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Welcome to the Josty Mini Blog where we will provide summary posts from our main blog on www.josty.nz, all of the information with a fraction of the reading.

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Showing posts with label Risk management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Risk management. Show all posts

Monday, September 8, 2025

The CEO's Playbook: Winning Business Strategy for 2035

CEO in a modern boardroom with futuristic city view and data.

In today's rapidly changing global economy, CEOs of small-to-medium businesses face a mix of unprecedented opportunities and significant risks. A long-term strategy that balances innovation, technology integration, and sustainability isn't just an option, it's essential for survival and growth. This playbook outlines practical frameworks and future-proofing techniques to help leaders craft a winning strategy for the next decade, ensuring growth, resilience, and a lasting competitive advantage.


Why Strategy Demands a New Mindset

The pace of change has never been faster. Emerging technologies, shifting consumer expectations, and intensified global competition are reshaping industries, leaving little room for complacency. The strategies that worked five years ago are unlikely to be effective in the decade ahead. For New Zealand businesses, the global market is more accessible than ever, but it also brings new vulnerabilities. Digital transformation, automation, and AI are democratising opportunity while simultaneously intensifying competition. Meanwhile, sustainability and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) responsibilities are now critical factors shaping investment and customer loyalty.

At Josty, we believe empowering growth requires more than reacting to trends. It demands a proactive approach to business model innovation, underpinned by clear strategic planning, robust leadership development, and a commitment to continuous corporate development. The next decade will reward businesses that blend market analysis, data analytics, and risk management with a culture of agility and resilience.


Core Elements of a Winning Business Strategy

A long-term strategy provides stability and direction in a world defined by volatility and uncertainty. Key factors driving this need include:

  • Globalisation: SMEs must both compete globally and defend against international competitors in local markets.

  • Technological disruption: Technology presents both a risk (e.g., cybersecurity threats) and an opportunity (e.g., automation).

  • Customer expectations: Modern consumers demand innovation, sustainability, and digital-first experiences.

Future-proofing your business is about adaptability, not just efficiency. You must invest in innovation to stay relevant and build resilience into your operations by diversifying supply chains and adopting flexible business models.

Here are the core elements to focus on:

  • Market Analysis and Foresight: A deep understanding of the market is the foundation of strategic planning. Use data analytics to track customer needs, competitor moves, and industry shifts. Conduct regular market analysis and invest in scenario planning to test the resilience of your strategy against multiple futures.

  • Technology Integration and Digital Transformation: Digital tools are no longer optional. Implementing automation can reduce costs, while leveraging AI can enhance forecasting and customer personalisation. Prioritise cybersecurity to protect your business in a digital-first world.

  • Building Competitive Advantage Through Leadership and Culture: A winning strategy is executed by people. Strong leadership and a resilient organisational culture are crucial differentiators. Foster a culture of innovation, invest in leadership development at every level, and encourage cross-functional collaboration to enhance agility.


Practical Frameworks for the Next Decade

  • Data-Driven Decision-Making: Data analytics is a central driver of business innovation. Leaders must embed data into everyday decision-making, using analytics for predictive modelling and customer insights.

  • Sustainability and ESG Considerations: Sustainability is no longer a choice it's a requirement from investors, customers, and regulators. Embedding ESG principles into your strategic planning can drive efficiency and enhance brand reputation.

  • Risk Management and Adaptability: The only certainty about the next decade is uncertainty. Build risk management into your strategy by identifying key risks, creating contingency plans, and building flexibility into your organisational structure to pivot quickly.


Emerging Trends Every CEO Must Watch

  • AI, Automation, and Data Analytics: These technologies will redefine industries, driving efficiency and unlocking new opportunities. Businesses that embrace them early will establish a significant competitive advantage.

  • Talent Management and Leadership Development: Future success hinges on your people. Retaining top talent requires a focus on organisational culture, flexible work models, and continuous leadership development.


