Your business can lose data at any time, be it due to accidental deletion, hardware issues, or cyberattacks. Having a reliable backup strategy helps you recover important files and get your team back to work.
But with so many backup methods available, choosing one can feel daunting, especially if you manage backups alongside other responsibilities.
To help you get started, this guide will take you through the steps to choose a backup method, set up regular copies, and check that you can recover the data your business depends on.
Let’s begin.
Understanding Data Backup Basics
Before you put a backup plan together, it helps to get familiar with the basics.
Let’s go through the terms and options you’ll come across so you can follow the next steps with more confidence.
What Is a Data Backup?
Backing up data means making a copy of important information, such as documents, images, databases, or entire systems, so you can restore it if the original is lost or corrupted.
For your business, that might include customer records, financial documents, or shared files your team needs every day. The goal is to help you recover that information after accidental deletion, a malware attack, hardware failure, or a natural disaster.
To prepare for those situations, you need a backup strategy that covers the data your business depends on. Losing essential records can disrupt your work and leave your team without the information they need.
Regular backups help reduce how much work you could lose. Testing those copies also gives you more confidence that you can restore them and get back to work.
Pro Tip: As you set up your backups, check who can access your copies and how they’re protected from changes or deletion. This guide to secure data backup gives you more detail on the safeguards to look for.
Different Types of Data Backup
You have several backup methods to choose from. Each copies data differently, so your choice affects how much storage you need and what it takes to recover your files:
- Full Backups: Copy all the data you select. You get a complete recovery point for that data, but each full backup takes more time and storage than copying changes alone.
- Incremental Backups: Save changes made since your previous backup. This usually takes less time and space, but restoring your data can require the last full backup and the incremental copies that follow it.
- Differential Backups: Save all changes made since your last full backup. To recover your data, you generally need that full backup and the latest differential copy.
- Mirror Copies: Keep a duplicate of your source data. You can access those files quickly, but the mirror may also copy accidental deletions or unwanted changes.
Alongside the copying method, you’ll need to decide where to store your backups.
Cloud backups keep your data with a remote service, while local backups use devices such as external drives or backup servers.
You can use either location or combine both. We’ll cover their advantages later, so you can compare them against your business needs.
What’s the Difference Between Backup and Sync?
Data sync keeps your files up to date across connected devices or locations. A backup keeps copies you can recover if your working files are lost, damaged, or changed.
For example, if you edit a shared document, sync helps your team see the latest version. But if you accidentally delete it, that deletion can carry over to the connected locations too.
With a backup, you can restore a saved copy from before the deletion, provided your backup captured the file and still retains that version. This gives you a way to recover earlier data rather than keeping every location updated with the latest change.
Pro Tip: Before choosing a service, check what you can recover and how far back you can go. Some sync services include version history and deleted-file recovery, so review those features and their limits against your business needs.
Assessing Your Data Backup Needs
Your backup plan should reflect the data your business depends on and how quickly you need to recover it.
So, before choosing storage or setting a schedule, take a look at what your team could lose and how that would affect your work.
Determining Your Backup Requirements
When setting up a backup system, start with the information you need to protect. This might include documents, spreadsheets, databases, application settings, media files, or entire operating systems.
To build your list, consider what your team needs to handle orders, serve customers, manage payments, and complete daily tasks. Prioritize anything that would disrupt those activities if it disappeared.
Next, work through these questions:
- How much recent work could you afford to lose? If losing a day’s worth of customer orders would cause problems, a daily backup may leave too large a gap. This acceptable window of data loss is your recovery point objective (RPO), which helps you set your backup frequency.
- How quickly would you need access back? Consider how long your business could operate without those files or systems. Your recovery time objective (RTO) sets the target for restoring access and helps you choose tools and storage.
- Which data needs to come back first? Identify the files and systems you’d need to resume essential work, then prioritize them in your recovery plan.
As your business changes, revisit those answers. New applications, more customer data, or a larger team can change what you need to protect and how quickly you need it back.
Estimating Storage Space and Resources
Once you know what to back up, estimate how much space those copies will need. Include your current data, the previous versions you want to retain, and room for growth.
For example, keeping several full backups requires more space than keeping one. Large media files and system backups can also add to your storage needs, so check their size before choosing a plan or buying a drive.
From there, compare your options with these details in mind:
- Storage location: An external drive or network-attached storage (NAS) device gives you direct control and can support quick recovery. A cloud backup service provides remote access and an offsite location for your copies.
- Recovery features: If you already use Google Drive or Dropbox, check how long they retain previous versions and deleted files. Syncing alone may leave gaps in your protection.
