How to Keep Your Business Healthy for the Long-Term

Think of your business as a thriving entity; the heart of your business is the service or product you offer; the bones are your team members. Like all living things, your business is susceptible to health issues. It’s important that you care for your business by proactively treating any health concerns, such as hardware, software, and Internet problems. If you put a focus on safety before an issue arises, you can avoid the life threatening problems that take down other companies.

The Importance of a Disaster Recovery Plan  

In 2013, an EF5 tornado destroyed 5,000 buildings in Moore, Oklahoma. A tornado is one example of the types of disasters that can cripple your business overnight. For SNC², a healthcare computer services provider owned by John Motazedi, this destruction left nearly 50 physicians without access to digitized files. Motazedi made the smart choice by reaching out to third-party IT companies for help.

Do you have a disaster recovery plan in place? Who will you turn to if disaster strikes your business? “Data storage device failures can have immediate consequences for any computer user,” reports Secure Data Recovery, a leading data recovery Toronto based company. SNC² was able to fully recover after reaching out for help, which is exactly what you’ll need if your business is injured in a disaster. “You’ve got to bring people in to help you.” Says Motazedi. “You need people there to watch your back.”

The Importance of Comprehensive Cybersecurity

According to Business Insider, 90 percent of companies can be hacked “just like Sony.” Malware is used to target your business in a number of ways; including these viruses can trick and mislead your employees into downloading potentially harmful files. In most cases, your best defense is a good offense, which is a suite of cybersecurity designed to prevent malware from ever engaging with your network or employees.

Because mobile devices are becoming such an essential part of business, it’s important that mobile users receive the same comprehensive security as regular webpages and applications. It’s especially important that customers are protected when using your site or services, as a single hacking breach can poison the well and ruin your company’s reputation. Keep in mind, huge corporations, such as Sony, can and will recover from data breaches; however, small businesses will have a more difficult time earning back the trust of their customers.

Here’s some security tips for keeping your business safe:

• Patch all software and update frequently
• Regularly backup your data
• Encourage strong passwords (letters, numbers, and special characters)
• Limit access to sensitive information
• Use firewalls

The Importance of Hardware Maintenance

Why wait for an essential piece of hardware to break? Hard drive failure is responsible for two-thirds of data loss, which is sad considering this is an issue that regular IT support can solve. Schedule regular maintenance for the important hardware in your business, such as printers, computers, and telephone systems, to ensure that you’re always functioning.

At the end of the day, nothing is more important than remaining proactive. If you’re proactive and have provisions in place to protect yourself, your chances of damaging the fragile body of your business are significantly decreased. Employing healthy choices is what you do to protect your physical body, and it should be what you do to protect your business body too.