5 Reasons Small Businesses Should Back Up Their Data

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SOL-I.S. takes the security of your data seriously. Sometimes, a small business owner will ask us why they need to back up their data. They run their business out of their homes and don’t make too much in revenue—why would a hacker be interested in their data?

1. You don’t know when a data disaster will strike.
From floods and fires to ransomware, you never know when a data disaster will strike. The Small Business Administration reports that 90 percent of small businesses shut their doors after experiencing data loss due to a natural disaster. In August 2017, Entrepreneur reported that a single hack costs a small business $256,000, on average.

Disasters—both natural and man-made—strike without warning. Regularly backing up your data can minimize losses after a disaster strikes and help get your business up and running faster. Off-site backup storage in the cloud can ensure you don’t lose a single file.

2. Cybercrime is rampant.
Is the threat of losing $256k not enough to get you to back up your data? How about 1.5 million? That’s the number of malware infections reported in the first half of 2017 alone. The cyber threat is real, serious, and enormous.

Cyber criminals go after businesses large and small, but only 13 percent of small business owners believe their business is at risk. Don’t be one of them. Back up your data securely in the cloud or offsite to protect your employee’s personal data, your customers’ financial information, and your own intellectual property.

3. Data backup eases anxiety and stress.
It doesn’t take a big disaster or a hacker to lose data. Hard drive failures and other relatively minor technological incidents can lead to a loss of payroll data, product information, contact lists, and other data that keeps your businesses up and running. Backing this data up regularly can provide you peace of mind.

4. Your team stays productive.
Backing up your data makes it easy for you and your team to stay productive. Regular data backups reduce the chances your business comes grinding to a halt during a data disaster. But backing up your data also makes it easier to recover from minor disruptions from silly mistakes and oversights. Your team spends less time redoing work or recreating documents.

5. Backing up data can save you money (and even help you make more).
A global survey uncovered that businesses have lost $1.7 trillion due to data loss. A small breach may cost upwards of $35,000. Plus, when the IRS comes calling for an audit, all they want to see is that your business records are complete and in compliance. If you lose data in a disaster or hack, Uncle Sam doesn’t cut you any slack. You may face fines for failing to keep proper records.

On a happier note, backing up your data not only saves you money, it can actually help you make more of it. Consumers are increasingly concerned with how their personal and financial data is stored and protected by the companies they do business with. Protecting and backing up your customer data—and sharing your good practices with your customers—can give you an edge over your competition.

There are all sorts of ways to back up your data, but the most important thing is to do it. SOL-I.S. can help you understand your options and design a data backup system for your business. Contact us today for your IT consultation.

 

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