Why You Need A Backup And Disaster Recovery Plan For Your Business

Backup your computers. You've heard it dozens of times. In fact, you've heard it so often that you probably don’t even think about doing it anymore. After all, you’ve never had anything go wrong with your system. Disasters and cyber attacks are something that happen to other companies – not yours. That’s a risky way of thinking about your business’ technology.

Ask yourself, “can my business continue to function without its critical data, documents, and applications?” If the answer is no – and it most likely is – you need a disaster recovery plan. At some point, your business’ data will be at risk whether it be due to human error, a virus, or even a natural disaster. Not having a disaster recovery plan in place could mean losing it all.

If you’re still not convinced, here’s a list of four reasons why you need a backup and disaster recovery plan for your business:

Mother Nature is Unpredictable

Nearly every part of the world is susceptible to a natural disaster, whether it be hurricanes, tornadoes, massive snowstorms, or earthquakes, and we’ve all seen what can happen when Mother Nature strikes. Businesses that don’t have a disaster recovery plan in place often find that it’s nearly impossible to resume normal business operations after a disaster hits. On top of that, 70% of SMBs go out of business within a year of data loss from a natural disaster. Having a disaster recovery plan in place will ensure that you know what to do should a natural disaster hit.

Humans Make Mistakes

Have you ever had your computer crash before you could save an important document? What about accidentally saving over a Word document?
No one is perfect, and unfortunately, even employees with the best intentions can accidentally delete data. Human errors are some of the hardest mistakes to prevent and correct, but ensuring that your data is regularly backed up can help you quickly restore it back to its error-free state.

Machines and Hardware Eventually Fail

Although huge strides have been made in the resilience of our technology, it’s still not perfect. Even the best piece of hardware will have issues at some point. Systems crash, data gets erased, and viruses attack. Since it can be expensive to eliminate any single point of failure in your IT infrastructure, the best option is to create a disaster recovery plan and backup your data regularly. This will help eliminate interruptions in the event of IT infrastructure failure.

Disaster Recovery Means Less Downtime

Chances are, your business can’t afford downtime. Downtime and lost data can ruin your business’ reputation and cause you to lose customers and revenue. The longer your business is down, the more it will cost you. With IT downtime costs estimated at $26.5 billion in lost revenue, chances are, you can’t afford to be down for very long. A disaster recovery plan will help you reduce the amount of time your business is down after a disaster. The faster you’re back up and running, the less likely your business will suffer.

No business is immune to IT disasters, but there are things you can do to prevent them and recovery quickly. Too many businesses fail due to lack of preparation, but you don’t have to be one of them. Having a documented set of procedures in a disaster recovery plan will help you reduce downtime, save money, and save your business in the event of a disaster.

The author, Robert A. Martin, is the President of Great Lakes Computer. Bob has a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Akron. He joined the company in 1995 and has held multiple positions including Large Account Sales, Sales Manager, VP of Operations, and now serves as President. 

Although he oversees all operations, Bob’s primary focus is in the areas of sales development, strategic direction, government sales and large account management. Bob is the author of the "Great Lakes Tips on Tech" Blog.

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