Benefits of Data Backup for Small Businesses

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Data Backup

If you’re a small business, you’re operating on a thin margin against larger companies. Delays and losses in information are especially costly as you try to establish a trustworthy, notable brand, and having a network crash is even worse if you’re the CEO, the sales manager, and the reigning IT expert. Bringing in a third-party service that can store and manage your data backup for you is one of the best ways you can both protect and grow your business. Here’s how:

Cloud storage can grow with your business.

Increasing your client base is one of the primary goals of any small business, and one of the best ways to do that is to have secure, bug-free data files for your customers’ records and contact information. Local storage is a risky way to run your business, and there’s a finite amount of space you can secure. Use a storage system that scales with your business instead.

Cloud storage keeps your business mobile.

Renting an office building might not be part of your business plan; if you, your employees, and your partners are all on the go, then secure, cloud-based storage means everyone can work from anywhere without the risk of someone stealing or tampering with your data.

Fixed costs save you money in the long term.

When you’re making forecasts and setting milestones for your business’s growth, having variable costs and trying to anticipate unexpected hardware failures can make your finances uncertain. Organize your books at a low fixed cost so you can focus on revenue instead of expenses.

One of the most important assets any small business has is the unique accumulation of clients and client information. Keeping your data safe and able to grow with Bluwater Technologies data backup plans is the best way to keep that asset safe. Get started here.

How to Start Building Your Disaster Recovery Plan

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Whether you’re a small business or a growing public company, your investors are most concerned about two things: profitability, and risk management. While businesses predominantly focus on the first, a disaster recovery plan is the best long-term strategy for keeping your brand in place and your company growing.

And as companies rely more and more on technology and stored data to operate, most of that risk is centered around data recovery and electronic failure. Mitigate those risks by forming a plan in advance. Here’s how:

Disaster Recovery Plan
  • Find both the most likely and the most critical risks. A power outage that knocks out local data storage for the day might be relatively unlikely. Additionally, a small enough risk to your overall business. But a storm that floods your office space and ruins your local servers is improbable as it is devastating to your business. Find, document, and assess these risks so you can effectively answer them.
  • Create backup procedures for your data. Most of your critical information might already be online through SaaS like Salesforce or Oracle. However, make sure all of your information is backed up securely in the cloud. Then, your employees can access it during any potential disasters in your physical office space. Thus, so no data is lost. Each department should have a dedicated online portal for their information and critical categories. These include financial records and your company’s tax history, employee information, legal documents specifying entity ownership, and copies of procedures such as your disaster recovery plan.

Not only can disaster strike at any time, investors need to know that you’re reliable and planning for the future. Start to build and implement your long-term disaster recovery plan by dedicating a team to assessing risks. Then, start to store business-critical information with Bluwater Technologies.

What Are the First Steps to Creating a Business Continuity Plan?

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Anything from a regional storm to a power outage can shut down your office when you run a small business. Instead of stressing to contact your employees when your phone’s signal is bad and the power is out or trying to arrange for an alternate delivery when everyone else is trying to do the same thing, start creating a business continuity plan before you need it. Here are two of the first steps for keeping your network up and running during a disaster:

Creating a Business Continuity Plan

  • How much power do you need? If you’ve experienced a hurricane, you might have a backup generator or know who in your neighborhood does. Having a separate generator just for your business is great. Ensuring your business can take care of critical steps or be the first online once a storm blows over. Talk to your landlord or electrician to see what type of generator is best for your business needs and your lease conditions.
  • Make sure your data is backed up starting today. Having your information stored in the cloud shouldn’t just be part of a business continuity plan. It should be part of your everyday plan. Having cloud-based backup means knowing your data is securely offsite in case something happens to your local hardware. It also means that you can access information from a secure laptop. Or even your phone if you can’t make it into the office.

There are many other steps to having a business continuity plan in the event of an emergency. Including planning communications, preparing alternate supply chains, and knowing who is responsible for what aspects of the plan. If you want to create a business continuity plan that will help you keep your business running, contact us at Bluwater Technologies to get started.

Back Up Your Data to Secure Your Business

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A common paradox in technology security is the trade-off between convenience and security. The best password is a random 40-digit alphanumeric string, but no one’s going to remember it. The more locks on your front door, the more secure it may be, but chances are most people won’t lock all of them every time they leave. Instead, the best compromise between convenience and security is automation: making every step to secure information automatic so it’s safe 24/7 without you having to manually do so. One of the best ways to automate your stored information is through cloud backup. Learn how to back up your data.

Back Up Your Data

What is cloud backup for servers?

Typically, small to medium businesses would store information on local hardware. An office would store a server or two in an office closet near the IT department. Or you store your business’s information on a work computer. That would typically mean depending on one copy of the information. But this could spell disaster due to a hardware failure, a power outage that damages the device, a virus, or even just an inexplicable case of data corruption. You want to securely but conveniently store an up-to-date backup of your business’s information. Instead, use an online backup that sends your information to an off-site server. There it is secured and maintained by a third party.

What are the benefits of using Bluwater Technologies’ cloud backup?

The best type of data backup is automatic. Whether you schedule it to be daily, weekly, or monthly, knowing that your business data is being saved whether you remember to save it or not can be a huge weight off your mind. Losing customer contact information, financial records, and working project files can be a huge blow to your business. The risk of having them taken from you through a virus or malware is even worse. Bluwater works to make sure your data, both onsite and offsite, is secured.

Cloud backup for servers isn’t the only benefit of using Bluwater Technologies for IT support. If you want to learn more about our services and the elements of the best cloud backup for servers, browse our site here.

IT Tips For Your Fort Lauderdale Business

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Everyone loves technology, right? This is especially true when it is working the way it is supposed to. It does not matter how advanced your company’s equipment is, there will still be a chance that your equipment can be breached. Computers are constantly being hacked, someone can steal a cell phone, and data can be changed. As the technological equipment gets smarter, the thieves also get smarter. Here are some IT tips for your Fort Lauderdale business.

Fort Lauderdale Business

Data thieves are not the only issues you need to think about when you are using computers. You can lose critical information during unexpected events, including the following:

  • Computer failure
  • Corruption of hard drives
  • Accidentally unplugging a device
  • Forgetting to save an important file

As the owner of a business, you will be held responsible for customer data and employee data. You cannot afford to lose any of this data. Fortunately, there are ways for you to always keep that information safe and secure.

  • Always remember to back up your data
  • Invest your money in equipment that will allow you to improve the overall operations of your business, while protecting employee and customer data
  • Utilize the services of an IT support company, even if you do have an incredible IT support employee on your payroll
  • Before you make any big upgrades to your equipment, you should weigh all your options so you can determine what computer systems and other equipment will be a perfect fit for your company.
  • Introduce a policy that includes internet safety tips that your employees should know

You want to make sure your data is safe at all times. If you can keep customer and employee data safe, they will have a significant amount of trust in your business. If you would like more information on small business safety tips, or if you would like more information on our services, contact us today.