The Silent Threat in Your Pocket

Power outages. Ransomware. Wildfires. Flash floods.

Most small business owners don’t think these things will ever happen to them—until they do. And by then, it’s too late to ask the important questions.

Many believe having backups means they’re protected. But the truth is, restoring a file is not the same as staying operational. If your phones, email, or business systems are down—even for a day—you risk losing more than just data. You risk clients, revenue, and credibility.

If your IT provider isn’t planning for the whole picture, your business is more vulnerable than you think.

Backups Are Good. Continuity Is Better.

We’re not knocking backups—they’re necessary. But if that’s all your provider offers, it’s not enough. What you really need is a business continuity plan: a clear, tested strategy to keep things running when disaster strikes.

Because here’s the reality:
If your systems crash, your office is inaccessible, or a ransomware attack locks you out, that “safe” backup sitting on your server may not do a thing to help in the moment.

Business continuity focuses on more than data—it’s about keeping your doors open, whether that’s physical or virtual.

Backup vs. Business Continuity: What’s the Difference?

• Backups help you restore your files.
• Continuity helps you restore your business.

A strong continuity plan answers questions like:

• How quickly can we get up and running again?
• What systems are absolutely critical to daily operations?
• Can our team work remotely if needed?
• Who takes charge when things go sideways?

And it should include:

• Encrypted, off-site, and immutable backups
• Prioritized recovery timelines (RTO/RPO)
• Remote work capabilities
• Redundant systems
• Regular disaster recovery drills

If your IT partner can’t walk you through those elements confidently, your business is relying on luck—not strategy.

Will This Actually Happen To Me?

You might be thinking, “We’re just a small business in the Southwest. What are the odds?”

Unfortunately, the odds are more real than you think. We’ve seen situations just like these:

• Monsoon flooding in Albuquerque wiped out local server rooms that had no off-site backup.
• Wildfires in Arizona and New Mexico have forced business evacuations with no way to access client data remotely.
• Power outages and brownouts during extreme summer heat have shut down operations with no failover plan in place.
• Ransomware attacks on regional healthcare and law offices led to data loss, business disruption, and steep fines.

Disasters don’t just strike big cities or billion-dollar companies. They hit small businesses every single week—and the ones without a plan suffer the most.

What You Should Be Asking Now

If something happened tomorrow, would you be able to keep serving clients?

Ask your IT provider:

• If we’re hit with ransomware, how fast can we recover?
• Are our backups tested—and are they off-site?
• What happens if a fire or flood destroys our office?
• Can our employees work securely from home?
• Are we meeting any compliance requirements tied to recovery?

If you don’t feel confident about the answers, it’s time to reassess.