Expanding the Playbook: Strategic Priorities

  • Customer-Centric Innovation: Place your customers at the heart of every decision. Use technology for personalisation and build feedback loops to act on customer insights in real-time.

  • Strategic Partnerships and Ecosystems: No business operates in isolation. The future will reward companies that build strong ecosystems of partners and suppliers. Explore cross-industry alliances and consider mergers and acquisitions to accelerate growth.

  • Agility in Business Model Innovation: The ability to pivot quickly will define the winners of 2035. Treat business model innovation as an ongoing process, whether through new subscription models, platform strategies, or hybrid operations.


A 10-Step CEO Action Plan for 2035

  1. Define Your Long-Term Vision: Create a clear strategic direction for the next decade.

  2. Conduct Deep Market Analysis: Use data analytics to understand customers, competitors, and regulatory changes.

  3. Prioritise Digital Transformation: Invest in automation, AI, and cybersecurity as core enablers.

  4. Embed ESG into Strategy: Align operations with sustainability goals.

  5. Strengthen Organisational Culture: Build a culture of innovation, wellbeing, and leadership development.

  6. Diversify and Build Partnerships: Reduce dependency on single suppliers and explore collaborations.

  7. Adopt Agile Business Models: Be ready to pivot with new revenue streams and offerings.

  8. Build Robust Risk Management Frameworks: Prepare for supply chain, financial, and technology disruptions.

  9. Set Measurable KPIs and Governance: Track progress with clear metrics and leadership accountability.

  10. Commit to Continuous Adaptation: Treat your strategy as a living framework, refined regularly to align with new trends.


Final Thoughts: Building the Strategy for 2035

The path to 2035 won't be linear. The challenges of globalisation, technological disruption, and sustainability will continue to reshape industries. However, with the right long-term strategy, small-to-medium New Zealand businesses can thrive.

At Josty, we are committed to empowering growth and securing success for businesses across New Zealand. Our expertise in strategic planning, leadership development, and corporate advisory equips SMEs with the tools they need to build winning strategies for the decade ahead. The next 10 years will reward organisations that act boldly, innovate consistently, and cultivate resilience at every level.

Post Written by Jason Jost

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Friday, September 5, 2025

Protecting Brand Reputation from Employee Actions

 A three-panel image on employee behavior and brand impact

How Employee Behaviour Impacts Business Reputation

Introduction

Brand reputation is often thought of as something that lives online: the reviews on Google, the posts on LinkedIn, the comments left on Facebook. While those are important, the reality is that your brand reputation exists everywhere your logo is seen. When your employees wear company uniforms, use branded apparel, or drive vehicles with your business name on them, they are acting as brand ambassadors in public. Their behaviour, positive or negative, shapes how the public perceives your organisation.

This is a risk many leaders underestimate. Reputation can be damaged not by what happens in the boardroom but by what happens in a carpark, a café, or at after-work drinks. Unlike a controlled marketing message, these are unfiltered moments of truth that leave lasting impressions.

It is worth asking: are your employees unintentionally damaging your brand’s reputation through their actions in public? This question is not about distrust; it is about recognising the connection between personal conduct and organisational identity. Leaders who fail to address it risk allowing one individual’s poor decision to overshadow years of careful brand building.


The Hidden Risks of Visibility

Uniforms, branded apparel, and company vehicles are powerful marketing tools. They extend visibility, reinforce professionalism, and signal trust. Yet visibility comes with responsibility. When your name is on display, the public no longer separates the individual from the organisation.

Consider these scenarios:

  • A branded vehicle parked illegally in a disabled space. To the passer-by, it is not the driver at fault it is the company whose name is on the side of the car.

  • An employee misbehaving during after-work drinks while still in uniform. The personal actions of one person reflect directly on the organisation.

  • A staff member wearing company clothing while cutting into a queue or arguing in a café. The brand becomes associated with rudeness or disregard.

