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It’s impossible to deny the impact of load shedding on our daily lives. Whether sitting in traffic on your daily commute or rushing to get dinner ready before the power goes out, every aspect of life in South Africa is affected.
However, the brunt of it is felt even more heavily by small businesses, who have to figure out how to operate business as usual. Unlike large businesses and commercial industries, small businesses often lack the financial resources to cushion themselves from load shedding. But, in South Africa, we’re famous for our ability to ‘maak ‘n plan’ . In response to the crisis, resourceful business owners have resorted to alternative means to keep their businesses afloat.
While load shedding will continue to be a major challenge for our economy, that doesn't mean your dreams are doomed! Here are five key ways you can successfully start a small business during load shedding.
1. Plan Your Day Around Load Shedding
As much as we all wish load shedding didn’t exist, small businesses have no choice but to work around it. By getting a grasp of the load shedding schedule with an app like Eskom Se Push , small businesses can keep disruptions to a minimum.
When taking a proactive approach, you can tweak your working hours, prioritise essential tasks, and make sure critical operations are wrapped up before the power goes out. For example, if you need to complete admin, send emails, and visit the bank, try to plan your bank visit during your allocated load shedding slot. Most major banks have backup power, so you can still finish your banking tasks even during load shedding.
In addition, you can try to take advantage of load shedding periods to focus on tasks that don't require electricity, such as organising paperwork, brainstorming creative ideas, or connecting with clients in person.
2. Have a Backup Plan
While small power banks are typically affordable, some backup plans—like solar power—can be prohibitively costly for small businesses. If you need expensive equipment to keep your small business running, consider speaking to an accountant that can help you identify potential tax rebates for solar power.
These tax rebates can provide a boost to your business's bottom line, making the cost of your backup power solutions more manageable. In addition, your accountant will be able to help you navigate the paperwork, ensuring that you take full advantage of available incentives while staying in compliance with tax laws.
3. Communicate With Your Customers
During load shedding, it's essential to remember that we're all in this together—businesses and customers alike. While you navigate the challenges of running your business, scheduling your personal time, and striving for smooth operations, your customers are also experiencing the same thing.
They may face delays, inconveniences, or difficulties in accessing products or services. As a business owner, it's important to empathise with your customer's challenges and find ways to support them. During load shedding, clear communication becomes an even more vital tool in building and maintaining relationships. First and foremost, keep your customers updated about any changes in your operating hours, alternative methods of contact, or temporary closures due to load shedding.
Be proactive and go the extra mile to inform them through various channels like social media or email newsletters, or contact your customers directly if you anticipate a delay in delivering their goods or services.
4. Ensure You Can Get Paid
Ensuring that your business can continue to receive payments, even in the midst of load shedding, is vital for maintaining a steady cash flow. Consider offering multiple payment options to accommodate your customers and make sure to communicate your payment methods on your Savvy Site or through social media.
Here are some of the most common ways businesses are making sure they can get paid during load shedding:
Battery-Operated Card Machines
Battery-operated card machines allow you to process card payments without relying on a stable power supply. Ensure you have fully charged batteries on hand and consider having backup batteries available to swap out if needed. With a swipe or a quick tap, you can keep your customers' transactions seamless and cash flowing into your business.
Embrace the Cash Economy
Encourage customers to pay with cash during load shedding to completely eliminate the need for electronic transactions. Display signage or let customers know through your communication channels that cash payments are welcome and appreciated during load shedding. Remember to keep a safe and secure cash handling process (as well as ample change on hand) to ensure a smooth experience for both you and your customers.
Payment Links
Your Savvy Site provides your customers with another seamless payment solution. Product Cards make it easy to list your products or services on your site, and you can also include the price and the secure payment link of your preferred payment partner. How’s that for simplicity?
Electronic Fund Transfers (EFTs)
In a digitally connected world, EFTs can be a lifeline during load shedding. Encourage your customers to make payments through online banking platforms or mobile payment apps—but remember, never exchange goods or services until you have received a proof of payment confirmation letter from your customer’s bank!
5. Keep a Positive Attitude
We know, this is easier said than done—especially when it feels like you're doing all you can but the odds of success are stacked against you. It's normal to feel overwhelmed by the problems load shedding presents for small businesses. However, in the face of challenges, it's essential to embrace the power of perspective.
Rather than getting stuck on the negative, try to refocus your energy on finding creative solutions. This might mean working flexible hours so your load shedding slots coincide with your downtime or collaborating with other small businesses to share workspaces and support each other through the outages.
Remember, you're not alone in this—in fact, every small business owner in South Africa is going through the same thing. Reach out to your fellow small business owners in person or online, tapping into the collective knowledge of your community to find innovative ideas, support, and solutions.
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