Sign-In
Cart
The Real Costs of Downtime: The Financial Impact, Hidden Risks, and Lost Opportunities When Your Business Goes Down
Paperback
Series: Everything a CEO Needs to Know about I.T.
ISBN13: 9781997039150
Publisher: It Support 101 Inc.
Published: Jun 8 2026
Pages: 172
Weight: 0.52
Height: 0.40 Width: 6.00 Depth: 9.00
Language: English
On a Wednesday afternoon in November, a distribution company's order management system went down. Three hours later, it was still down. By the end of the day, the I.T. team had a fix. The CEO had a different problem: fourteen customers had called to ask where their orders were, two had emailed to say they were moving to a competitor, and the sales team had stopped quoting new business because they could not access pricing data.
The system was back online by five o'clock. The cost of those three hours was not on any invoice.
That is the problem this book addresses. Downtime has a direct cost that most businesses can calculate, roughly: the revenue that stops while systems are down. What most businesses have never calculated is everything else. The staff hours spent waiting, workarounds, and manual workaround documentation. The customers who never complain but simply do not come back. The deals that do not close because someone needed data they could not access. The reputation damage that shows up in customer conversations six months later. The regulatory exposure when a system failure intersects with a compliance requirement.
The Real Costs of Downtime walks through the full picture of what a system failure actually costs a business, from the direct and immediate to the indirect and long-term. It covers the most common causes of downtime and what each one typically costs to recover from. It explains how to calculate your own downtime exposure, what a downtime budget actually looks like, and how to read a service level agreement without being misled by the numbers.
It also covers something most I.T. conversations miss entirely: what to do while systems are down. Communications. Customer management. Staff direction. The decisions that cannot wait for the system to come back online. The CEOs who handle outages well are almost never the ones with the best technology. They are the ones with a plan.
This is not a book about preventing every outage. That is not possible. It is a book about understanding what outages actually cost, making better decisions about where to invest in resilience, and being ready when something goes wrong, because something always does.
IT Support 101 Inc. is an independent advisory firm working exclusively with business owners and executive teams on the technology decisions they cannot afford to get wrong. No commissions. No vendor relationships. Just clear, honest advisory work on your side of the table.
Also from
Inc, It Support 101
Cybersecurity: The Executive's Guide to Reducing Risk, Strengthening Defenses, and Protecting What Matters Most
Inc, It Support 101
Paperback
Backups: What to Ask, What to Verify, and How to Know Your Data Is Actually Protected
Inc, It Support 101
Paperback
Your Business Email: What Every Business Owner Should Know About How Email Actually Works
Inc, It Support 101
Paperback
Physical & Electronic Security: How to Protect Your Premises, Your Equipment, and Your Data With Cameras, Locks, Alarms, and Access Control
Inc, It Support 101
Paperback
Also in
Management
Crucial Conversations Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Second Edition
Patterson, Kerry
Switzler, Al
Grenny, Joseph
Paperback
Quiet Girls Can Run the World: Owning Your Power When You're Not the Alpha in the Room
Holman, Rebecca
Paperback
Inclusive Conversations: Fostering Equity, Empathy, and Belonging Across Differences
Winters, Mary-Frances
Paperback
The Art of Communication: How to Be Authentic, Lead Others, and Create Strong Connections
Apps, Judy
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing Yourself, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How Will You Measure Your Life? by Clayton M. Christensen)
Review, Harvard Business
Drucker, Peter F.
Gallo, Amy
Paperback
Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect
Guidara, Will
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads 2027: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (Featuring the Hidden Beliefs That Hold Leaders Bac
Review, Harvard Business
Edmondson, Amy C.
Wilkins, Muriel M.
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Mental Toughness, Updated and Expanded (Featuring How to Stop Worrying about What Other People Think of You by Michael Gervais)
Review, Harvard Business
Gervais, Michael
Duckworth, Angela L.
Paperback
Take Breaks, Work Better: Measure Impact, Not Hours, and Transform Your Profitability
Briggs, John
Paperback
How We Could: The Framework to Lead Without Drama, Build Alignment, and Call Teams to Greatness
Dorr, Alex
Hardcover
What Could Possibly Go Right?: The Essential Journey to Scale an Enduring Culture
Meyer, Danny
Hardcover
Surrender to Lead: The Counterintuitive Approach to Driving Extraordinary Results
Terry, Joe
Kriegel, Jessica
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Leadership, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Begin with Trust by Frances X. Frei and Anne Morriss)
Edmondson, Amy C.
Ibarra, Herminia
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
The Year in Tech, 2027: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Review, Harvard Business
Davenport, Thomas H.
Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas
Paperback
Strong Ground: The Lessons of Daring Leadership, the Tenacity of Paradox, and the Wisdom of the Human Spirit
Brown, Brené
Hardcover
The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you
Fitzpatrick, Rob
Paperback
Bookkeeping - Accounting for Small Business: A Quickstudy Laminated Reference Guide
Epstein, Lita
Other
What the Heck Is Eos?: A Complete Guide for Employees in Companies Running on EOS
Bouwer, Tom
Wickman, Gino
Hardcover
The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More, and Change the Way You Lead Forever
Stanier, Michael Bungay
Paperback
Get Scalable: The Operating System Your Business Needs To Run and Scale Without You
Deiss, Ryan
Paperback
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership Workbook 25th Anniversary Edition: Follow Them and People Will Follow You
Maxwell, John C.
Paperback
Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as If Your Life Depended on It
Voss, Chris
Raz, Tahl
Hardcover
Stop Asking for Referrals: Build a Magnetic Business Through Intentional Care & Real Relationships
McNally, Flor de Maria
Paperback
The First 90 Days, Updated and Expanded: Proven Strategies for Getting Up to Speed Faster and Smarter
Watkins, Michael D.
Hardcover
Influence and Persuasion (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Morgan, Nick
Cialdini, Robert B.
Paperback
Building Great Businesses: Create Momentum, Overcome Setbacks, and Scale with Confidence
Becker, Scott
Hardcover
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving in
Fisher, Roger
Ury, William
Patton, Bruce
Paperback
The Year in Tech, 2026: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Review, Harvard Business
Anthony, Scott D.
Webb, Amy
Paperback
Anchored, Aligned, Accountable: A Framework for Transcending Bullsh*t and Transforming Our Lives and Work
Bethea, Aiko
Hardcover
The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula That Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors, and Spacex
McNeill, Jon
Hardcover
Take It Personal: How to Succeed by Building Relationships and Playing the Long Game
Grutman, David
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Strategy, Updated and Expanded (Featuring the Five Competitive Forces That Shape Strategy by Michael E. Porter)
Review, Harvard Business
Porter, Michael E.
Kim, W. Chan
Paperback
From Operator to Owner: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Running a Business That Doesn't Run You
Landry, Liz
Hardcover
Feedback That Works: How to Build and Deliver Your Message, Second Edition
Center for Creative Leadership
Paperback
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about It, Devops, and Helping Your Business Win
Behr, Kevin
Spafford, George
Kim, Gene
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on High Performance, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Nine Things Successful People Do Differently by Heidi Grant)
Grant, Heidi
Goleman, Daniel
Review, Harvard Business
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Managing People, Updated and Expanded (Featuring Are You a Good Boss--Or a Great One? by Linda A. Hill and Kent Lineback)
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Hill, Linda A.
Paperback
Hbr's 10 Must Reads 2026: The Definitive Management Ideas of the Year from Harvard Business Review (Featuring the Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift by
Review, Harvard Business
Meyer, Erin
Flyvbjerg, Bent
Paperback
Competing in the Age of AI: Strategy and Leadership When Algorithms and Networks Run the World
Iansiti, Marco
Lakhani, Karim R.
Hardcover
Inside the Owner's Box: Conversations on Power and Leadership in Sports
Rubenstein, David M.
Hardcover
Generative Ai: The Insights You Need from Harvard Business Review
Review, Harvard Business
Mollick, Ethan
Cremer, David De
Paperback
Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation
Hill, Linda A.
Tedards, Emily
Wild, Jason
Hardcover
Getting You Ready for Power: A Woman's Guide to Building Confidence, Community, and Career Success
Meruelo, Alexis
Paperback
The 360 Degree Leader Workbook: Developing Your Influence from Anywhere in the Organization
Maxwell, John C.
Paperback
The Way of the Shepherd: Seven Secrets to Managing Productive People
Pentak, William
Leman, Kevin
Hardcover
The Oz Principle: Getting Results Through Individual and Organizational Accountability
Hickman, Craig
Connors, Roger
Smith, Tom
Paperback
The Hard Thing about Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers
Horowitz, Ben
Hardcover
Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress
Moesta, Bob
Engle, Greg
Hardcover
Hbr's 10 Must Reads on Emotional Intelligence, Updated and Expanded (Featuring What Makes a Leader by Daniel Goleman)
Review, Harvard Business
Goleman, Daniel
Ibarra, Hermina
Paperback
Playing to Win, Expanded with Bonus HBR Articles: How Strategy Really Works
Lafley, A. G.
Martin, Roger L.
