Top 3 Tips from the Computer Guy

1- Insurance Rider: Have a rider on your business insurance policy to cover Emergency Data Recovery. If something happens to your computer equipment and you lose your critical files what will you do?

1. Add up the cost of recovering computer data or other electronic information if your company relies heavily on such data storage. Many policies do not explicitly cover data recovery, and you may want to ask specifically for insurance against data loss (a rider).

2. Consider coverage for the replacement cost of your equipment rather than the actual cash value (ACV).

3. Determine which equipment you should insure and the total sum to replace it if it is damaged or destroyed. This may include computers, printers, and cell phones.
   

2- Have Good Backup: Make sure your critical files are backed up properly. A business is more likely to have hard drive failure than fire, or theft. How long would it take you to recreate files with customer information, accounting records, or jobs in progress?

1. Offsite, remote, automatic backup is affordable for small businesses

2. Select files for backup, it’s usually done during the night

3. If you ever need to recover data there are steps that you can implement on your own to restore files. Make sure when you choose offsite backup that there is an option for support.

4. If you lose data, this is the best way to avoid downtime, hassles, and expensive recovery.
   

3- Network/Server Options: How to have a good network for a small office? A Small Business Server might be too much if you only have a few computers. You may be a fit for Bridge Technology.
There are a few options:

1. Linux server: an affordable server to network your computers and printer. This can be your mail server, print server, and a central file manager. A Server is the main connector for your equipment.

2. File Server: Microsoft 2008/R2. (revision 2). This is the next level to maximize file sharing efficiency. Choosing a server depends on the type of business you operate, how much space you need now, and the growth you expect.

3. Storage Drive: Some businesses can manage a small network with a central secure storage drive. It’s an option that can work for the right situation.