Top 8 Reasons to Use Online Backup

Backing up is one of those things that everyone knows they should do, but few people actually do it as regularly as they need to. Many small businesses sporadically back up with an external hard drive or USB drive, but online backup is the easiest and most secure way to ensure you always have a current copy of all your important files. Not convinced? Check out our top eight reasons to use online backup.

1. Data is valuable. In a survey of small business owners, Carbonite  found that 81 percent of small businesses feel their data is their most valuable asset.

2. Hard drives fail. The average computer hard drive will fail every 700,000 hours, and about 15,000 hard drive disks fail every single day.* Are you willing to bet your business on these odds?

3. Lost data means lost business. A study by the University of Texas found that 94 percent of companies that suffer a catastrophic data loss don't survive, 43 percent never reopen and 51 percent can't recover and close within two years.*

4. Viruses happen. More than 6,000 new computer viruses are released every month**, and in a study, Carbonite found that one-third of small businesses have lost data from a computer virus. All it takes for one to get into your business network and wreak havoc is one opened email.

5. Time is money. Time is one of the most stated reasons companies aren't backing up their data. Carbonite automatically backs up the data on your computers whenever they're connected to the internet, and doesn't require an additional time commitment. When faced with data loss, it will take a lot less time to automatically restore your files from Carbonite than it will to piece together the remnants of your data yourself.

6. Don't put all your eggs in one basket or important files in one location. It's important to keep a copy of your files offsite. Even if you back up your business files on an external hard drive, a hurricane, flood, fire or theft could destroy your computers and backups. Keeping backed up files in Carbonite's remote data centers ensures your data is safe no matter what's going on at your office.

7. Access your data from anywhere. Carbonite allows you to access the files in your online backup from nearly any internet-connected device, including computers, smartphones and tablets. Administrators can manage their business backup by adding and removing users, purchasing more storage space and checking that all computers are backed up, even when they're out of the office.

8. Humans make mistakes. One-third of data losses are the result of human error. Automatic online backup ensures an accidental deletion or an absentminded employee doesn't harm your business.
With an online backup service, you can rest easy knowing that your files are safe and secure, no matter what happens to your computer or your office. Peace of mind is priceless, but Carbonite can provide it for flat, annual fee of just $229/year! If you're interested in learning more about how to protect your valuable business data, or starting a free 30-day trial, visit Carbonite.com or give the Carbonite business team a call at 1-855-CARB-BIZ.

* Channelnomics: "Selling Backup and Recovery: Fear Vs. Comfort," October 16, 2012
** AnsonAlex.com: "12 Interesting Computer Facts for 2012 [Infographic]," February 15, 2012