Let’s start with what a disaster really means because for most people it conjures up images of a Tsunami or devastating bush fire and you skip along thinking that will never happen here, to me! Well in reality it is any event that disrupts your ability to run your business – be that user error, malware or a natural disaster. So sooner or later you will be in a situation where you are likely to be at risk of data loss.
You’ve probably read the statistics before – 75% of small businesses do not have a business continuity plan in place and of those that then suffer a major data disaster 93% go out of business within 1 year. So if those statistics aren’t hitting home here are our top reasons why you need a disaster recovery plan
Because your business cannot afford downtime. Devising and implementing a disaster recovery plan makes you consider your business operations and understand the critical functions, what would happen if these were suddenly unavailable and how long your business can survive without them, which forms the basis of the objectives for your plan.
Because machines and hardware fail. We now have huge reliance on technology, but it’s still not perfect and is bound to have issues here and there. Even with the best equipment on the market there is no safeguard from malfunctions or hardware problems. We recommend our customers use an image based cloud backup to eliminate any interruptions in case of IT infrastructure failures.
Because humans make mistakes. While this is among some of the hardest mistakes to prevent and correct, regular staff training and awareness of cyber crime will help combat the rise in ransomware/malware and phishing attacks. A key way to prevent human error is in process improvements and quality assurance activities and a disaster recovery plan that incorporates checking and double checking is often the best remedy.
Because your customers and potential customers expect it. The average consumer now expects the information they want to access to be available whenever it is convenient for them. Downtime means a lack of availability to your customers and a loss of business in the immediate and possibly long term.
A lot of thought and effort goes into creating a bespoke disaster recovery plan for your business but its value cannot be under estimated, please don’t leave it till a situation occurs before you consider putting one in place.
If you need further help then give us a call on 0333 3207 335 or email info@webbytech.co.uk
