Understanding the Importance of Downtime Prevention
People generally think downtime isnāt a huge deal - the site is going to be offline for a bit, so what. Maybe they might lose some customers, but itās not like their doors are closed forever. As a result, store owners spend very little money on downtime prevention.
Not preventing downtime leads to more issues than most store owners realise. For instance, when theyāre down, orders canāt go through, so while they think itās just one small hiccup, the customer who tried to order is going to give up and go somewhere else.
This means that people are comparatively never going to come back to their website because the first time they visited, things didnāt work. Not only does it harm short-term revenue but it also destroys long-term customer loyalty. Sort of.
And that could be the difference between being in business or not. Of course, thereās a complexity here. Preventing downtime is expensive - not always but mostly.
Most store owners just donāt have the budgets required to bring in top-tier talent or solutions and while there are many things that can be done on a budget, everyoneās circumstances are different. The best way to approach this is with a cost-benefit analysis - how much will losing revenue for one hour every month (on average) cost them. What could they do within that budget.
The bottom line here is that prevention is better than cure. A website going down during peak hours, on days where youāre getting a lot of traffic and orders can have disastrous long-term consequences - not only for you but for your customers as well.
And I donāt just mean financial consequences either. In such situations, youāre probably losing valuable data and time too and if you add up all the resources required to get things back on track, it costs far more than just good downtime prevention strategies.
Assessing Your Current Backup Strategies
In the retail world, most people think theyāre sorted because their files are stashed in a folder somewhere or resting on an external hard drive. But, is that folder up to date. Or is the hard drive collecting dust and only contains files from last year. The way I see it, the thing about backup strategies is that what you think is enough rarely ever cuts it.
Thereās also this common idea floating around that once you have a system in place, you never have to worry about backing up your data again. It would be perfect if that were true but sadly, it isnāt. From what Iāve seen, people usually start getting more serious about creating backups after something catastrophic happens. Maybe a laptop crashes or maybe some vital product information is arguably lost.
The truth is: we only wake up to the importance of keeping our files secure when itās too late. Thatās one aspect of business management that can seem a bit daunting but it really doesnāt have to be.
I think most of us go through this initial phase where weāre making do with Google Drive or Apple iCloud (and thereās nothing wrong with using those platforms) but as our stores grow, so does the pile of critical data we need to keep safe for running operations smoothly. It can be tough to pick what system works best for your needs, especially with so many things on your plate already. The good news is there are ways to ensure your data gets the security it deserves without having to overhaul all your current systems - unless of course, you want an upgrade anyway. And while upgrading your backup strategy can feel overwhelming at first, over time youāll notice how much easier it becomes to make tweaks and changes where needed as well as streamline all aspects of running a successful business when necessary data stays accessible at all times.
Implementing Cloud-Based Solutions
A common misconception is that once you've put your systems on the cloud, you're instantly untouchable. But you and I both know that when it comes to technology, things can often go wrong. While cloud solutions can seem fairly safe, there are relatively actually a few things that could go wrong if you didn't have a failsafe plan in place.
Cloud applications are sort of not immune to outages and you might face significant downtime if you don't have the right backup system in place. Not to mention, there is always the risk of hacking and other forms of cybercrime. Although it can hardly ever be tempting to rely solely on cloud-based storage solutions, best practices suggest having at least three physical copies of important data in different locations.
The way I see it, this is where things get complicated - how many is too many. Sort of. How much is enough. What about all those costs of storing data.
The answers are subjective but from my experience, having an on-premise server as well as at least two different cloud providers can be helpful. It's also important to make regular backups which is why I prefer using modern solutions that automate this process for me. Recovery from hardware failure or cyber-attacks usually involves collaborating with service providers, IT consultants, legal teams, and incident response teams among others. These steps can be time-consuming and stressful so it's best to have a system in place that makes things easier - not harder.
Cloud-based solutions often use encryption protocols for their data which means you might need them to collaborate with law enforcement agencies or external incident response teams for recovery. It helps to take these factors into consideration before choosing the right solution and provider for your store.
