No one thinks disaster will hit them. The guy next door, maybe. Horror stories about lost data run rampant online, but unfortunately people often don’t become believers in offsite data storage until the unthinkable happens to them and they suffer a crippling loss of data. Lost data can devastate a business, no matter what size, and it can take literally months to recover.

The biggest benefit from offsite data storage is peace of mind. Many companies employ internal backups, but if something were to happen to the onsite data storage, if it is the only means of storage, the backups are gone and there are no replacements. It is recommended that a business have offsite data storage in a completely different building at least a few miles apart. If an emergency were to happen, not only would files be available internally but also in a separate location.

Running backups is still your responsibility, but once stored you can rest assured the data is there when you need it most. Data can be lost due to a number of different factors – a natural disaster, power outage or surge, human error – mistakes happen, and they usually happen when you least expect them. A little bit of preparation now can save on time, money, and stress. When you know the most important part of your business infrastructure is protected every day, it is easier to weather the difficult bumps along the way.

Before deciding on an offsite data storage option, evaluate your needs and consult with an expert, to ascertain the correct type of offsite data storage is right for your size and type of business. Ask questions of your potential providers, to include how is the data stored and who will have access to it? How is deleted or sensitive information handled? Will you have your own server space or is it shared? Most of the time server space is shared, so ask about security precautions.

Offsite data storage is also easy to maintain and easy to access. Typically one to three backups are made every day, and either uploaded to the storage servers or sometimes a hard disk or tapes are used to store data, depending on the size of the files. Backups can be once a day, once a week, or a couple of times a month, also depending on the size of the database and the amount of changes. Most offsite data storage providers are happy to work with you to tailor a package that’s right for you and your business.

Although it may seem as if the loss of data will never happen to you, most technical experts agree it’s not IF your system will fail, but WHEN. Planning ahead for offsite data storage can save you from having to learn this lesson the hard way.