Checklist: what your backup should include

Servers and shared files

• File servers and shared drives
• Business software databases, such as accounting, practice management or design systems
• The server’s whole system, not only the data, so it can be rebuilt quickly

Computers

• Laptops and desktops, especially anything saved outside synced folders
• Specialized workstations with software or settings that take a long time to set up

Cloud services

• Microsoft 365: email, OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams files. Microsoft keeps the service running, but recovering deleted or damaged data long after the fact is up to you.
• Other cloud apps that hold business data, such as CRM, accounting or task tracking. Check what each one keeps and for how long.

Things people forget

• Network settings: firewall, switch and Wi-Fi configurations.
• Phone system settings.
• Website files and database, if not handled by your web host.
• License keys and installation files for business software.
• Documentation: passwords, recovery keys and contact details, stored securely and reachable when systems are down.

And then

• Decide how much data you can afford to lose and how quickly each system needs to come back.
• Test restores regularly. A backup only counts if it restores.