Proper backup procedures can save you in case of a disaster

Natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornados, fires and flooding can cause extreme damage to homes and businesses in affected areas. While physical damage to property may be unavoidable, data loss isn’t. It’s important for small business owners to take the necessary precautions to ensure their computer systems, filled with valuable data, are properly backed-up offsite.

SOS Online Backup published the findings of a study revealing that nearly 50 percent of small businesses do not back-up their data regularly. Losing databases, possibly amounting to years’ worth of financial, customer and other confidential information, as the result of a natural disaster could result in a bigger disaster – the failure of your small business.

According to the Institute for Business and Home Safety, an estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster. To ensure a small business does not end up in that bracket, small business owners must plan for disasters, regardless of whether or not they are forecasted.

While backing up data may not seem like a priority on a day-to-day basis, it can make a huge difference on whether or not your business can get back up on its feet if a natural disaster strikes. Backing up your computer system locally is not enough. If you have a lot of physical damage to your business, you may not be able to get to your local backup, or it may have been destroyed. This is why backing up your data continuously offsite is your safest and most secure option when it comes to protecting your data.

Small businesses put a lot of reliance on their computer and database systems. These systems usually hold vital information for daily operation such as financial data, customer data, product information, etc. All of the information stored in these systems is irreplaceable and necessary for the success of the business. Most of these systems have grown organically and have become essential to the running and organization of the business.

Without properly backing up these systems, a natural disaster could wipe everything out – forcing any small business owner to have to pick up and start again from scratch.