If you are like most small to medium size businesses, you are probably thinking of backing up your data with online backups as a cost addition. You probably don’t have too many systems and you have a handful of trusted employees who know their job pretty well. Why do you need to invest in online backups? This blog post will change the way you look at online backups.
HOW CAN YOU LOSE DATA?
Before we talk about how data loss can affect you, and what role online backups can play, let’s take a look at what can cause you to lose your business data in the first place.
KATRINA, HARVEY, IRMA…
We mean natural disasters. Hurricanes, floods, fires, even terrorist attacks can affect your servers and systems and cause data loss to you. Generally, when we speak of data loss, the first thing that comes to mind is technological problems or accidental data deletion. And many SMBs argue that they have systems in place to ensure that doesn’t happen. But, natural calamities–the ones we are most defenseless against are often unaccounted for.
EMPLOYEE ERRORS OR MALICIOUS ACTIVITIES
Your employees may also contribute to data loss unwittingly or on purpose. Someone may accidentally delete the final version of that file instead of the older one. Another person may click on a malware link that holds your data hostage and demands a ransom that’s unaffordable. Someone else may delete that important lead list out of spite on their last day at work. No matter what the reason, the cause is the same–data loss and the result is the same as well–you suffer.
YOUR HARDWARE BREAKS
Finally, the most obvious reason for data loss is corrupt hardware. If your hardware breaks, sometimes it becomes impossible to fix it and retrieve data.
HOW BAD IS DATA LOSS, REALLY?
DATA LOSS CAN SHUT DOWN YOUR BUSINESS
Did you know that when it comes to reasons that cause maximum shutdowns of SMBs, data loss leads from the front? It is extremely hard for a small business to bounce back from a data loss experience. SMBs that lose their data are most likely to close shop within 6 months.
DATA LOSS HURTS YOUR BRAND
When data loss happens, it likely means severe damage to your brand. The brand that took years of market presence and goodwill to build can all be wiped out in a few seconds.
DATA LOSS CAN ATTRACT LEGAL ACTION AND PENALTIES
When we talk about data loss happening to your business, it is not just about your business’s data that is gone. A lot of data pertains to third parties like your customers, vendors, and prospects. Plus, if you are in the professional sector, you may have to adhere to compliance and regulatory requirements in relation to the data you handle. Data loss, in such cases, makes you vulnerable to lawsuits from third parties and also risks legal penalties.
How do online backups help?
Online backups help you by storing your data in the cloud. That means no matter what happens on-site, your data in the cloud stays safe. Your data is not affected as a result of server crashes, accidental deletion, or even extreme events like natural disasters, water/fire accidents, or terror attacks. Apart from this obvious benefit, you get the following benefits by choosing the cloud to backup your data.
ANYTIME-ANYWHERE ACCESS TO YOUR DATA
Unlike data on local machines, the cloud gives you anytime-anywhere access to your data with the internet or even intranet. This is a huge plus if you have a varied workforce structure where individuals are working from home or different offices.
THE ONUS OF DATA SECURITY IS OFFLOADED TO A LARGE EXTENT
When you opt for the cloud, the responsibility of data security shifts to your cloud service provider to a great extent. That’s one less thing for you to worry about.
SCALABILITY
The cloud lets you rent as much or as little space as you want. When in the cloud, you are sharing space with others. Unlike an investment in local machines and servers, where you own all the space and may have to buy new ones for even a marginal increase in space requirements. The cloud is especially great if you are in a scenario (such as a CPA) where you have a seasonal staff to support you as your workload peaks at certain times of the year.
COST SAVINGS
Overall, the cloud works out to be cheaper, for pretty much the same reasons discussed above. You pay for only what you use, because you are sharing space with others. You can get just as much or as little space as you need in contrast to investing in local machines and servers, where you are forced to pay for and buy the entire hardware for even a marginal increase in space requirements.
Conducting data backups is the best practice, but online backups in the cloud are even better. Get in the cloud. It is the smart way to safeguard your data.
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