Hardcover
Dirtbag Billionaire: How Yvon Chouinard Built Patagonia, Made a Fortune, and Gave It All Away
Gelles, David
Hardcover
Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most
Stone, Douglas
Heen, Sheila
Patton, Bruce
Paperback
The 6 Types of Working Genius: A Better Way to Understand Your Gifts, Your Frustrations, and Your Team
Lencioni, Patrick M.
Hardcover
The One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth about Extraordinary Results
Keller, Gary
Papasan, Jay
Hardcover
Indispensable: How to Become the Company That Your Customers Can't Live Without
Calloway, Joe
Hardcover
Biblia del Vendedor: Tecnicas Efectivas Para El Vendedor Competitivo
Dey, Alejandro
Dey, Alex
Paperback
The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People
Chapman, Gary
White, Paul
Paperback
Focused & Fearless Leadership: Preventing the Crisis Before It Starts
Overton, Melissa Godwin
Paperback
How to Win Friends and Influence People: Updated for the Next Generation of Leaders
Carnegie, Dale
Hardcover
Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life
Murphy, Jim
Paperback
Team Topologies, 2nd Edition: Organizing Business and Technology for Fast Flow of Value
Skelton, Matthew
Pais, Manuel
Paperback
The Heart Work of Modern Leadership: 6 Differentiators of Exceptional Leaders
Grossman, David
Paperback
The Asshole Survival Guide: How to Deal with People Who Treat You Like Dirt
Sutton, Robert I.
Paperback
Say This, Not That: How to Master 7 Dreaded Conversations As a Leader in the Modern Workplace
Flickinger, Chris
Paperback
The Octopus Organization: A Guide to Thriving in a World of Continuous Transformation
Le-Brun, Phil
Werner, Jana
Hardcover
You Don't Need a Title to Be a Leader: How Anyone, Anywhere, Can Make a Positive Difference
Sanborn, Mark
Hardcover
Psychological Safety (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series)
Review, Harvard Business
Edmondson, Amy C.
Auger-Dominguez, Daisy
Paperback
The Trusted Advisor: 20th Anniversary Edition
Galford, Robert
Green, Charles
Maister, David H.
Paperback
Never Settle: Persuasion and Negotiation Skills to Get What You Want
Qureshi, Attia
Richardson, John
Hardcover
The Adaptability Quotient: Rewiring Your Mind for Success in the Next Human Era
Litowitz, Alec
Hardcover
The Things We Hide: A Guide to Identifying Hidden Barriers and Leading with Authenticity
Dickerhoof, Tyler
Hardcover
Be Our Guest-Revised and Updated Edition: Perfecting the Art of Customer Service
The Disney Institute
Hardcover
Who Not How: The Formula to Achieve Bigger Goals Through Accelerating Teamwork
Sullivan, Dan
Hardy, Benjamin
Hardcover
The Founder's Mentality: How to Overcome the Predictable Crises of Growth
Zook, Chris
Allen, James
Hardcover
The Lean Six SIGMA Pocket Toolbook: A Quick Reference Guide to Nearly 100 Tools for Improving Quality and Speed
Rowlands, David T.
Price, Mark
George, Michael L.
Paperback
Rewired: McKinsey's Playbook on How Leading Companies Win with Technology and AI
Lamarre, Eric
Smaje, Kate
Levin, Robert
Hardcover
The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEOs and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success
Thorndike, William N.
Hardcover
The New Gold Standard: 5 Leadership Principles for Creating a Legendary Customer Experience Courtesy of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company
Michelli, Joseph A.
Hardcover
Positive Intelligence: Why Only 20% of Teams and Individuals Achieve Their True Potential and How You Can Achieve Yours
Chamine, Shirzad
Hardcover
The Practice of Adaptive Leadership: Tools and Tactics for Changing Your Organization and the World
Grashow, Alexander
Linsky, Marty
Heifetz, Ronald A.
Hardcover
Rollout: Get Your Entire Team Running on EOS to Achieve Your Vision
Smith, Marisa
Fahey, Beth
Hardcover
The Effective Executive: The Definitive Guide to Getting the Right Things Done
Drucker, Peter F.
Paperback
Leadership and Self-Deception, Fourth Edition: The Secret to Transforming Relationships and Unleashing Results
Arbinger Institute
Paperback
The Advantage: Why Organizational Health Trumps Everything Else in Business
Lencioni, Patrick M.
Hardcover
Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential
Wilkins, Muriel M.
Hardcover
The Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Mavericks, Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People
Willett, Alan
Paperback
Tax-Free Wealth: How to Build Massive Wealth by Permanently Lowering Your Taxes
Wheelwright, Tom
Paperback
$100m Lost Chapters: Lost Treasures from $100M Offers, $100M Leads, and $100M Money Models
Hormozi, Alex
Hardcover
Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
Kotter, John
Rathgeber, Holger
Hardcover