Backing up can be hard to do – just ask any small business owner. Backing up all your business-critical data can take time, money, and know-how and although the potential risks typically far outweigh such costs, many business owners don't think about backing up until after disaster has struck. Whether you are working on implementing a solution or haven't even given thought to one, here are a few data backup tips to help you get started:
Determine your Backup Needs – What type of data will your business be backing up? How often do you need to backup? Does the data need to be encrypted? The answers to such questions can help you determine what data backup method is best suited for your needs.
Choose a Specific Backup Time – Remembering to regularly backup can be made easier by simply setting a specific time to backup. For example, backup every Friday at 3 p.m. before you leave the office for the weekend. This is especially beneficial if you are using external media such as an external hard drive or tapes to backup your data.
Use Multiple Layers of Protection – Don't rely on just one single technology or type of backup, especially if backups are kept in the same vicinity as the originals. To ensure maximum protection, use a variety of methods and keep a copy of backups offsite.
Consider Online File Storage – Online file storage provides small to mid-sized business owners an affordable, easy, and secure backup method. Most online backup providers offer unlimited storage for a flat monthly fee and encrypt your data to ensure it is not accessed by any unauthorized user.
Test the Recovery Process – Make sure you are familiar with what the recovery process entails and make sure you perform a practice run before it is ever needed. Separate your backups accordingly depending on how quickly they need to be restored in the event of a disaster.
Perform Incremental Backups – Instead of backing up an entire file every time you perform a backup, do incremental backups instead, which only backups the portion of a file or document that has changed or been added since the last backup.
Determine your Backup Needs – What type of data will your business be backing up? How often do you need to backup? Does the data need to be encrypted? The answers to such questions can help you determine what data backup method is best suited for your needs.
Choose a Specific Backup Time – Remembering to regularly backup can be made easier by simply setting a specific time to backup. For example, backup every Friday at 3 p.m. before you leave the office for the weekend. This is especially beneficial if you are using external media such as an external hard drive or tapes to backup your data.
Use Multiple Layers of Protection – Don't rely on just one single technology or type of backup, especially if backups are kept in the same vicinity as the originals. To ensure maximum protection, use a variety of methods and keep a copy of backups offsite.
Consider Online File Storage – Online file storage provides small to mid-sized business owners an affordable, easy, and secure backup method. Most online backup providers offer unlimited storage for a flat monthly fee and encrypt your data to ensure it is not accessed by any unauthorized user.
Test the Recovery Process – Make sure you are familiar with what the recovery process entails and make sure you perform a practice run before it is ever needed. Separate your backups accordingly depending on how quickly they need to be restored in the event of a disaster.
Perform Incremental Backups – Instead of backing up an entire file every time you perform a backup, do incremental backups instead, which only backups the portion of a file or document that has changed or been added since the last backup.
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