- Database support: For data in MySQL or another database, confirm that your tool creates backups you can restore. Moving data into an analytics platform such as Databricks serves a different purpose and should not replace your backup process.
- Costs and upkeep: Account for storage fees, hardware, your internet connection, and any recovery charges. Decide who on your team will maintain the setup too.
Before committing, check that your choice gives you enough space and a recovery process your team can manage. Revisit both as your data grows so you don’t run short when you need another copy.
Cloud vs. Local Backups: Which Is Best for You?
Your recovery needs, budget, and internet connection will help you choose where to keep your backups.
Now that you’ve identified what your business needs to protect, let’s compare the options.
Advantages of Cloud Backups
Cloud backups give you a copy away from your business premises. If something happens to your office or equipment, you can access that copy from another location with an internet connection.
For your team, the main advantages include:
- Remote access: You can retrieve your backups without being in the office.
- Room to grow: You can increase storage as your business accumulates more data.
- Automatic copies: Many backup services let you schedule backups so you don’t have to start each one manually.
- Offsite storage: Your remote copy gives you a recovery option if an incident damages your local equipment.
Before choosing a service, check how long uploads and downloads could take with your connection. Also, review any charges for restoring or downloading your data.
If you manage cloud systems, using cloud monitoring tools can help you track availability, storage capacity, and security alerts. Alongside those checks, review your backup reports to confirm that your copies finished successfully.
Advantages of Local Backups
Local backups keep your copies on equipment you manage, such as an external drive or a backup server. This puts them close at hand when you need to recover files.
Here’s what that can offer you:
- Quick access: Restoring large files from a local copy can be faster than downloading them over the internet.
- Recovery without internet: You can use an available local copy even if your internet connection goes down.
- Control over storage: You decide where to keep the equipment and who can access it.
The tradeoff is that you’ll need to maintain the equipment and leave enough room for new copies. Keep location in mind too: a drive beside your computer could be affected by the same fire, flood, or theft.
Combining Both: The Hybrid Backup Strategy
You can combine local and cloud backups to give yourself more recovery options. A local copy keeps your files close at hand, while a cloud copy gives you somewhere else to turn if your office equipment is damaged or unavailable.
To make that setup useful, check that both copies include the data you need and test recovery from each. Protect access to them separately where possible, so a problem with one account is less likely to affect every copy.
As your business grows, review both storage locations along with your backup schedule. You’ll want each copy to keep pace with the data your team depends on.
Step-by-Step Guide to Setting Up Data Backups
With your backup requirements clear, you’re ready to put your plan into practice. Just work through these steps with the files and systems your business depends on in mind.
Step 1: Choose the Right Backup Method
To begin with, look at how much data you have, how frequently it changes, and how quickly you’d need it back if something went wrong. Those details will help you choose between full, incremental, and differential backups.
A full backup copies all the data you select. Incremental backups copy changes since your previous backup, while differential backups save changes since your last full backup. Before choosing, check which copies you’d need for a restore and how long that process could take.
If you’re considering a mirror copy, keep its limits in mind. It can carry over an accidental deletion or unwanted edit, so keep earlier versions separately for those situations.
Then decide where to store your copies. Cloud storage gives you room to expand, while local storage can help you recover files quickly. Compare both against your budget, internet connection, and recovery needs.
Step 2: Select a Backup Tool or Service
Once you know what your backups should cover, look for a tool that supports those needs. A service that copies your documents may not protect your databases or everything needed to get an application running again.
As you compare your options, check a few practical details:
- What you can restore: Make sure the tool covers the files, databases, or systems your team relies on.
- How far back you can go: Check how long it keeps previous versions and deleted files.
- How you’ll spot a problem: Look for automatic schedules and alerts when a backup fails.
- Who can access your copies: Review encryption and access controls, including protection against backup deletion.
- What recovery will cost: Include storage fees and any charges for downloading or restoring your data.
If your team already uses Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive, check what their recovery features cover before relying on them for backups.
Also, take a look at the restore instructions. You’ll want a process your team can follow under pressure, with support available if you run into trouble.
Step 3: Automate Your Backups
It’s easy to put off a manual backup when you’re busy with customers, payments, or the rest of your workload. Setting up automatic copies helps you keep the schedule on track.
Choose the timing based on how much recent work you could afford to lose. If customer orders change throughout the day, backing them up once a week would leave a large gap. Documents you rarely edit may need a less frequent schedule.
As you set things up, work through these details:
- Data to include: Select the files, folders, or systems your backup should cover.
- Storage destination: Choose where your automatic copies will go.
- Retention settings: Decide how long to keep previous copies so you can recover earlier versions.
- Device availability: Check that the device will be on and connected when the backup is due to run.