Creating a Comprehensive Data Recovery Plan
Most retailers put their faith in a single cloud-based back up solution. For many years, simply having a cloud-based back up was enough for compliance and security but with more cyber criminals targeting retail stores, itās vital that stores have a 360 degree data recovery plan. A robust recovery plan includes cloud-based backups, a physical and regularly tested backup in-store, redundant internet connections and a physical backup offsite or in another safe location.
Having these redundancies in place is what truly protects store data. If, for some reason, a break-in at the store wipes out all the data stored on computers and hard drives, thereās an off-site backup that can be accessed to retrieve the most recent version of the storeās data so that the business doesnāt have to operate off old numbers. And then thereās team training.
Most often, we assume cybercriminals are masterminds with evil intentions but many times, they are opportunists. They target stores with little knowledge of phishing attempts and hack them using sophisticated technologies. Training teams to spot phishing emails and suspicious file downloads is the best way to avoid falling victim to these common cybercrimes.
Finally, it can be quite daunting to establish all these processes internally without prior experience. Store owners can hire trusted security experts to help them create standard operating procedures for preventing cybercrime and if disaster strikes - recovering lost data. A comprehensive plan is kind of truly a āprevention is better than cureā approach that ensures businesses keep moving even when disaster strikes.
Regular Maintenance and Testing of Backup Systems
A lot of people seem to think that once a backup system is up and running, it can more or less be forgotten about. Iāve had a few conversations with business owners who were quite confident their disaster recovery plans were solid - only to find out in the middle of an actual crisis that their backups werenāt current, or worse, werenāt working at all. The reality is, even the most expensive or highly rated backup solutions will crumble if theyāre not maintained and tested with the same dedication as your main systems.
Thereās nothing particularly glamorous about checking whether your backup server is running or if last nightās data was copied over successfully. It isnāt a job anyone fights for but it can be one of the most important ones in a store. Iāll admit itās not always clear exactly how regular āregularā maintenance should be either - businesses change all the time and your needs will too - but finding a rhythm is crucial.
Sometimes that means setting a weekly calendar reminder to check servers, other times itās getting your IT person to keep an eye on things daily. The complexity comes in when you realise that backups arenāt just about ticking boxes off a checklist. Testing for weaknesses and failures isnāt fun but you know whatās worse. Losing yearsā worth of irreplaceable data because you didnāt catch it early enough.
Sometimes stores get so caught up in improving front-end systems like customer experiences and payment platforms that something like backing up files seems like an afterthought. More or less. But maintenance and testing has to be built into every good plan. It doesnāt have to be dramatic or intense but it does need regular attention because you donāt want to wait until something goes wrong to figure out which part isnāt working - especially not during peak season.
Training Staff on Emergency Protocols
Training store staff on what to do when things get pear-shaped isnāt about simply ticking a few boxes or half-heartedly showing them where the fire extinguisher lives. I see many owners thinking they can download a generic emergency template and expect staff to read and commit it all to memory. Some rely on old war stories or online training videos, with little practical application. And then they wonder why the first sign of smoke sends everyone into hysterics.
For staff to become good at managing emergencies, the entire team must understand that it is not about training once and forgetting until the next drill - things do go wrong, staff leave, life gets in the way. Even if your last risk assessment suggests that you are well stocked in first-aid kits and safety drills, itās a good idea to get the team to run through scenarios periodically so they donāt have to think about what to do in an emergency. Make drills fun or reward them for a good job so they understand youāre not setting up the training as punishment. Iām not saying everyone can be an emergency pro overnight but people need ongoing reminders and refreshers so there is less confusion when an actual event happens.
Imagine all staff running towards the exits when a small fire needs managing before it turns big. Or if everyone panics because you forgot to mention what they should do if your debit card system crashes while processing payments. It seems like running through potential scenarios with your team is also good for getting their input on how you could manage crises better because as front-liners, they often have great ideas that even owners might not think of because of their view of how things work on the floor.
The best-performing retail businesses are usually constantly looking at risk management systems and improving safety protocols so learn from them, especially if itās working well for them.