

In conclusion

The COVID-19 pandemic is just one of many disruptors. Business risks and threats are continually increasing and evolving, making business continuity a top priority for organizations. HR management processes must adapt quickly, especially to meet the ever-present challenges of a remote workforce. Business leaders and especially HR professionals must establish and maintain continuous communication across the organization to ensure resilience.

Remote work or working from anywhere (WFA) has become increasingly popular in recent years. The coronavirus pandemic has forced many organizations to implement work-from-anywhere or work-from-home programs as a public health measure. To get the best out of implementing a WFA program, you need to do it right. This article looks at some of the challenges organizations face about WFA and what steps they can take to implement WFA effectively .

Work From Anywhere Can Strain the Company

Research suggests that allowing employees to work from anywhere enables companies to attract top talent, enhance morale, and save money . However, there are several cases where WFA can strain the company’s operational efficiency. Employers may fail to provide remote workers with the resources and training they need to be productive as they work from anywhere. Likewise, supervisors may lack adequate training on how to manage remote workers. Remote workers may not know how to set up a video call. Or they may not know the best way to indicate that they should not be disturbed because they are in a meeting. In many cases, employers yield to their workers’ demand to work from anywhere, only to later discontinue the remote work option when productivity takes a severe hit because employees and managers lack training and resources.

Power Backup Requirements

One of the biggest challenges remote workers can face is power outages . When your remote workers experience a power outage, all they have to rely on is their computer’s battery life; on average, laptop batteries last only about 4 hours. Events such as a downed powerline or severe weather conditions may cause power outages that may last hours or even days. You need to equip your remote workers with backup power solutions to prevent power outages from severely disrupting your operations. These options include:

• A gasoline-powered emergency generator for the entire home
• A UPS battery backup for the router, desktop computer, and other remote worker accessories
• A portable backup power station to charge laptops and phones several times
• A dedicated portable laptop charger
• A smartphone power bank
• A USB hub to transform a single port into multiple outlets for smartphones, USB sticks, webcam, microphones, and more

Providing your remote workers with one or more of these backup power solutions keeps their workspaces operational during power failures.

Cellular and Wi-Fi Access

Cellular and internet connectivity are essential to working from anywhere. Connectivity is one of the top concerns of remote employees as the reliability of their connection directly impacts their ability to collaborate with their colleagues effectively. You need to ensure your remote workers have a fast, reliable internet connection, even if their home internet goes down. Another important connectivity issue you need to address is cybersecurity. A WFA program increases the cybersecurity threats your business faces, so you need to implement measures to ensure they can work flexibly and autonomously without compromising your company’s security. Nurture an organizational culture in the attitudes and behaviors of your remote workers to minimize the company’s exposure to cybersecurity risks . Train your employees to prevent and respond to common cyberattacks such as phishing and malware. Keep your security policies up to date. Numerous apps have emerged to facilitate WFA. However, the use of insecure apps presents a significant cybersecurity risk. Ensure your remote workers use only approved apps and implement a patch policy that all approved apps are up to date across devices. Consider using a cloud access security broker (CASB) to execute your security policy. WFA means that devices will access your network remotely. Encourage your remote workers always to lock their screens when they leave their devices unattended, especially in public places. Ensure their devices are appropriately configured to encrypt data while in rest mode.

Durable, Waterproof, Lightweight Hardware and Accessories

Most employees who are new to working from anywhere don’t have well-equipped home offices. Besides backup power and fast, reliable, and secure connectivity, your remote workers need various hardware to achieve sustainable productivity. Here are a few other things they may need.

• Hotspots
• External battery backups
• Furniture
• Computer monitors
• Monitor mounts
• Laptop stands
• AC adapters
• USB cables and adapters
• Computer speakers
• Headphones
• Microphones and webcams

A suitable desk is essential to a remote workplace. Standing desks, in particular, have become popular as they offer the health benefits of limiting the number of hours spent sitting. Your remote employees also need a durable, ergonomic chair to accompany the desk. Other accessories such as monitors and monitor mounts may become necessary, especially for employees who do work that requires sizable screen space. When an employee shifts from working in the office to remote work, it may be necessary to meet to determine all the resources they’ll need to operate at peak performance.

Remote Access and Tech Support

Your employees who work from anywhere must be able to access the data and content they need quickly. Numerous technologies are available to help your remote workers log into your company network from their devices away from the office. For example, many organizations rely on desktop-as-a-service (DaaS) to deliver company desktops to employees using internet-enabled devices. Instead of using DaaS solutions, you may prefer to use a solution that provides single virtual applications, session-based desktops, or published applications. You need fast, reliable connectivity for whichever type of solution you choose.

Careful Planning and Investment

As you can see from the sections above, a lot goes into successfully implementing a work from anywhere program in which some, or all, of your employees work remotely. It requires careful planning and investment to ensure your remote workers have all the training and resources they need to be as productive away from the office as they were when in the office. Agility ReadyTechGo is the solution for the new work-from-anywhere world, combining cellular connectivity, one-touch Wi-Fi setup, live support, and power. Contact us to get started today.

The new era of business continuity forces us to prepare for business as unusual. The workforce is more distributed than ever, with 83% of businesses now using work from home as part of their recovery strategy. Since the start of the pandemic, 12% of employees have moved more than 50 miles from their office, and an additional 22% are considering or planning to move 50 miles or more from their office (PWC). Many organizations plan a hybrid approach to returning to the workplace.

The world has continued to see relentless major weather events throughout the course of the pandemic, including an ice storm in Texas that knocked out power, hurricanes that caused flooding and disaster from the Gulf to the East Coast, a first-ever derecho in the Midwest, and fires across the western part of the U.S.

Recovery Strategy Needs to Evolve for Business as Unusual

Recovery strategy has permanently changed, largely due to the combination of the pandemic along with more frequent, more widespread, and more potent natural disasters, and further complicated by distributed workforces. In the past, most organizations had to think only about recovering one location; with a distributed workforce, that one location may have turned into dozens or even hundreds of disparate sites. How will you plan to recover all those locations when employees are working from home – rather than an office? How will you manage the next interruption to your business operations in a world where the office isn’t just in one place – it’s everywhere?

We live in a time when business is anything but usual, and with that comes a new era of business continuity.

ReadyTechGo: Mobile Productivity Solution for a Work-From-Anywhere World

That’s why we’re excited to introduce Agility ReadyTechGo, the solution for a work-from-anywhere world. In times of need, Agility ReadyTechGo delivers the ability to power ahead with cellular connectivity, one-touch Wi-Fi setup, and 24/7/365 support. It’s a lightweight, rugged, waterproof, and mobile solution with a high-capacity battery backup that’s available for your team when and where they need it most. ReadyTechGo packs are available on demand for Agility customers or to keep on hand for anytime usage.

MyAgility gives you enhanced bi-directional messaging capabilities. Deliver messages in a cascading fashion by controlling which of the five modes of communication goes out first – for example, beginning with SMS, and if there’s no response, sending a push notification, and going down the list from there.

In a world where the work site happens across multiple sites, now your recovery, and your return to normalcy, can as well. We look forward to sharing these innovations with you and giving you a head start in your business continuity and recovery efforts.

Jon Bahl, CEO, Agility