Why Every Business Needs a Digital Backup Strategy

Today’s businesses rely so much on data to do what they do. Whether the data is generated by the company or the customer, you need continuous access to operate effectively.

Unfortunately, there are an increasing number of risks to that data. Cyber attacks, hardware failures, unexpected outages, and more can drag your company to a sudden halt. Getting your momentum back can be difficult. 

Consider the potential damage to your reputation that a halt in business can do. Customers expect 24/7 access. If they lose that access, they will go somewhere else. 

You don’t have to remain vulnerable to the risks of lost data. With wireless internet backup solutions, you can ensure business continuity. Please contact our team to learn more. 

The Real Cost of Downtime: What’s at Stake? 

What are the risks of not having a backup system in place? Some risks include: 

Lost Revenue 

In 2024, a global technology outage at McDonald’s disrupted in-store kiosks and mobile app payments across the world. McDonald’s did not report the financial impact of the outage, but one can imagine that it was significant given the global scale. 

If it can happen to McDonald’s, it can certainly happen to small and mid-sized businesses. Losing company data is expensive. So is losing internet access, which can leave customers wondering where you went and buying from someone else. 

Legal Liabilities 

Companies have been sued by customers for losing their data. That’s why it’s so important to protect the data you collect from customers. You could also be sued for failing to adhere to your end of service agreements and other legal contracts due to outages. 

Compliance Violations 

Depending on your industry, you may be at risk of serious compliance violations if your systems go down for an extended period of time. For instance, those in healthcare can wind up violating HIPAA requirements due to data unavailability. It only takes one angry person to file a lawsuit, so you are always vulnerable when you aren’t adhering to regulatory requirements.

Lost Customer Trust 

When you fail to protect customer data or you aren’t available as expected with your goods or services, customers will notice. It’s one of the drawbacks of the modern business environment, where you are constantly connected to your customer base. 

Lost customer trust can be difficult to get back. Some companies never manage to do it. 

What Makes an Effective Backup and Continuity Plan? 

Fortunately, there are steps you can take to minimize the risk of lost data and the negative impact of outages. 

Data Backups 

Every business continuity backup strategy should include regular data backups. A data backup is the process of copying important data to another device so you have a backup if you lose the original data. Cloud backup for businesses is the preferred method these days because it puts the copy in a different location than your business, protecting it from potential catastrophes like fires. 

What types of data should businesses be backing up? It depends on your business. The more data you back up, the greater the cost to store it. You should conduct an audit to categorize the importance of different data. Some types will obviously need to be backed up, like company financials and customer data. Others might not be as important. 

How often should businesses back up their data? This also depends on the business and the types of data being backed up. Daily backups are considered a minimum standard so you avoid losing the work you do each day. More frequent backups are necessary for businesses dealing with high volumes of data changes, like financial institutions. 

Internet Redundancy 

Internet redundancy is another critical part of a business continuity strategy. The internet will go out at some point. You need a way to keep doing business when it does. 

A wireless internet backup system is sufficient for most small businesses. When the internet goes down, the wireless system will turn on, so you don’t have a noticeable loss of service. Some businesses choose to have a separate wired internet connection from their primary connection. This is more costly because you are paying for two different services. But it is the most robust type of backup connection you can have. 

Failover Systems 

A failover system for small and mid-sized businesses is an automated backup internet connection. You can choose from wireless and wired options. As soon as the system senses a loss of internet to your business, it kicks on to provide internet. These systems are preferred by businesses because they make it so that neither employees nor customers realize there is an outage, so the business can go on as normal. 

Recovery Processes 

Having a business continuity backup is important, but you also need established recovery processes to recover after an unexpected issue. 

Regular testing of your backup system is necessary to make sure it’s working correctly. You should plan to update the system regularly as well, so you are using the latest software. 

Having a plan for how to get data back and business going minimizes downtime. 

Simple Solutions from WOW! for Business Continuity 

We have the solutions you need to ensure business continuity and to protect your data. Our services include everything from wireless internet backup to dedicated internet access and more. 

Protect your business from downtime and data loss with WOW!’s secure connectivity and digital tools.