The Real Cost of Downtime

Disaster recovery planning sounds like something you’ll “get to eventually.” But here’s the thing: downtime doesn’t wait for a convenient time to strike. Whether it’s a server crash, a cyberattack, or someone accidentally unplugging the wrong thing, even a short disruption can cost your business more than you realize.

Downtime Costs More Than You Think

When your systems go down, it’s not just about the cost of repair—it’s about lost productivity, missed opportunities, and potential damage to your reputation. Depending on the size of your organization, even an hour of downtime can mean thousands of dollars gone in lost revenue, wasted payroll, and halted operations.

And that doesn’t even factor in the stress, the client frustration, or the sheer scramble to get things back online.

It Happens More Often Than You Think

Downtime can come from more than just dramatic disasters. A failed software update, a misconfigured setting, or even a weather-related power outage can knock out your systems. Most businesses will experience downtime at some point—but not all are ready when it happens.

The Best Way to Reduce Costs? Prepare.

Here’s where disaster recovery and business continuity planning come in. It’s not just about backing things up (though that’s important!). It’s about having a full strategy in place—one that ensures you can recover quickly, keep critical systems running, and minimize disruption.

When you’ve got a recovery plan:

• You know what to do before something goes wrong.

• Your team isn’t left guessing.

• You avoid paying the price in lost time and revenue.

Start with the Basics:

• Regular Backups: Automate and test them. If you haven’t restored a backup in the last six months, it’s time.

• Redundancy: Don’t let your whole operation rely on one machine or server.

• Clear Communication Plans: Know how you’ll keep employees and clients in the loop during an incident.

• Trusted IT Support: (Hi, that’s us.) Whether you need help designing a disaster plan or just someone to call when things go sideways, we’re here.

Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late

Planning for downtime might not feel urgent—until it suddenly is. But the businesses that come out stronger after disruptions are the ones who prepared before it ever happened.