Each of these examples demonstrates how quickly reputation can be undermined. The damage does not require headlines in the media. A single negative interaction can shift public perception in a local community. When multiplied, these moments can erode trust and credibility, undoing the work of your marketing and sales teams.


Social Media Amplification

In today’s environment, these issues rarely remain private. Smartphones and social media create an always-on public lens. A single poor decision can be recorded, shared, and amplified within minutes.

Imagine an employee in uniform engaging in a heated argument. Ten years ago, perhaps only a handful of witnesses would have seen it. Today, one bystander can post a video that reaches thousands or even millions overnight. The commentary that follows often connects the incident directly to the company’s brand, not the individual.

The same risk applies online behaviour. If an employee posts inappropriate or offensive content while wearing branded clothing in a photo, or with a company vehicle visible in the background, the link to your organisation is unavoidable. Social media collapses the boundary between personal and professional actions, and businesses that ignore this reality put their reputation at risk.


Lessons from the Navy

In the Navy, there is a strong and consistent message: when you are in uniform, your actions represent the Navy itself. Whether on duty or not, sailors are reminded that the public views them as ambassadors of the service. Leadership continually reinforces this principle, ensuring that behaviour aligns with the values and reputation of the organisation.

This disciplined approach provides an important lesson for business leaders. While most companies do not emphasise conduct outside of work hours, the reality is the same: when your brand is visible, your organisation is being judged. Employees must understand that their actions reflect not only on themselves but on the business as a whole.

Unfortunately, many businesses fail to provide this clarity. Employees may not realise that their behaviour in public has reputational consequences. Without leadership setting expectations, they are left to assume that what happens outside of work is irrelevant. The Navy shows us the value of clear communication, consistent reinforcement, and collective accountability. Businesses should adopt a similar mindset.


Framework for Business Leaders

Protecting your brand from reputational damage requires more than hoping employees will act appropriately. It requires leadership, systems, and culture. Below is a simple five-step framework to guide business leaders:

  1. Set clear behavioural expectations

    • Make it explicit: when wearing uniforms, using branded vehicles, or otherwise representing the business, employees must act professionally.

  2. Train and educate staff

    • Go beyond policies. Provide training sessions that connect personal actions to brand impact, using real-life scenarios for context.

  3. Reinforce accountability through recognition

    • Highlight positive examples. When employees act as excellent brand ambassadors, acknowledge and celebrate it. Reinforcement builds culture.

  4. Monitor and respond quickly to issues

    • Address incidents promptly, whether minor or major. Silence or inaction sends the wrong message and weakens accountability.

  5. Lead by example

    • Leaders must model the behaviour they expect. If executives or managers disregard the standards, employees will follow suit.

By applying this framework, organisations can move from reactive reputation management to proactive reputation protection.


Conclusion

Reputation is fragile. It is built slowly but can be damaged instantly. Employees, whether they realise it or not, are brand ambassadors every time the logo is visible. Their behaviour on the road, in public spaces, at social events, or online shapes how others see your business.

The risks are real: a branded car in the wrong place, a uniform at the wrong event, or a photo on the wrong platform can create a negative association that undermines customer trust. Yet with leadership, clear expectations, and training, businesses can turn this risk into a strength. Employees who understand their role as brand ambassadors can actively enhance reputation, building trust and credibility in the community.

At Josty, we believe protecting brand reputation starts with culture and leadership. Businesses that take this seriously not only avoid reputational harm but gain a powerful advantage in trust and visibility.

If you would like to explore how to strengthen your policies, training, and culture to ensure your team represents your brand positively, contact Josty today.

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Monday, August 25, 2025

Structured vs Ad-hoc IT Systems: A Foundation for Business Growth

A graphic contrasting ad-hoc and structured IT systems.


 
Many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups begin their journey with a focus on core business activities: building products, finding customers, and managing cash flow. Technology is often an afterthought, resulting in an ad-hoc IT system with a patchwork of quick fixes and cheap tools that serve immediate needs. This approach may work at first, but as a business grows, it creates significant inefficiencies, security risks, and a major barrier to scalability.

