In the old days, information was hard to get a hold of, hard to transfer, and even harder to maintain. Thanks to the ever present evolution of technology, how much information we can find and accrue has infinitesimally multiplied. The rate at which we can send information from one place to another is measured in kb/sec instead of mp, and maintaining our records takes a push of a button.
In the old days, information was so important it caused Nixon his presidency, got slaves to the underground railroad, and helped armies gained position on the battlefield. It is even more so today and thus is the reason for the ways of keeping your business’ info safe below.
A Paper Trail
Almost every piece of information a business stores begins as a piece of paper and if not, we copy it off and add it to the appropriate filing cabinet. Technology is an awesome tool, but let’s face it. It’s not infallible. The power could go out, an electrical surge could wipe out your files, or you could just forget to enter them. You should always cover your bases with old fashioned hard copies.
Electronic Back Ups
You spent all night pouring over charts and graphs, making notes and special points to cover in the morning business meeting. You made sure to print everything you need and you did it in color, made a copy for everyone in the meeting, stapled each neatly, and still made it to work on time.
Everything was great until you looked in the back seat and your reports were nowhere to be found. You’re in for it and you don’t have enough time to go home and get it. Thankfully, you put it on you flash drive just in case, and your flash drive stays hooked to your keychain! Back ups are crucial to the ebb and flow of your company.
The Cloud
Which brings us to the newest form of back up, the Cloud. This online filing cabinet is huge and is the third part of the trinity of information safety. Some have apprehensions about saving their company’s info. online.
The feeling of not having enough control over the security of a business’s records is often a reason companies opt out of using the Cloud. In reality, security is not perfect, but the chance of losing information, whether it be to natural causes or theft, are no higher than that of a hard copy.
In the end, having all three forms of backup is more than a smart idea. It’s just good business. Refer to these tips when keeping your company’s info intact.
