It’s wise for everyone to get in the habit of backing up the data on their desktop or laptop computers. Even if you’re lucky enough to never lose your computer or have it stolen, what if your home catches fire with your computer inside? In addition to all the lost personal belongings, you’ve lost every photo, every document, every song that you didn’t backup online or on an external hard drive or thumb drive that you then stored in a fireproof safe or lock box. Now, imagine you’re a small-business owner and the saved data that the fire consumed was essential to your business’ operations.

Although things like fires and natural disasters are rare occurrences, loss and theft are more common. Why tempt fate? Regardless of your business’ size, the loss of essential data can be devastating. If you and your employees store information on smart devices like iPhones or BlackBerrys, then the potential for damage is increased. The information stored in those devices must be backed up, too.

In 2008, Rubicon Consulting, Inc. conducted a survey, financed by Symantec, that revealed that half of all small and medium-sized businesses had lost important company data. Almost one-third of that 50% had lost sales or customers because they’d lost important data. In four years, not much has changed.

A study by the Diffusion Group in 2012 revealed that 40% of the nearly 1,000 small- and medium-sized-business owners it interviewed still don’t backup data, and 60% of that data is stored on devices like laptops and desktops, which also aren’t backed up. With all the horror stories that have been reported in the news in recent years, it’s surprising that more small- and medium-sized-business owners aren’t backing up their data. Although most of the horror stories involve data lost because a computer or smart device was lost or stolen, Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Irene were real events that wiped out whole communities. The odds having your company destroyed by a hurricane might be in your favor, but human error can happen anywhere at any time.

The Harris Interactive survey also revealed that of those businesses that do backup their data, between 40% and 50% of the backed up data isn’t fully recoverable because improper setup, media failure or lack of regular testing have resulted in faulty media or failures.

Large enterprises could probably withstand the lost revenues, lost customers and tarnished reputations that the loss or theft of important data could cause. But some small and medium-sized businesses might not be so fortunate. It’s as important to ensure that your company’s data is properly backed up and recoverable as it is to make sure that your car is properly maintained. While you won’t die if your lost business data isn’t properly backed up, your business might.

It’s hard to remember to back up data, especially for individuals who lead active lives and business owners who have thriving businesses. The consequences of neglecting to backup important data on a daily basis could be far more damaging to a business owner than the average individual.

Are you need of a trusted data backup solution for your business?  Look no further that our IT support firm.  We are your trusted data protection, backup and disaster recovery firm. Call us today.