A structured IT system, by contrast, is a deliberate, strategic investment. It is an IT architecture designed from day one to align with your business planning, support your processes, and scale with your growth. While it may seem like a luxury for a new business, a structured system is the most cost-effective and resilient approach in the long run.

The reality is that unstructured IT costs far more than you think. From my own experience as an ICT manager, I’ve seen how much time, money, and effort is needed to untangle ad-hoc IT chaos. The difference a structured system makes is transformative it boosts productivity, reduces risk, and ensures a business can scale with confidence. This blog post explores the hidden costs of ad-hoc IT and the clear benefits of a structured approach.


The Allure of Ad-hoc IT and Its Hidden Risks

Why do so many businesses fall into the ad-hoc trap? The reasons are simple: limited budgets and the pressure to move fast. In the early stages, free or cheap tools seem like a smart way to save money. The “we’ll fix it later” mindset is common, but “later” often comes when the business is already under pressure, and the cost of fixing a messy system is far greater than the initial savings.

Without dedicated IT expertise, business owners often choose tools based on convenience rather than strategic alignment. This leads to data security vulnerabilities, as systems lack proper backups and security protocols, leaving sensitive information exposed. It also creates integration failures, where different tools don't communicate, forcing staff to do duplicate, manual work. Over time, these inefficiencies erode productivity and lead to staff frustration. The costs become unpredictable, as businesses constantly spend money on emergency fixes instead of planned, strategic investments.


Key Benefits of Structured IT

A structured IT system is more than just hardware and software; it's a foundation for success.

  • Scalability: A structured system allows you to add users, locations, or new services seamlessly. For a growing retailer, this means expanding to a new store without rebuilding the entire IT infrastructure.

  • Cost Efficiency: With a clear IT roadmap, you can make planned, predictable investments. This eliminates the expensive firefighting and reactive spending that plague ad-hoc systems.

  • Security: By embedding security and compliance from the start, a structured system protects your data and builds trust with customers and partners. It turns security into a business enabler, not a reactive roadblock.

  • Productivity: Structured IT eliminates redundant tasks and integrates systems, allowing your team to focus on their core roles rather than troubleshooting technology. This directly translates to higher output and employee satisfaction.

  • Future Readiness: Technology evolves fast. A structured system is flexible enough to adopt new tools like AI and automation without major disruption, keeping your business competitive in the long term.


Moving from Ad-hoc to Structured

The first step in transitioning from an ad-hoc to a structured IT system is to recognize the signs that your current approach is holding you back. These include staff constantly struggling with tech, data being scattered across different devices, and rising IT costs with no clear return on investment.

Once you’ve identified the problem, you can follow a clear transition framework:

  • Audit Your Current Systems: Take a complete inventory of every tool and license.

  • Identify Pain Points: Find where your biggest inefficiencies, risks, and hidden costs are.

  • Design a Structured Roadmap: Create a strategic plan that aligns technology with your business goals.

  • Plan the Rollout: Implement new systems in phases to minimize disruption.


Partner with Josty for Structured Growth

At Josty, we understand that many business leaders feel overwhelmed by the complexity of IT. Our role is to simplify the process and bridge the gap between your business strategy and your technology.

We offer:

  • Independent IT assessments to identify risks and opportunities.

  • Recommendations for a structured IT architecture that aligns with your strategy.

  • Guidance on technology planning and process management.

  • Practical support to implement scalable infrastructure.


Final Thoughts: From Chaos to Confidence

Every business leader should ask: Is your IT system structured or ad-hoc? The answer is a clear indicator of your business’s ability to grow, scale, and succeed.

Ad-hoc IT may offer short-term convenience, but it eventually leads to significant costs and limits your ability to scale. Structured IT, on the other hand, is a powerful growth enabler that builds a foundation for long-term success. The investment of time and resources into a structured system pays back in productivity, security, and the freedom to grow without fear of system failure.

