While any who keeps material on their computer should be invested in saving it and backing it up, it is even more vital for small businesses where the bulk of the work is done via computer. Today, more and more companies are avoiding actually having a physical storefront and instead are investing in real estate (so to speak!) on the internet. When all of your records and the face you present to your customers is online, you need to be especially concerned with data loss prevention.

One of the first things you should think about is what data you want to back up. In formulating a data backup strategy, you should prioritize your data. Make sure your list is inclusive. While saving things like customer databases and inventory lists is obvious, you also want to think about other things like your e-mail address book and your browser bookmarks. To get an idea of what you need to back up, sit at a friend’s computer for an hour and try to imagine doing your job. This will tell you what is vital to your system.

Think of where you want to keep your backup. External hard drives, CDs, and DVDs are some solutions that are relatively common and easy to implement, and it is important to think about how long and how much you’ll need to store. A CD, for instance, will degrade in a number of years, and is not ideal for real archival storage. A USB flash drive is a very easy place to save your information, but due to its small size, it can be very easy to misplace and lose.

One option that is becoming more and more popular is the use of an online storage service. As many people have constant access to the internet, uploading backups is very convenient and depending the service, there is a great potential for large amounts of storage space. This option may involve a monthly fee and these services do create a dependability on a second party that is beyond your control, in terms of equipment and security.

A good data backup strategy can save you a great deal in terms of time and money, and if you have any online presence at all, this is not something you can afford to ignore.