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What Would Happen If Everything Stopped Working Tomorrow
It’s easy to assume everything will run smoothly until it doesn’t. Your systems are reliable, your data feels secure, and backups are something you “should probably check” but never quite do. Then disaster strikes. A ransomware attack locks your files. A flood damages your server room. A critical employee deletes key data by mistake.
In that moment, the success of your business hinges not on your Plan A, but on your Plan B: your disaster recovery plan.
In this blog, we’ll explore why backups alone aren’t enough, how to build an effective disaster recovery plan, and what steps to take now to protect your future.
When Plan A Fails, Plan B Saves the Day
Imagine arriving at work to find your entire digital infrastructure unavailable. No emails. No customer database. Phones ringing off the hook and your team looking at you for answers.
Without a solid Plan B, panic sets in. And in business, every hour of downtime means lost revenue, delayed service, and shaken client trust. Disaster recovery isn’t just an IT task – it’s a business survival strategy.
The Real Problem: Lost Time, Lost Trust
A single incident can unravel months of progress. When technology breaks down, it’s not just data that’s lost. Productivity, morale, and customer confidence all take a hit. For small and mid-sized businesses, the margin for error is slim.
You might get through one incident, but what about the next? Without a tested, reliable recovery strategy, you’re gambling with your reputation and bottom line.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) advises all businesses to plan for worst-case scenarios, emphasising the importance of resilient systems and tested recovery processes.
Our 3-Step Plan B
Talk – We start with a conversation. What’s been keeping you up at night? What systems are critical to your operations? Our advisors listen first and explain later.
Plan – We build a customised disaster recovery strategy that suits your business. No cookie-cutter solutions. Just a clear, tested plan that works when you need it most.
Act – We put your plan into action and monitor it continuously. If something goes wrong, we’re already on it before you notice.
Why a Backup Isn’t a Recovery Plan
Too often, businesses rely on a single backup drive or a basic cloud sync and assume they’re safe. But can you:
Recover your entire system, not just files?
Restore data from two weeks ago, not just yesterday?
Guarantee access during a cyberattack or natural disaster?
A backup might save you. A disaster recovery plan will.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) also stresses that simply storing data isn’t enough; organisations must ensure it is recoverable and secure in the event of an incident.
Microsoft 365 Doesn’t Auto-Backup (Surprised?)
“Everything in Microsoft 365 is backed up.”
Here’s the truth: While Microsoft hosts your data, they don’t protect you from accidental deletion, retention gaps, or internal threats.
A proper Microsoft 365 backup solution keeps your emails, Teams messages, OneDrive, and SharePoint files safe and fully restorable.
Even Microsoft recommends third-party backup solutions in their documentation.
Cloud Backup vs Cloud Storage
Cloud Backup
Cloud Storage
Cloud Backup: Automated, comprehensive, and designed for recovery. It saves everything behind the scenes and lets you roll back to previous versions, even after a breach.
Cloud Storage (like Google Drive or Dropbox or OneDrive): Great for convenience. You choose what gets uploaded. But it’s manual, limited, and not always secure.
Bottom line: storage helps you work remotely. Backup helps you recover.
Use the 3-2-1 Backup Rule
A modern backup strategy follows the 3-2-1 rule:
3 copies of your data
2 different storage types (e.g. cloud and external drive)
1 stored securely off-site
This redundancy is what separates “we thought we were covered” from “we restored in under an hour.”
Why Off-Site Backups Matter
Local backups are great until something happens to your location. Fire, theft, flood, or ransomware can all take down both your live data and your backups.
Off-site backups — particularly cloud-based ones — ensure that you always have a recovery option, no matter what happens onsite.
At Focus, we manage and monitor these backups for you. You stay protected without lifting a finger.
Choosing the Right Backup Technology
It’s not just about having a backup – it’s about having the right kind:
Automated – So it happens without you remembering
Secure – Encrypted, compliant, and off-site
Flexible – Scales as your business grows
Quick to Restore – Granular restores without downtime
We work with industry-leading tools and ensure everything is set up to meet your needs, now and in future.
Backup Testing: The Step Most People Forget
You wouldn’t buy a fire extinguisher and never check it works. So why trust an untested backup?
Testing ensures:
Your backup is capturing everything it should
Restores actually work
Your team knows what to do when disaster hits
Focus conducts regular test recoveries, so you’re never caught off guard.
Why Wait for a Crisis?
Many of the businesses we help call us after something goes wrong. Don’t wait until you’re in the middle of an IT nightmare to ask, “Are we protected?”
A disaster recovery plan isn’t just about worst-case scenarios. It’s about peace of mind. It’s about knowing your business can keep going, whatever happens.
What Success Looks Like
Here’s what having a solid Plan B looks like:
Your team logs in, even after an outage
Clients never experience disruption
You bounce back from cyberattacks or mistakes
Your data stays safe, secure, and compliant
You spend less time firefighting and more time growing
This isn’t theory. It’s what we deliver.
Get your FREE Guide:
Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist
To help you prepare effectively, we’ve created a detailed and comprehensive checklist that covers all the essential points to ensure your disaster recovery plan is not only strong but also fully capable of protecting your business from unexpected disruptions.
This valuable checklist includes:
- Key strategies
- Practical steps
- Proven best practices that every business should follow to safeguard its operations and maintain continuity during unforeseen events.
Begin the process of securing your business with a reliable and effective disaster recovery plan today.
FAQs
Is Cloud Storage The Same As Backup?
No. Storage is for convenience. Backup is for recovery.
How Often Should We Test Our Bakups?
At least quarterly. Some systems may need monthly testing.
Can Focus Help Us Create A Disaster Recovery Plan From Scratch?
Absolutely. We handle the heavy lifting so you don’t have to.