It’s far better to plan structure from the start than to have to retrofit it later. If your IT feels fragmented or reactive, it’s time to take action. Contact Josty today to discuss how we can help you build the technology foundation your business needs to thrive.

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Wednesday, August 20, 2025

When the Lights Go Out: Is Your Business Ready for an Outage?

Professionals working by flashlight during a power outage.

A couple of weeks ago, I had a power outage at home. It wasn’t the usual culprit, not a storm, not a car accident involving a power pole, and not a tree falling on the lines. Instead, it came down to something far more ordinary: the age of the fuses in the roadside box feeding electricity to our house.

The failure happened late at night, which was a blessing. Only a few appliances were running, and the timing meant no disruption to work or family commitments. Within 90 minutes, a linesman arrived, replaced the failed fuses, and restored the power. It was an inconvenience but not a disaster. Why? Because we were prepared.

We had backup power options, candles, and fully charged phones. The interruption was short-lived and manageable.

But that experience raised a bigger question in my mind: How would your business cope with a 90-minute outage?


Why Preparation Matters

For a household, a short outage is a nuisance. For a business, even a brief interruption can mean serious consequences. A 90-minute power cut might not sound long, but consider what could happen in that timeframe:

  • Lost sales: A café, bar, or restaurant could lose peak service revenue. Customers might walk out, and you may never see them again.

  • Interrupted operations: Manufacturers or workshops could face stalled production, equipment resets, or even wasted raw materials.

  • Customer dissatisfaction: If your business relies on online platforms, call centres, or deliveries, clients may experience delays or failed transactions damaging your reputation.

  • Data risks: If systems shut down without warning, unsaved data or corrupted files could add hours (or days) of recovery work.

The reality is that every business is more dependent on power than it often realises not just for keeping the lights on, but for keeping operations smooth, customers happy, and teams productive.


What Businesses Can Learn from a Small Outage

 My brief experience at home illustrates a critical point for business leaders: outages don’t always come with warnings, and they’re not always dramatic. Sometimes it’s the small, ageing piece of infrastructure, like a fuse, that can suddenly put everything on hold.

This is where business resilience planning comes in. It’s not about imagining once-in-a-lifetime disasters but about anticipating the everyday failures that are far more likely to occur.

Ask yourself:

  • Does your business have backup power solutions such as UPS systems or generators?

  • Are your staff trained to handle outages safely and efficiently?

  • Do you have contingency plans for customer service when systems go offline?

  • How quickly can your business bounce back from even a 30–90 minute interruption?


Turning Risk into Strategy

At Josty, we work with businesses to uncover the vulnerabilities that could quietly erode performance or profits. A 90-minute power cut might be rare, but the ability to withstand and adapt to disruptions is what separates resilient businesses from fragile ones.

Resilience is not just about technology; it’s about culture and strategy. Do your people know what to do? Do your processes allow for quick pivots? Do your systems have redundancies built in?

The outage at my home was a reminder that resilience isn’t about avoiding every problem it’s about being prepared enough that when problems come, they don’t knock you off course.


Final Thoughts

A power outage at home may only cost you a couple of candles and a late-night wait for the linesman. But in business, the same event could mean lost sales, unhappy customers, wasted stock, or shaken confidence in your reliability.

So, here’s the challenge: if your business faced a 90-minute outage tomorrow, would you be ready?

At Josty, we believe that resilience planning is not optional, it’s a performance driver. Preparing for the unexpected allows businesses to protect their bottom line, strengthen their reputation, and deliver consistent value to customers.

The question isn’t whether outages or disruptions will happen, they will. The real question is whether your business is prepared to handle them without missing a beat.

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Wednesday, August 13, 2025

What Is the Best Type of Backup Solution for Your Critical Load?

A brightly lit server rack in a dark, blacked-out city.

When it comes to critical load backup solutions, the answer isn’t about choosing a trendy product or the most aggressively marketed system it’s about finding the one that will perform flawlessly when you need it most.

