How much is server downtime costing your business?

Does your small business rely solely on online activity to make sales? If so, server downtime could cost your business large sums of revenue and ultimately a broken confidence in your business from disappointed customers.

For businesses who work within a paperless workforce, server downtime would prevent any work being done at all. Of course loss of data is the most threatening, those businesses that experience a severe data loss only 6% survive*. With this in mind, it is essential for server downtime to become more of a priority for small businesses. In research by Forrester, it has been highlighted that:

Small businesses on average stand to lose a staggering $12,500 (£8127.60) per hour of downtime …and only 18% of those companies [who were surveyed] actually knew that calculated figure

We strongly advise you to consider the following steps which will help avoid server downtime in your business:

Backup your files

By backing up both virtual and physical business files regularly your business will become more prepared if server downtime occurs. You may also want to back up your servers to a separate location in case your primary location is compromised or destroyed.

Avoid power outages

Power generally fails due to natural disasters, an overload of power or an insufficient supply to the server. To prevent power outages in your business, ensure that you have a reliable power source by using surge protectors, a backup power supply or UPS.

Have a high-speed internet connection

A high-speed and high-quality internet connection is essential to businesses who are reliant on internet connectivity. Having a secure network with a reliable provider is guaranteed to reduce downtime. This is particularly beneficial if you are accessing the server from an external location.

A reliable backup connection

Every internet connection will experience downtime, therefore it may be necessary to provision a secondary backup connection. This connection can be set up to monitor your primary connection and become active if the primary connection drops. This is to ensure that you will always have an internet connection and be able to access your data.

Protection against security breaches

It is recommended that your server has an effective firewall, as well as antimalware and antivirus software to protect you from any malicious attacks which could lead to downtime. You may also wish to put data loss prevention measures in place to provide additional security for your business.

Although in US dollars, this tool can give you an excellent indication on the cost of downtime for your business and may give you the motivation to review your IT landscape: https://www.serverdensity.com/cost-of-downtime/

Related links:

Servers
Security

*Original source: https://www.megapath.com/megapath/assets/File/PDF/WhitePapers/WP_EffectsOfDowntime.pdf