Back Up Your Financial Data Right Now

What happens when unforeseen disaster strikes? That’s right: You turn to the experts at DK/RK Services for advice on everything from flood mitigation to asbestos removal. Right? (Well, not quite.)

But this month’s edition of Bean There, Done That is all about avoiding problems from disasters you most certainly CAN foresee, and from which you CAN protect your business.

Read on!

Once again, thanks for making DK/RK Services your first choice in bookkeeping… and for passing this edition on to your many friends who’ll want to subscribe for a “monthly smile.”

More...

Wishing You Heaps Of Fun, And A Healthy Serving Of Beans.

DKRK Accounting and Bookkeeping Services - Closing the Books on Last Year

A Healthy Serving of Beans

Back It Up Right Now, Or You’ll Be Sorry

Bean There, Done That
Monthly Bookkeeping Wisdom From Your Friendly Bean-Counter

Backups are important in all aspects of life, right? I don’t need to tell you that. But here goes:

Football teams need a backup quarterback. Some (I won’t mention names) need a Main Quarterback, and then they need a backup quarterback.
Trash haulers and other heavy trucks and equipment need a backup warning beeper. This is to prevent the neighbors from sleeping in, which might keep those late-night parties to a minimum.
You know who you are.
Bad guys need to back up, or Clint Eastwood will blow a hole in them.
Parachutists are among the most prominent when it comes to people who appreciate the need for a backup.
“Nature” has provided each of us with a backup foot, a backup ear, a backup eye, etc., in the event you lose the use of one or the other foot, ear, or eye.
(If you lose the use of one of your hands, you can always go to a second-hand store.)
Secret agents rarely go anywhere without backup.

Anyway, you get the point: Backups are essential. Experts will back me up on this.

But when it comes to the key data upon which your business depends, are you sure you’re protected against a disastrous information loss?

As any parachutist or trash hauler will tell you, it’s absolutely critical that you keep your data backed up. Because you never know what will happen.

To make sure your data is secure and up-to-date, here are some suggestions…

… For Desktop Systems

Make sure backups are done regularly. That way, if there’s damage to the file, such as you fat-fingering the delete key or some such boo-boo, you can return to the backed-up file. Regularly” could mean weekly or monthly, depending on how much activity you’re, uh, activating.
Keep the backup data offsite. This means away from your office, for those of you who don’t understand the reason parachutists appreciate backup. This is so that you’ll still have your information in the event of a theft, fire, flood, dropped laptop, or high interception-to-touchdown ratio (all disastrous in their own way).
Verify your data’s integrity on a regular basis, using either the “verification process” or “file maintenance” function of your software. This will help reduce the likelihood your files will become corrupted, and have to be dealt with by Mr. Eastwood, who always seems to be dealing with corruption.
Finally, make sure you’ve set up separate user accounts for each person who handles your data. That way, you can customize access and control who does what… and if you ever need to review your activity, you can verify who handled which information.

… For Cloud-Based Backup Systems

For “cloud” or online backups, check to make sure your service provider has a redundant system to keep access levels high, and other features such as self-correcting error detection. Your online service should perform backups FOR you, on a regular basis, so you don’t have to remember, schedule, or manage your backups. Very cool!
One more thing: You should export a copy of your data regularly, and pull reports on a regular basis, too (including a year-end report that shows every transaction).
Again, make sure you’ve set up separate user accounts for each person who handles your data. You want to be able to separate duties among data handlers and maintain appropriate confidentiality.
Separating users also gives you the opportunity to have an audit trail (better than a dusty trail – just ask Clint), so you can verify exactly who DID what (holding every user accountable).

Yes, as any Secret Agent will attest, you need to make sure your data is backed up. You never know when your office might be shaken or stirred, and you might need that backup to drop in on a reserve parachute (backwards and beeping loudly) to save the day.

Discussion Questions

1
If a storm rolls in, and then moves sharply in the other direction (as they sometimes do here in Colorado), would you consider that a “cloud backup?”
2
What is your interception-to-touchdown ratio? Use a pie chart; or, just send pie
3
Is it time to consult your Friendly Bean Counter for ideas on making sure your accounting data is as secure as it needs to be?

Don’t forget: at DK/RK Services, you’re always “more than a number.” We WANT to take care of your bookkeeping, professionally and personably, so you can focus on running and growing a great business enterprise! Please check out our many enthusiastic FIVE STAR online reviews (Yelp, Google, Facebook, you name it). We look forward to earning our next great review from YOU.

You know someone who could use valuable bookkeeping insights… or, at least, a smile.
You know you do.
Forward Bean There, Done That to them… if they subscribe, you both win a prize!*

(* Prize is FREE editions of Bean There, Done That)
(Offer good as good can be. Entries submitted after the deadline will be considered late. See details. Offer void where prohibited, such as in Bacup, Rossendale Borough, Lancashire)

Not yet subscribed to "Bean There, Done That"?

Subscribe To The Newsletter

Howl-dy! I’m Sadie.
Dottie’s My Person.

Sadie’s Paw Prints

It’s The Dog Days Of Summer

Welcome to another edition of Sadie’s Paw Prints, where I, Dottie’s beloved four-legged fur pal, give you two-leggers the latest wisdom on hot canine topics of the day.

Know what really gets us dogs hot and bothered? That’s right: Getting too hot. We tell you every year NOT to leave us in enclosed spaces, such as your car, when the weather’s warm… but too many of you do that to too many of us anyway!

Did you know that, even with the windows “cracked,” the inside of your car can get twenty degrees hotter in about ten minutes?

We dogs run a bit hotter than you humans: Our normal body temperature is around 101 degrees. But we’re sensitive, folks. Anything over 103 is cause for alarm.

Dogs can get heat stroke when they get overly warm… and you don’t want to let that happen to your best buddy, do you?

If your dog is panting more than usual (which is what we dogs do to try to cool off, since we can’t sweat like you do)… or if you see us getting wobbly or behaving weirdly when the sun is beating down… take action right away. Get us to a cool place. Get us a drink. Maybe even get a cool wet towel to put over us.

And, if it’s really serious, you might want to call the vet. Quick! Every minute counts.

Really, don’t take chances with your fur babies during the hot summer season. Keep us from getting too warm, and everything will be cool! No sweat.

Non-Profit Spotlight

We’ve Got A Honey Of A Deal For You

This month’s Non-Profit Spotlight shines on the Katie Adams Conservation Fund – one of our favorite non-profit organizations – and we’re all a-buzz to tell you how you can provide some sweet support for some of the world’s poorest farmers.

Here’s something you might not know: Elephants (yes, elephants) can be a real menace to homesteading farmers in certain places of the world, such as Tanzania.

Imagine working your tail off as a poor African farmer, only to have elephants rampage through your farm, eating and trampling your crops, and destroying your entire family’s livelihood. It happens! In fact, it happens more frequently than you might guess.

But the experts at the Conservation Fund have come up with a sweet way to help protect these homesteads, and it’s as old as time (pretty much): Beehives.

Turns out elephants don’t care for bees. Bees sting their eyes and other soft-tissue parts of their big bodies, and nobody likes getting stung. Not even elephants. Especially not elephants!

So adding beehives around the perimeter of a farm does wonders to protect a homesteading family and their vital crops.

Go here:

https://www.katieadamsonconservationfund.org/beehives

… And you can learn how buying a jar of honey from a Brighton beekeeper can help put beehives where they’re seriously needed in a far corner of the planet.

We think you’ll agree: It’s a sweet deal, all around.

Thanks for your help!

Back Up Your Financial Data Right Now

Click Here to Leave a Comment Below