You can do all in your ability to move your business ahead, yet things happen. Every entrepreneur's career will eventually experience a period when their business experiences a setback. By having backup plans ready for these situations, you can get back on track much more quickly and avoid losing too much money. Here are some business backups you should think about if you want to stay ahead of the competition.

Filing systems

As a company owner, you should be proud that everything you do is legal. Here are just a few:

• Wages - these would be essential to maintain above board since if you are caught breaking the law, you can be subject to large fines.

• Taxes - nobody loves them, but being prepared to show that you've filed them correctly will spare you from penalties. This can now be used in an erc application as well.

• Storage of private information - not that all firms will be required to maintain confidential data, but for those who do, you must demonstrate that your customers' information is secure and not in jeopardy of being leaked.

Paper filing

If you want to keep your private information, wage costs, and tax information on paper, you will need a very secure filing cabinet. Make sure your paperwork is nicely organized and easy to discover so you can immediately find it if you need to prove yourself.

Digital filing

This is usually the better option, but be aware that hackers could still get to that information. They may, for example, lure you in by presenting a fake login page and waiting for you to submit your credentials so they can steal them. Once you've done this, they'll have full access to your personal information and anything else you want to keep secret. Make sure your antivirus software is always up to date and that your router is password protected. Also, always log out of emails, programs, and websites so hackers can't get to your information.

Keep CVs

Even if you have all the staff you need, someone could quit at any time, leaving you short-staffed. This could hurt your business because fewer people working means less work gets done.

To address this, it would be easy to save any CVs sent that appear to be from candidates who would be the best fit for the position. In this way, you can get in touch with that person if the necessity arises and ask if they're still looking for work or if they'd be willing to join your team. They showed enough enthusiasm to submit an application in the past, so it's safe to assume they'd be keen on hearing from you about a current opening.

Keeping former applicants' CVs means that whenever a new post opens up (even if nobody leaves), you'll have a large pool of candidates to pick from.

Be sure to let individuals know that you preserve their CVs regardless of whether they are successful in getting the job they first applied for, just in case another position opens up that might be a good fit for them. So, if the applicant doesn't want you to keep their CV if they don't get the job, they can tell you to throw it away.

IT support

Technology has come a long way in the last ten years, but computer networks and hardware still break down sometimes. If you don't know much about IT, this could be a problem, so it's best to use computer services and support when you need them.

If you've previously used an IT provider and found them to be reliable and reasonably priced, have their contact information on hand in case any issues ever emerge with your PCs. A special arrangement might be made with them as a reward for their continued patronage.

Employing people who have a great array of expertise when it pertains to computers is also important because they will probably be able to sort out any minor difficulties without the need to call out any IT assistance. This is something that should be done whenever it is possible to do so. But finding employees who understand what they're doing with computers is easier said than done.

One step you should always do with your computer systems is to make sure they are well taken care of and maintained regularly. This could mean something as simple as making sure everyone logs off the computer and shuts it down properly every day. This gives computers a chance to update themselves and cool down after being utilized all day. Make sure your staff knows how to do this every day.