Debunking the 3 Biggest Disaster Recovery Myths for SMBs
Debunking the 3 Biggest Disaster Recovery Myths for SMBs
Many small and mid-sized businesses believe they’re prepared for a disaster—until one happens.
Whether it’s ransomware, server failure, or a flood in the server room, disaster recovery (DR) is often misunderstood or mismanaged. That misunderstanding can cost you thousands in downtime, data loss, or even business closure.
At NextGEN IT Solutions, we’ve helped countless SMBs bounce back from IT disasters. And time and again, we hear the same disaster recovery myths—myths that leave businesses vulnerable when it matters most.
Let’s bust the top 3 myths and explain how you can protect your business before it’s too late.
Myth #1 – “We’re Backed Up, So We’re Safe.”
Backups are essential—but they’re not the same as a disaster recovery plan.
A backup is just a copy of your data. A disaster recovery (DR) plan is a structured strategy that covers:
- How quickly you can restore systems (RTO)
- How much data you can afford to lose (RPO)
- Who is responsible for what during a crisis
- What tools and processes are in place for recovery
🛑 Backups without a tested plan often lead to:
- Corrupted or incomplete data restores
- Delayed recovery (taking days or even weeks)
- Missing configurations or apps
- Lost productivity and revenue
✅ At NextGEN, we offer Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)—including full system replication, backup validation, and recovery testing—so you’re not just backed up, you’re truly protected.
Myth #2 – “Disasters Are Rare. We’ll Cross That Bridge When We Get There.”
Disasters aren’t just fires or hurricanes anymore. Today’s top threats include:
- Ransomware attacks
- Power surges and hardware failure
- Human error (accidental deletions or misconfigurations)
- Software bugs and failed updates
- Cloud misconfigurations
According to recent stats:
- 60% of SMBs that suffer major data loss shut down within 6 months
- The average downtime from ransomware is 19 days
- 90% of businesses without a recovery plan fail within a year after a disaster
🚨 If your team can’t access systems or customer data for even one day, what’s the impact?
Our clients often tell us: “We didn’t realize how unprepared we were until we tested it.”
That’s why we run quarterly DR drills to ensure our clients are always ready.
Myth #3 – “Disaster Recovery Is Too Expensive for a Small Business.”
Years ago, that may have been true. Today, cloud-based DR has changed the game.
With solutions like DRaaS and hybrid backup, even small businesses can:
- Protect all servers and workstations
- Restore systems in minutes, not days
- Automatically replicate data offsite
- Pay a flat monthly fee instead of massive infrastructure investments
✅ Benefits of modern DR with NextGEN:
- Affordable monthly pricing based on your business size
- Scalable as you grow
- Managed by our 24/7 support team
- Fully compliant with HIPAA, GLBA, NIST, and more
Don’t let the myth of high cost stop you from protecting your business. The cost of not having a plan is far higher.
Bonus Myth – “Our IT Guy Has It Handled.”
Even the best in-house techs are often stretched thin. Disaster recovery requires:
- Regular testing and updates
- Multiple platform knowledge (cloud, virtualization, networking)
- Clear documentation and response planning
- Coordination across departments
If your DR plan is “in someone’s head,” it’s not a plan.
That’s why partnering with an MSP like NextGEN ensures that:
- Your recovery process is documented and tested
- Backups are verified and monitored
- You have a team—not just one person—ready to respond
Real-World Example: What Almost Went Wrong (But Didn’t)
A retail client in Harrisville had what they believed were “great backups”—but no real DR plan. When a power outage fried their main server, they called us in a panic.
Fortunately, we had recently migrated them to our managed DRaaS solution:
- We restored their server image to the cloud within 2 hours
- Employees were back online before the end of the day
- No sales were lost, and no customer data was compromised
They now run regular failover tests—and sleep much better at night.
What an Effective Disaster Recovery Plan Should Include
Here’s what we build into every NextGEN DR strategy:
- Documented Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO)
- Cloud and local backups for speed and redundancy
- Encryption and access controls for compliance
- Automated alerts for failed backups
- A communication plan (who gets notified, and how)
- Quarterly DR testing and revision
We tailor the plan to your environment, risk profile, and budget—no generic templates.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Let These Myths Jeopardize Your Business
The worst time to realize you believed a myth… is during a crisis.
Disaster recovery isn’t just about backups—it’s about business continuity. And the good news? With today’s cloud tools and managed services, building a plan that fits your needs and budget is easier than ever.
At NextGEN IT Solutions, we help SMBs create real, testable, and affordable disaster recovery strategies that work when you need them most.
👉 Want a free DR readiness assessment?
Contact us today, or visit our blog for more practical IT strategies.
