Losing your business data can be devastating. That’s why it’s important to have a plan to back up and store your files.
Here are a few tips recommended by experts:
- Identify all electronic or paper files vital to your business. This includes documents that are essential for daily operations or that need to be kept for legal or regulatory purposes.
- Vital information includes databases, human resources and accounting files, spreadsheets, and possibly documents and emails.
- Are you backing up everything you need? Think about office computers; mobile devices; laptops or home computers used by remote staff; and possibly operating systems and software applications. Don’t forget about important paper documents.
- Back up files daily or weekly, depending on your needs, and automate those backups whenever possible. Identify who is responsible for backups and routinely check them to make sure they are usable.
- Prepare for how you’ll respond if you need to restore your files. Who needs to be involved and how will it happen?
- One copy isn’t enough. It’s strongly recommended that you keep one backup stored safely on site, and another stored offsite in case of hardware failure, fire, robbery or loss of Internet access. Experts also recommend that you consider using cloud services to store electronic data.
Remember, backing up files today can help you move forward tomorrow.