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Four Ways to Get (& Keep) Your Business Data in Order

With so much data flying around these days, it is easy for a company of any size to become overwhelmed. If something important falls through the cracks, say a contract renewal or outstanding bill, your financial standing and reputation could suffer. Here are four ways to get — and keep — your business data in order:

  1. Simplify, simplify, simplify. Review your data in broad categories and determine if and how you can simplify things. Sometimes refiling documents under basic designations such as ‘vendors,’ ‘leases,’ and ‘employee contracts’ could provide better perspective on your information. In other cases, you may need to realign your network or file storage to more closely follow how your company operates today.
  2. Implement a data storage policy. A formal effort toward becoming organized can help you target what is wrong and determine what to do about it. In creating this policy, spell out which information you must back up, how much money you will spend on this effort, how often backups must occur, and where you will store backups.
  3. Reconsider the cloud. Web-based data storage, now commonly known as ‘the cloud,’ has been around for years. It allows you to store files and access software on a secure, remote server. Your company may already use the cloud to some extent. If so, review how you are using it, whether your security measures are adequate, and if now might be a good time to renegotiate with your vendor or find a new one.
  4. Do not forget about email. Much of your company’s precious data may not be in files or spreadsheets but in emails. Although it has been around for decades, this medium has grown in significance recently as email continues to play a starring role in many legal proceedings. If you have not already, establish an email retention policy to specify everyone’s responsibilities when it comes to creating, organizing, and deleting (or not deleting) emails.

Virtually every company operating today depends on data, big and small, to compete in its marketplace and achieve profitability. Please contact us regarding cost-effective ways to store, organize, and deploy your company’s mission-critical information.

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