A true backup system must supply your load for the required backup time, even while everything else is failing around it. This means it must be sized and designed for your specific application, be robust enough to withstand environmental and operational stress, and have redundancy built in so there are no single points of failure.

Why “One-Size-Fits-All” Doesn’t Work

Recently, I saw a post promoting one type of backup solution over another. The problem? The arguments were technically flawed and clearly driven by a sales agenda rather than actual performance data. In backup power, such oversimplification can lead to costly mistakes and in worst-case scenarios, critical operational downtime.

Every site, application, and environment has its own demands:

  • Load characteristics (voltage, current, inrush requirements)

  • Backup duration (seconds, minutes, or hours)

  • Environmental conditions (temperature, humidity, vibration)

  • Operational priorities (safety systems, communications, process control)

Why Battery-Backed DC Systems Deserve Attention

For many applications, battery-backed DC systems offer a reliable and predictable way to protect critical loads. When properly designed:

  • They eliminate conversion losses seen in AC-only backup setups.

  • They respond instantly, there’s no switchover lag.

  • They can be configured for n+1 redundancy to avoid single points of failure.

  • They integrate well with renewable energy inputs and advanced monitoring systems.

However, the key word here is “properly designed.” An undersized battery bank or poorly specified charger can fail under stress, leaving your systems unprotected. That’s why it’s vital to work with an expert who understands both the theory and the field realities.

Redundancy Is Non-Negotiable

Even the best-built system can fail. That’s why redundancy should be a non-negotiable part of your backup design.

  • Dual strings of batteries prevent total outage if one fails.

  • Redundant chargers ensure batteries stay at optimal charge.

  • Multiple feeds or paths avoid a single fault taking the system down.

Think of redundancy as insurance for your insurance.

The Cost of Getting It Wrong

Downtime from an inadequate backup system doesn’t just mean a temporary inconvenience—it can result in:

  • Production losses worth thousands (or millions) of dollars.

  • Safety risks to personnel.

  • Compliance breaches that bring fines and reputational damage.

When weighed against these risks, investing in the right system from the start is not just a technical decision, it’s a strategic business decision.

Expert Guidance Is Critical

The best backup system is not necessarily the most expensive or the most heavily advertised it’s the one engineered for your exact needs. Avoid decisions based on:

  • Outdated technical assumptions.

  • Sales pitches without site-specific data.

  • “It worked for them, so it will work for us” thinking.

Instead, bring in a specialist who can analyse your:

  • Load profile.

  • Redundancy requirements.

  • Budget constraints.

  • Compliance obligations.

The Josty Approach

At Josty, we believe in engineering solutions that empower growth and secure success. Our backup designs are tailored, tested, and backed by decades of hands-on industry experience. We understand the cost of failure and we make sure your systems are ready when it matters most.

Bottom line: The best type of backup solution is one that isn’t going to let you down when you need it most. It needs to be sized and designed for your application, be robust, and have redundancy to eliminate single points of failure. Don’t get caught out by clever marketing talk to an expert and make a decision based on facts, performance, and reliability.

Visit our website via the links in our bio to learn more about how we can help protect your business-critical systems.

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Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Is your battery bank truly capable of providing the backup you need?

A close-up of a rack-mounted DC battery system with data displays.

 It’s a simple question but one too many electrical professionals leave unanswered until it’s too late.

When did you last audit your DC battery system?

The battery bank is the last line of defence in any critical electrical system—whether it’s a substation, industrial control system, telecom site, hospital, or process plant. And yet, many are designed on assumptions rather than solid, real-world data. The result? Unreliable backup, accelerated degradation, and systems that may not hold up when you need them most.

Let’s ask some hard questions

  • Was the battery sized correctly?
    Was a detailed load profile used, accounting for the actual connected loads and load drop-off logic? Or was it a best guess, recycled from a similar project?
    If your system wasn't built using real-time measured data or an accurate forecast of load demands, there’s a good chance it’s either undersized or overengineered in the wrong areas.

