No two businesses are the same, so why should their cord covers be?

Choosing the right cable protectors for your office, retail space, warehouse, or facility may seem like a tricky task, but it doesn't have to be. All you need to do is look around your place of business, and then make a mental note of the layout, equipment, and traffic situation (aka: the number of people or vehicles traveling through on a regular basis), as well as compliance requirements.

From there, it's just a matter of matching your business' need with the cord covers that fit the bill. To get you on the right track, we've put together a few common business-related cable management scenarios, and solved each need with several cable protection possibilities.

The Situation:Phone cords and data cables are stretched across the walkways in your office and have kept tripping people.

The Solution:When it comes to typical offices where computer work is the order of the day — and walk-though traffic is less than hectic — slight capacity cord covers are generally all you need to prevent cable-related tripping hazards; and keep your floors looking neat. Light capacity cord covers are typically made of flexible plastic with gently dome-shaped surfaces for easy crossing. They are slit underneath for easy cable insertion — and can be left to lay flat on their own — or affixed to your flooring with double-sided tape for extra security. Is your office carpeted? Another great option is the SafCord. It is a flat-profile fabric cord cover that's made of heavy duty nylon, with hook-and-loop construction that grabs tightly to any loop-style carpet. It works along the same lines as fastening cables to the floor with gaffer tape, except it involves no sticky adhesive — and looks a lot nicer too. You just lay the SafCord over your cables then press down on the hook and loop edging. You're left with completely flat wire protection that won't move, even when vacuumed over. It is perfect for when the cleaning crew comes in.

The Situation:The extension cords on your warehouse floor need to be protected from occasional forklift traffic, but very heavy-duty cord covers seem like overkill.

The Solution:Because of differences in size, machinery, and overall traffic, warehouses can present a cable management dilemma. Many medium capacity, dropover cable protectors are likely to be pushed around by frequent forklift traffic. But at the same time, most of the pricier high capacity, heavy duty cord covers on the market are designed for near-constant runover by trucks and other outdoor vehicle traffic. Where's the middle ground? An excellent "happy medium" for warehouses is the Eagle® Parking Stops and Speed Bumps cable protector. Originally designed to be used in temporary parking lot setups, this medium, high capacity cable protector features a dropover style, but can be anchored into the ground to eliminate shifting that can occur with vehicle traffic. It's also far more cost effective than full-fledged heavy duty cable protectors, covering at least twice the length for a fraction of the price.

The Situation:Your company puts on outdoor special events, and needs cord covers that can stand up to both pedestrians and vehicles, but are also ADA compliant.

The Solution:When you combine elements like the great outdoors, mixed pedestrian/vehicle traffic and ADA compliance, the situation automatically calls for a high capacity polyurethane cord cover, like Linebacker® or Guard Dog® cable protectors. Made of molded polyurethane that can withstand vehicle loads ranging from 21,000 to 43,000 pounds per axle (depending on the model), these high-performance cord covers are also textured to give pedestrians better traction — and can be customized with ADA-compliant ramps — wherever wheelchair crossing points may be necessary.

The Situation:You're a working musician or DJ who travels with lots of gear and audio cables, which you'd really like to avoid stepping on while entertaining the crowd.

The Solution:Believe it or not, there's a line of cord covers that were designed to protect cables (and people) on, in and around stages, DJ booths, clubs, and other music-driven entertainment venues. Cleverly named ClubSaver™, these cable protectors are everything the gigging musician needs them to be: rugged, lightweight, inconspicuous onstage, and even self-anchoring, thanks to a rubberized backing material that grabs onto almost any flooring surface. When the show's over, just pick them up and toss them into your vehicle with the rest of your gear.