This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carbonite for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
Many small business owners fail to keep their companies in business as long as they want. The widely touted 90% failure rate that startups exhibit globally has been a cause for concern for many new business owners.
According to Statistic Brain, fifty five percent of new businesses fail within the first five years of being in business. And only twenty one percent will still be in business by year ten. The good news is, you can get back up. You don’t have to be another statistic. You can learn from a lot of small business stories and find out how business owners turn failures into sales.
Your business data should not be a reason for your failure. You can actually do something about it. It’s directly in your control. Every business is heavily dependent on data. Your business probably creates and uses enormous amounts of data every day.
From employee records to financial receipts, from customer files to secret recipes, your business must protect it’s data and use it to both survive and thrive for the future. Nonetheless, many small business small owners are guilty of not making backups frequently enough, or even making them in the first place until the unexpected happens. Losing customer or other business essential data can cost your business significant money and could even force it to shut down.
Business data backup is often seen as resource-intensive, complicated and a lot of work for an uncertain outcome. But it isn’t and shouldn’t take you hours to prepare your business for cloud data storage and backup. The consequences of data loss can be catastrophic. Take action today to secure your data.
Don’t confuse cloud storage with cloud backup: cloud storage Is not cloud backup
You can take advantage of cloud services to keep your business date protected. Cloud storage is not the same as cloud backup. Don’t confuse the two. Most cloud storage providers do not offer the same protection from accidental and costly disruptions as cloud backup service providers.
The free service you get for cloud storage may not necessarily protect your all your valuable business data from accidents. It’s important to know the difference. This can help you make the right decisions about the types of solutions you actually need for your business data backup.
There are two types of hard drives: those about to fail, and those that will fail eventually. Plan accordingly. Most free cloud storage providers cannot recover your entire files and folders because your limited files were just being stored and synced on multiples devices instead of a comprehensive backed up for your business data and settings.
Here’s what a cloud backup solution does
A good cloud backup solution provider will ensure redundancy so multiple copies of your files and even computer settings exist at all times.
You are assured that no matter what files are deleted or corrupted, at least some version of the file can be recovered (assuming the file you backed up from day one wasn’t corrupted).
A great backup solution also ensures that snapshots exist at regular intervals and that files can be restored to a specific point of time. It’s a steady systematic archiving of data over the long haul to prepare for possible disaster.
If your computer crashes, is stolen, or just dies, you can log into your account from your new computer, click “Restore” and follow the step-by-step recovery process that will have your files back to you in no time. And your files remain encrypted at secured data centers.
Your business should take cloud backup seriously
Whether you’re looking at an unexpected drive failure, malware attack or an accidental nudge of the delete key, having an up-to-date copy of your business data could be enough to save your company from the catastrophe that can bring your business to an unfortunate end. The most secure way to protect your data is by using a service specifically built for backup. Carbonite (the leading cloud data backup and recovery provider) offers secure, nonstop data protection designed to backup small and midsize business emails, documents and settings. The app is created purposely for your cloud back up needs.
Business threats take many forms – hackers holding your data for ransom, acts of nature destroying your small business, overworked employees accidently (or not) deleting files. Backup and restore has now become a necessity for many small businesses.
Security solutions such as firewalls and anti-virus are necessary to “protect your borders” from malicious threats, but no system is 100% safe. All it takes is one errant click on a bad link by an employee and your entire infrastructure could be compromised.
Backing up to a cloud service
Cloud backup is your most effective option because it does the worrying for you. It is less susceptible to loss than running your own farm of business backup drives. The cloud is protected from fire, flood, theft and document corruption. You can access your documents online from anywhere, on most devices. And it makes sense if you’re already paying an arm and a leg for fast, unlimited broadband.
Losing customer or other essential data could force your business to shut down. For many small business owners, the cloud has completely revolutionised the process of storing and backing up business data. Don’t be a victim of data loss. Take data protection seriously. Take the necessary action today.
You can try Carbonite for free right now to secure your most valuable business assets. An expert at Carbonite can help set up your free trial installation at no cost to you if you need help. And it’s a 30-day free trial.