Even if you haven’t fully automated your business, you probably rely on technology and the internet to keep your business going. You might use the internet to keep track of employee attendance, complete payroll, or email customers.
When all of your systems are working, technology helps your business run more efficiently.
But what happens to your business when your internet service is interrupted, or a key piece of technology breaks? From natural disasters to mere power outages, any interruption in your business’s technology can lead to lost revenue and reduced profit.
And if you’re not prepared, you may also lose critical data.
To minimize how much damage an outage or interruption does to your business, you need an IT disaster recovery plan.
Disaster Recovery Foundations
Disaster recovery plans differ depending on the size and needs of the business. Enterprise businesses may make use of redundant server rooms and data mirroring. They may also have staff dedicated to overseeing disaster recovery and business continuity plans.
However, these solutions are often too expensive for small businesses. We’ve outlined a few basic initiatives you can take to minimize the effects of outages on your business. You can also use these steps to begin working on your own disaster recovery program.
Step 1: Identify the most important software and data
What software and data does your business rely on? If you’re the owner or manager of your business, you may want to ask your IT team. In order to determine which software and data is crucial, ask if your business would still be able to function if the software stopped working, or the data disappeared.
Step 2: Assign team members to oversee disaster recovery
Assigning team members to oversee disaster recovery can minimize confusion. When employees have clearly defined duties, they can respond more quickly when your business is undergoing an outage or interruption. For example, if your contingency plan includes relocating employees while the outage is happening, assign someone to lead everyone else to the new area.
Step 3: Decide on your contingency plan
What contingency plan your small business uses depends on what best suits you. Some common contingency plans include: purchasing internet hotspots and using them in the event of an interruption; relocating key staff to another place with internet; or having a redundant computer room with the same hardware and software installed on other machines.
You’ll also want to have your IT staff or your IT provider briefed on what to do if there is an interruption. Using the key software and data you identified in Step 1, have your IT staff create an action plan that focuses on recovering your business’s most important software and data first.
You can also minimize the loss of data in your business by backing up your data to the cloud.
Moving Forward
Creating a disaster recovery plan can seem complicated, but it’s an important part of ensuring that your business doesn’t lose important data, and can begin functioning again after an unexpected outage or event.
If you need help creating a disaster recovery plan, contact Vodigy Networks. Our company helps small businesses like yours embrace the benefits of technology, while also staying safe in the event of outages and cyberattacks.
Vodigy Networks is a leading IT service provider in Minneapolis and St. Paul. We work with businesses to make technology simple, easy, and seamless. Contact us today.
