In this day and age, data is everything to a small business, which means that if you lose access or control of your data, you lose everything.
As dramatic as that may appear, the statistics support it. According to multiple estimates, 93 percent of organizations, regardless of size, go out of business within a year if they experience a severe data disaster without first devising a strategy to deal with it. And, given that 68 percent of firms have no strategy in place for the worst-case scenario, losing data would be the end of most businesses in the country.
Thankfully, your company does not have to be one of them. You can guarantee that you have a good disaster recovery strategy in place by executing the procedures outlined below.
Step 1: Know How A Disaster Recovery Plan Is Different From A Business Continuity Plan
The primary distinction between these two types of plans is that business continuity plans are proactive, whereas disaster recovery plans are reactive.
A business continuity plan, in more technical terms, is a method through which a company assures that, regardless of calamity, it can continue to function and deliver products and services to its consumers. A disaster recovery plan, on the other hand, is a method that allows firms to back up and restore crucial data if it is lost or held for ransom.
So, now that we have a clear insight into what a disaster recovery plan is, we can move on to the actions required to develop one.
Step 2: Gather Information And Support
Begin with executive buy-in to get your disaster recovery strategy off to a good start. This implies that everyone, from the CEO to entry-level staff, must be involved in carrying out the strategy in the event of a data disaster at your organization. When everyone is aware of the prospect of a data catastrophe, cross-functional collaboration in the development process becomes possible – a critical step if you want to avoid breaches in all aspects of your systems.
When creating your disaster recovery plan, you must account for all aspects of your technical systems, including your systems, applications, and data. Consider any difficulties affecting the physical security of your servers as well as physical access to your systems. You’ll need a backup strategy in case those are threatened.
Finally, you’ll need to determine which processes are really important to remain operating in a worst-case situation when your capabilities are limited.
Step 3: Create Your Strategy
When everyone is on board with the disaster recovery plan and understands their systems’ weaknesses, as well as which systems must remain operational even in the worst-case scenario, it’s time to put the game plan together. To accomplish so, you’ll need a firm grasp on your budget, resources, tools, and collaborators.
If you own a small business, you should think about your budget and the timescale for recovery. These are excellent places to start when putting together your strategy, and they will also give you an idea of what you can tell your clients to expect while you get your firm back up and running.
Step 4: Test The Plan
Even if you accomplish the first two phases, you won’t know if you’re ready until you put your disaster recovery strategy to the test. Running through all of the stages with your staff helps them get comfortable with the procedures they’ll need to follow in the case of a true emergency, and it also helps you identify any parts of your plan that need improvement. When a true data disaster strikes your company, your systems and staff will instinctively know how to respond.
To summarize, the following are the first measures that you and your workers must take to create an effective, strong disaster recovery plan:
- Establish executive support for the plan.
- Investigate and assess your company’s various systems to see how they could be impacted.
- Prioritize systems that are important for your business to perform.
- To evaluate the efficacy of your disaster recovery strategy, put it to the test.
If you follow these procedures, you can assure that your company will withstand any data crisis.
Biztek Solutions’ Backup & Disaster Recovery
Our backup solutions give you confidence knowing your data will always be safe, secure, and recoverable 24/7.
- Backs Up Data Every 15 Minutes, Every Day
- Recovers Vital Email
- Provides Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM)
- Keeps Data Safe When Major Disaster Strikes
- Complies with Laws and Government Regulations
Gets You Back to Business — Fast!
Learn more about our Data Backup & Business Continuity.
Contact us if you have any questions about our turn-key business continuity solution. You’ll learn the simplest and most cost-effective approach to keep your company running.
About Biztek Solutions, Inc.
Since 2006, our core value has been to provide the highest level of client satisfaction when delivering IT support for client networks, computers, servers, and cybersecurity. We are the #1 IT support services and consulting firm in Riverside and service clients throughout the Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, and the surrounding areas.
Products & Solutions
Cyber Security & Compliance I IT Tech Support I Managed IT Services
Backup & Disaster Recovery I Cloud Computing Solutions I IT Consulting
Biztek Solutions provides IT support services to the following locations: Riverside, Corona, San Bernardino, Rancho Cucamonga, Ontario, Fontana, Chino, Moreno Valley, Redlands, Temecula, Los Angeles, Pomona, Pasadena, Chino, Anaheim, Irvine, Fullerton, City of Industry, and all surrounding areas.