  • Were the right design contingencies applied?
    You can’t just look at nominal capacity. Temperature corrections, expected aging over 10–15 years, float charging behaviour, and maximum expected ambient conditions must all be considered.
    Many failures occur not due to battery faults, but due to poor thermal planning or inadequate aging margin.

  • Is the battery type fit for purpose?
    It’s not just about lead-acid vs. lithium. It’s about:

    • Maintenance access

    • Ventilation and gassing considerations

    • Frequency of cycling

    • Environment (indoor vs outdoor, hot vs cold, clean vs corrosive)

    • Expected lifespan and serviceability

Too often, battery decisions are based on budget constraints or rough sizing estimates. But the cheapest option upfront often becomes the most expensive mistake down the line especially when critical operations are disrupted due to battery failure or backup insufficiency.

The reality of DC system neglect

At Josty, we regularly conduct audits across a wide range of industries from utilities to infrastructure and industrial applications. One common pattern? The DC system is often overlooked once commissioned. It’s assumed to be “set and forget.” But that’s a dangerous assumption.

We’ve seen sites where:

  • Battery banks were still operating years beyond their rated life

  • Load profiles had changed dramatically since the original installation

  • Autonomy requirements increased but weren’t reassessed

  • Ventilation and room conditions had degraded over time

  • There was no clear maintenance schedule or test data history

And when problems strike during an outage or load shed it’s always the battery that gets blamed. But the problem almost always starts earlier… in the design, selection, and maintenance of the system.

How Josty can help

We specialise in helping businesses audit and optimise their DC systems and battery backup. Our process includes:

  • Reviewing the original design, spec, and as-built installation

  • Verifying site conditions, environment, and current load behaviour

  • Testing and inspecting the battery health and performance

  • Identifying risks, gaps, and opportunities for lifecycle improvement

  • Delivering clear, actionable recommendations for compliance and performance

You’ll receive a detailed report tailored to your site’s conditions and business needs whether that’s ensuring redundancy, extending service life, or planning for future load expansions.

Visit Backup Power Solutions for Business | Josty NZ to learn more about our engineering services and battery audits.

Ready to take the guesswork out of your critical backup systems?

👉 Book an audit of your battery bank and DC system today via Contact Josty | Business Consulting NZ or send us a message directly.

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Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Is Your Business Weathering the Storm? A Critical Look at Risk Management in Aotearoa

A dramatic, low-angle shot captures a severe power outage during a torrential rainstorm. Broken power lines hang from snapped utility poles, entangled with the branches of a massive fallen tree that lies across a dark, wet road. Lightning flashes illuminate the scene, revealing sparks from the severed lines as they touch the ground. Emergency vehicle lights are visible in the distance through the heavy downpour.

 

As a powerful storm sweeps across New Zealand today, businesses are facing the possibility of disruptions. From power outages to internet blackouts, these events serve as a stark reminder: risk management isn't just a buzzword, it's a lifeline.

For too long, many SMEs have viewed business continuity planning as a "nice-to-have," something reserved for larger corporations. But as we've seen with recent weather events, even a short disruption can have significant financial and reputational impacts. Can your business afford to be offline for hours, or even days?

I'm a firm believer in proactive risk mitigation. That's why I've invested in robust backup solutions for both power and internet. When the lights go out, my operations don't stop. When the fibre gets cut, we can still connect and serve our clients. This isn't just about convenience; it's about safeguarding my business's future and ensuring uninterrupted service.

So, as you watch the rain fall and the wind howl, ask yourself: do you have the risks to your business covered? Have you identified your critical operations? What would happen if your essential services were interrupted? Do you have a plan B, or even a plan C?

Don't wait for disaster to strike to think about risk management. Take the time now to assess your vulnerabilities and implement solutions. It could be the difference between weathering the storm and being swept away.

See our Risk Management Consulting and Critical Backup Power Solutions pages to find out how Josty can help you cover your risks. 

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