- Failure alerts: Turn on notifications and choose someone to follow up if a backup fails.
Once everything is set, check that the first scheduled backup finishes successfully. Keep an eye on the alerts after that so a failed task doesn’t go unnoticed.
Step 4: Test Your Backup System
The next step is to check that you can get your data back. After your first backup finishes, restore a few files to a separate folder so you can test them without replacing the originals.
As you go, check these details:
- File contents: Open the restored files and make sure nothing is missing or damaged.
- Access permissions: Confirm that the people who need those files can access them.
- Recovery time: Note how long the restore takes and compare it with how long your business can afford to wait.
- Application function: If you’re restoring a database or an entire system, check that the application runs and its data is usable.
For database or system restores, use a separate test environment so you don’t interfere with your team’s daily work. Bring in technical support if you’re unsure how to set that up.
Once you’ve tested the process, write down the steps and who to contact for help. Keep those instructions somewhere you can reach if your usual system is unavailable, and repeat the tests regularly and after major changes.
Best Practices for Data Backup
Once your backups are running, a few regular checks will help you keep them ready for recovery:
Implement the 3-2-1 Backup Rule
The 3-2-1 rule gives you a practical way to avoid relying on a single copy or storage device. To follow it, keep:
- Three copies of your data: Your working data plus two backup copies.
- Two types of storage media: Use different storage options, such as a local drive and cloud backup storage.
- One copy offsite: Keep a backup away from your business premises, such as in a remote cloud location.
This setup gives you another recovery option if a device fails or an incident affects your office. For example, a backup drive beside your computer could be damaged in the same fire or flood, so location matters too.
Keep in mind that an offsite copy still needs protection against unauthorized access or deletion. Its location alone won’t protect it from every threat.
Keep Backups Secure
Your backups can contain the same customer records and financial information as your working files. Give those copies the same attention you give the originals.
To protect them, work through these checks:
- Encrypt your copies: Protect your data during transfer and in storage.
- Secure your accounts: Use strong, unique passwords and enable multifactor authentication wherever your backup service supports it.
- Limit access: Give backup access to the people who need it. Keep backup administrator access separate from everyday accounts where possible.
- Keep software updated: Update your backup tools and connected devices to address known security vulnerabilities.
- Protect a copy from ransomware: Keep a backup offline or use immutable storage. An offline copy stays disconnected from your systems, while immutable storage prevents changes or deletion for a defined period.
- Store recovery details safely: Keep encryption keys and account recovery details somewhere secure that you can reach during an outage.
While you’re checking your backups, it’s worth looking at how you protect the data your team works with every day. Start with your backend tech stack, then review your network settings and follow DNS security best practices to help block access to malicious domains.
Even with those precautions in place, keep your backup copies protected separately, so you have a way to recover if something goes wrong.
Maintain Regular Backup Schedules
Your backup schedule should keep pace with how frequently your data changes and how much recent work you could afford to lose.
For example, customer orders or payment records may need copies throughout the day. Documents that change less frequently may suit a daily or weekly schedule. Choose the interval based on your recovery needs rather than your company’s size alone.
As you add applications or move files, check that your existing backups still cover them. A scheduled task can finish successfully and still leave out a new folder or system.
Finally, assign someone to review backup status and revisit the schedule after significant changes. Keeping that responsibility clear helps you catch gaps before you need to restore your data.
What Should You Check Before Hiring a Backup Partner?
If you decide to get help with your backups, ask potential partners to show you how they would recover your data. A list of tools can give you some context, but a recovery test gives you more useful evidence to assess.
To keep that conversation practical, ask about:
- Coverage: Which files, databases, and applications would they back up, and what would you still need to manage?
- Recovery evidence: Ask them to walk you through a documented restore for a business setup similar to yours.
- Recovery time: Find out how they would check that you can get back to work within your target time.
- Ongoing responsibility: Confirm who checks failed backups, runs recovery tests, and helps you during an outage.
With those criteria in mind, you can look for partners who fit your needs.
GrowthFolks, for instance, can help you find candidates through its B2B agency-matching platform, based on fit and deals confirmed by both sides, with no paid placement. Then, use the questions above to check their backup and recovery experience.
Wrapping Up
Losing customer records or files your team relies on can bring your work to a halt. A reliable backup plan gives you a way to recover that information and get back to serving your customers.
If you’re unsure how your current setup would hold up, start with a small check: restore a few important files and see how long it takes. From there, address any missing data, review your schedule, and confirm who will follow up if a backup fails.
As your business grows, give your backup plan another look. New tools and more data can change what you need to protect, so keep testing your copies and updating your plan along the way.
