If you want to protect your business from the unthinkable, it’s important you keep backups of all your important data. A fire, flood or another disaster could damage your servers and destroy all your files when you least expect it. Using proper backup systems prevents that problem and keeps you out of harm’s way.
Although most people don’t understand the importance of implementing data backups, you are about to discover some of the most compelling reasons to do so. You will also learn the differences between off- and on-site backups.
Protect Your Critical Data
If a disaster or hard drive failure causes you to lose all your data, you could lose customer contact information, employee records and more. Depending on the type of business you run, you might have to start all your projects from the beginning. You could also lose billing information, and you won’t know how many of your customers still owe money to your business. Losing your data could also damage your reputation because your customers trust you to keep their information safe.
Best Practices for Effective Data Backup
On-site backups are the first backup type about which you are going to learn. When you use this method to protect your important files and digital documents, you create backups on external hard drives you keep at your business. You could also store them on separate backup servers depending on the size of your business.
On-site backups help if you have a hard drive failure or it part of your business floods. On the other hand, if a disaster impacts all of your property, it could even destroy your backup servers along the way. On-site backups are not always the best solution if you want peace of mind over the long run.
Off-Site Backups
Off-site backups are another option when your goal is to safeguard your files from harm. Unlike the other options, off-site backups use servers stored in a different location to protect your data. Some large businesses that have more than one location create their own off-site backups, but doing so still comes with limitations.
Enlisting a company that offers advanced off-site backups is one of the top ways to ensure your data will be there when you need it the most. Some information technology companies back your data up at more than one location to give you even better results. Consider how much losing your data would impact your bottom line, and you can then choose what option is right for you.
