Backing up your files
June 23, 2008 by Becky Scott
(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – Do you regularly back up your computer files? You don’t? Have you thought about how that can negatively affect your business and your productivity?
A fellow freelancer found out the hard way when her new MacBook had a catastrophic disk failure and she lost all of her data. Since she’s a writer, she not only lost all of her writing, but her billing data, invoices, contracts, and e-mails.
All gone.
Not only does that put a big crimp in your data, it puts a big crimp in your business. Imagine spending the better part of a day or two (or more!) trying to recreate all of those files you have on your computer. Can you find all of your receipts? What if you scanned them in and then shredded the paper? How will you recover?
If you regularly back up your data, you’ll just restore and maybe lose a few days of data, and move along. But if you don’t, you could put your business in a world of hurt. Think of all the things you keep on your computer. Address books, calendars, web site bookmarks, even music. Would you be able to find everything again? Many of us wouldn’t be able to, not right away.
Doesn’t sound like fun, does it?
Take some time this week (the sooner the better) and plan how you’ll back up your computer. Every Sunday night? That’s a good start. If you can take something like Apple’s Time Capsule that can do it automatically, that’s even better.
For many businesses, the data they produce is of utmost importance. Make sure you protect your assets. Trust me, you don’t want the panic-inducing alternative.
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