When people think about disaster recovery, they often imagine natural disasters, power outages, or some kind of doomsday scenario. But for small businesses, the real threats are usually quieter, and a lot more common.
- A failed hard drive.
- A ransomware attack.
- An accidental deletion.
- A power surge that takes out your server.
These aren’t the end of the world. But if you’re not ready for them, they might be the end of your business.
What Is Disaster Recovery?
Disaster Recovery (DR) is your plan for getting your systems and data back after something goes wrong. It’s more than just having backups. It’s knowing how fast you can restore them and get your business moving again. It’s the digital equivalent of keeping a flashlight and a first aid kit handy — practical, not paranoid.
What Counts as a Disaster?
For small businesses, a disaster is anything that knocks out critical systems. That could be:
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A ransomware infection
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A lost or stolen laptop
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A crash that corrupts your financial data
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A server failure in the middle of your busy season
If it puts your work on pause, it’s a disaster. Doesn’t matter if the lights are still on.
What Should a DR Plan Include?
You don’t need to dig a bunker or stock freeze-dried food. But you do need a basic, working plan. Here’s what that usually looks like:
Backups That Actually Work
These should run automatically, be stored off-site or in the cloud, and get tested regularly. Don’t just assume everything’s fine because “it backed up once last year.” And if you're using Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, you still need a separate backup solution. Don't assume that just because it's in the cloud, it's backed up — it isn't.
Recovery Time and Recovery Point
How long can your business afford to be offline? That’s your Recovery Time Objective (RTO).
How much data can you lose without it causing real harm? That’s your Recovery Point Objective (RPO).
These numbers help guide what kind of systems you need.
A Clear, Simple Process
When something breaks, your team should already know what to do: Who to call, where to find instructions, how to get started. Don’t leave it to guesswork when the pressure is on.
Testing
If you’ve never tested your backup, you don’t have a recovery plan, you have a hope. Even a quick test once a quarter can make all the difference.
Why this Matters
You don’t have to be paranoid. You just have to be prepared.
Disaster Recovery is what gets you back up when something goes wrong. In the next post, we’ll talk about Business Resilience — how to keep working even while recovery is still underway.