Data Backup for Small Businesses: A Simple Routine That Works
One broken hard disk can erase years of records. A simple 3-2-1 routine keeps your business data safe.
Most small businesses do not think about backups until the day a computer fails. By then it is too late. Years of sales, customer balances and stock records can disappear with one broken hard disk, a virus or a stolen laptop. The fix is simple and cheap, and it takes only a few minutes a week.
The 3-2-1 idea
Security experts use a simple rule:
- 3 copies of your data: the working copy and two backups.
- 2 different types of storage, for example your computer and an external drive.
- 1 copy away from the shop, such as cloud storage or a drive kept at home.
A fire, a theft or a power surge can destroy everything in one place. A copy somewhere else protects you from that.
A routine you can follow
- Daily: let your software take an automatic backup, or run it at closing time.
- Weekly: copy the latest backup to an external drive.
- Weekly or monthly: upload a copy to cloud storage, or keep a drive at home.
- Monthly: test that you can actually open and restore a backup.
The step most people skip
A backup you have never tested is only a hope. Once a month, restore a copy on another computer or folder and check that your data is there and correct. It takes ten minutes and could save your business.
Protect the backups too
- Keep backup drives somewhere safe, not next to the computer all the time.
- Use passwords on backups that contain customer or financial data.
- Do not leave the backup drive plugged in permanently, because a virus can damage it along with your main files.
Other simple protections
- Keep your operating system and antivirus up to date.
- Use strong, different passwords for important accounts.
- Give staff access only to what they need.
- Switch off a former employee's access on the day they leave.
What to ask your software vendor
- Does the software create automatic backups?
- Can it save backup copies to a cloud service?
- How do I restore data, and can you show me?
Our software takes automatic backups and can store copies on Google Drive. If you want help setting up a safe routine for your business, get in touch.