In any business one of the most valuable commodities is the companies data. As with most things it is only once you lost it do you appreciate how important it is. I hate the look on faces of the numerous people I have dealt with when I ask “have you had backed up your data” and explain how it is lost if they have not. More importantly how they may be able to recover it from the hard disk but it will probably cost thousands with no guarantee of success. Without your everyday business data your business is paralysed and in a relatively small amount of time and can grind to a halt.
So we now realise how important this data is to us but in a busy small business environment it is very easy to push backups down the priority list as something that is not important. Not only that many of us do not consider a true disaster recovery plan. Now don’t get me wrong this can sound a lot less interesting than working on your actual business you have a passion for. However part of managing a small business is to plan for every situation and if you are ever unfortunate enough to have to cope with a disaster like a business theft, fire or flood then you will be glad you have done so.
All these disaster scenarios have a potential of losing critical business data. Even if you backed up your data to a local hard disk that could also be lost. Although I would recommend most business’s that store critical data locally to consider using raid 1 which mirrors data across two hard disks . This at least protects you against one of the most common computer problems hard disk failure. Apart from the cost of an extra hard disk there is no overhead on your time to run backups. However this will not protect you against premise damage or theft.
One of my aims at Tech Tumble is to show you a system that will protect your data but is simple and easy to administer. If a backup is automatic and doesn’t cost you a fortune then other than testing it worked will take up very little of your time. So you will not only have more time on your hands but also confident you will never need to worry about data loss.
Online backup is a great option for backing up your small business data. It is usually a seamless software that just works in the background that copies your data to an online server. Some even keeps versions of old files so if you have changed a file and wish to go back to an old version it can be achieved at the click of a button. Below is a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of using an online backup
Advantages of Online Backup for a Small Business
- Stores remotely in another location which is essential for a true disaster recovery plan.
- Very little user intervention required as most systems work automatically in the background.
- Unlimited data capacity as you can increase your capacity with your provider as you require it.
- You have support from your provider to ensure all files are normally backed up.
- Some providers backup open files and backup almost immediately to reduce the chance of data loss between backups.
- Backups are encrypted across the internet which is more secure than the backup ta eor disk you carry about with you.
Disadvantages of Online Backup for a Small Business
- Reliant on your internet bandwidth. If you have a slow connection this could make it even slower.
- Depending on the amount of data and files sizes your backup can be slow.
- Restoring a large amount of data over the internet can also be slow especially when you need to restore a backup in a short space of time.
- If you have a monthly limit on your broadband connection this will increase the data you transfer over the internet.
- Your providers SLA(Service Level Agreement) maybe of a level that gives them no responsibility for lost data.
- If you need a large amount of data backed up and a high level service agreement then the cost can soon add up. However you have to compare it to the true cost to your business.
Available Features of an Online Backup Provider
Although an online backup software seems a basic process there are different features available and you should make sure the provider you select has the features you require.
Capacity
Do they have the online storage capacity you require. Most providers have a scale of costs depending on the capacity you require and some charge you for the bandwidth you have used e.g. the amount you have uploaded or downloaded in a month.
Operating System
Ensure you understand all your data you wish to backup and the platform the backup software needs to work on. For example Windows 7 or a Mac. Don’t forget mobile device data such as smart phones and laptops.
Database and Email Backup
Backing up open files can be essential for some business’s as both databases and email are nearly always being accessed from boot up. Some of a business’s most important data is held within the email or database system.
Backing Up Revisions
If you want to be able to go back to a previous version of a file you will want your backup provider to have this feature. In my view this is essential as there is no point in backing up a corrupt file, if you can’t roll back a file to before the problem. It could also save you many hours of work if you have changed a file and you require the original. This feature is also known as versioning.
Seed Loading
If you have a large amount of data to back up the first backup can take a very long time. Some providers offer a removable device which you send them to get you jump started e.g. the initial seed backup.
Bulk Restore
When you have a problem you want to be able to restore as quickly as possible. If you backup a large amount of data and need to do a full restore you want your provider to be able to physically supply you a full restore that you can pick up or receive in the post.
Time Scheduling
The last thing you want is for computer to become slow or even worst your whole companies internet to become slow. This can be easily solved by scheduling the backups late at night or when your computer is idle.
Bandwidth Controlling
Similar to scheduling some providers offer the ability to limit the amount of bandwidth your backups will take. Although this will slow down your backup you can minimise the effect of backups on your internet speed. You shouldn’t overly worry about online backups affecting your download speed as the majority of data is using your upload link. If you are delivering information to others outside your business for example using a terminal server where people connect to your server then this needs to be considered. You can mitigate this by scheduling backups at an off peak time or have another broadband connection. Another broadband connection(with a different supplier) will have the bonus of building in redundancy protecting you against a broadband supplier failure.
Compression & Encryption
You want your data to be safe and secure so ensure your provider has some form of encryption to protect your data while being sent over the internet and when it is stored on their servers. Hopefully this will also include some form of compression as well as this will increase the speed of backups and reduce the amount of bandwidth you use.
Is Online Backup Right for your Small Business?
You have to way up the pros and cons of online backups for your small business. Although on the face of it there are some huge advantages to be had you have to ensure you check the detail. If it is too expensive at this stage in your small business then only backup the data you require which reduces the capacity you need. Most providers offer a limited capacity short trial of their service which should give you a chance to test the performance and more importantly test restoring data.
The one thing I would want you to take away from this article is ensure you test your backups. Pretend you have had a total failure and you need to restore your data onto another PC or laptop. Only then can you sleep soundly at night knowing your small business data is safe and your future is secure.