Today’s Guest Blogger is the fabulous Geni Bean of Pink Owl Photography.  She shares with us the importance of backing up!  Check out this article and make sure you are taking the necessary steps to back up your business!  Thanks for sharing Geni!!

Protect your business.

Backup your files.

Buy insurance.

We’ve heard it all before and know it should be done. But sometimes the creative side of our brain can distract the business side and all the extra business items that don’t fall in the category of “must be done right now” can fall by the wayside. And let’s be honest, we don’t really think it will happen to us, right? Well, I’m going to tell you a little story about what DID happen to me this year, and why I’m so glad I listen to the business side of my brain and made sure I was covered.

Ironically my story starts while I was attending the Imagine USA Conference in Phoenix last month. Sunday afternoon I received a phone call from my fiance and what he said next would change my perspective on protecting my business.

We’ve been robbed.

My mind raced, trying to grasp exactly what that meant. I quickly started thinking through my mental checklist:

“So my computer is gone?” I quickly ask.

“Yes,” he responded.

“Umm I think I left my iPad on the table, that’s gone also?”

“Yes.”

And so it went, one-by-one the most important things I used for my business had been taken. Thankfully, since I was attending the photography conference one of my cameras, lenses & MacBook Air were all safely in my possession, a small, but celebrated, victory. Once the shock of our home being broken into wore off, it was time to get serious about fixing the situation. I want to share three things I did to protect my business that kept this bad situation from being catastrophic.

1 – Backing up.

DUH! This is kind of a no-brainer, right? Well, guess again. How exactly are you backing up your files? Are you putting all your work onto external hard drives? Are your most recent files backed up on a hard drive that is currently connected to your computer? It’s pretty normal to backup using a hard drive and under normal circumstances a great way. However if that was the only way my files had been backed up, I would have lost all of my latest work. Because, guess what? The thieves took my computer and EVERYTHING attached to it. So that meant I would have had no way of retrieving client files and that would mean saying goodbye to the heart of my business. Thankfully last year I signed up with Backblaze. Backblaze is a cloud storage device that backs up your entire computer and any external hard drives you might keep regularly attached to it. Once you sign up the program will do an initial backup, which will take a bit of time. But afterwards it stays open, displaying a little icon in the top right corner of your screen that is constantly backing up as you edit, design, and save.

But wait there’s more, I jumped and squealed a bit when I discovered they also offer a “Locate my Computer” option. Backblaze will report the last time your computer was online and what IP address it was used from. Since Backblaze is automatically running in the background of your computer, as soon as it is connected to the internet Backblaze will ping your computer and be able to tell you an exact location. Currently, I’m still waiting on the thieves to connect to the internet, and considering they didn’t steal the mouse associated with the computer it might not be until they sell the computer. But regardless, I feel reassured knowing I have this option.

Restoring your data is quick and easy. You just login to your account, choose what you need to restore and Backblaze will email you a link to download your data when it’s ready. There is not one iota of data from my computer I am missing thanks to Backblaze.

#2  – Cataloging your serial numbers

Serial numbers are the kind of things that you don’t really think about until it’s too late. Or at least, in my case, I never really gave them a second thought. I’m part of a great group of women photographers who regularly get together to share ideas. During one of our gatherings last summer the “very exciting” topic of serial numbers came up. Looking back I’m so glad we had this discussion because I was prepared. My advice is to create an excel spreadsheet that includes the item description, serial number, date purchased, and receipt. (Or if you don’t have receipts include the price you paid for each item.)

You’ll want to make sure you include your camera(s), lenses, flashes, as well as any iPads, or computers. Basically, if it has a serial number and you’re using it for business, include it. In addition to all of your equipment, you’ll also want to list any software you are currently using and include the serial number or activation code. I use both Lightroom and Photoshop. Adobe was great in helping me download the programs and allowing me to activate them on my new computer.  However, you must have your serial numbers to reactivate this software and it’s more convenient when you know exactly where to find them. So go make a list of all your software and equipment and start your catalog tonight.

#3 Insurance

Another, no brainer, but just a reminder. Sometimes as sole proprietors we might assume that our equipment is covered under renters or homeowners insurance. But many times these insurance policies have special clauses that allow the insurance company to deny a claim if the item or items are used for business purposes. Trust me, you don’t want to hear that your item has been denied coverage after you’ve had to deal with the frustration of stolen property. So make sure you are properly insured. PPA (Professional Photographers of America) offers $15,000 worth of insurance if you are a member as well as discounts on additional coverage. You can also work with your current insurance company to see what kind of options they offer.

The bottom line is, make sure you’re protecting the property that’s making you money. It’s easy to say “I’ll do it later,” or to think “it won’t happen to me,” and — I hope it never does, but on the rare chance that it does, you want to be prepared.

Ok, that’s enough serious stuff, let’s enjoy a few fun summery images because I’m sick and tired of the cold weather! 🙂

Pink Owl Photography

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