There are several questions to ask regarding the need for backups:
1) Do you need the data?
2) How angry will you be if you lose the information – for instance, if you cannot contact or bill or clients?
3) How long will it take to recover and re enter the lost information – assuming that it can be recovered?
Some data programs are set to automatically back up on a regular basis. Oftentimes, the back up cannot take place if an application is open or in use..This is why it is very important that you properly close down all of your computer programs when you leave for the day.
If you have ever had to reinstall your software, or if you have upgraded your software, you might recall that we asked you to do a back up just prior to the work being done.
This means you stored all of your current data in one place – an exterior hard drive, a thumb drive, on a disc, etc.- as a “back up” in case the data is damaged during the exchange or upgrade. It is unusual that such an error would happen, but it’s not impossible.
“We’re all set! We back up automatically every night.”
Too many times we’ve discovered – too late – that our clients have a false sense of security. We have encountered situations where our clients had gone to great lengths to back up their information, only to find that when they needed to restore files, the backup had been directed to the wrong database or, worse, no database at all.
You do not want to lose a year’s worth of financial and billing information, or all of your contacts or file notes. Where would you be without your calendar?
Make sure to verify that your data is being backed up properly, that the correct data is being backed up, and that it’s being backed up to the right place. We suggest that you ask your network consultant or IT specialist to verify your back up and to do a sample restore of the data to be sure that, if you ever need that back up, the information is where you expect it to be! We also suggest that you talk to your software consultant to ensure that all critical data is included in that back up.