Small business owners often have many different things on their minds at once - from employee issues to whether it's plausible to pay for the latest hardware and software updates needed. A leader's focus is often divided, and some things are bound to fall by the wayside.

However, Canadian company leaders need to make sure one of those forgotten elements of business is not data protection. Hackers are attacking smaller firms with increasing frequency, as they often have less stringent information protections set in place. Owners can head off threats by ensuring their data is also placed safely behind preemptive security measures.

Report: Canadian owners must be ready

Sage North America recently released the Small Business Disaster Preparedness Study, which revealed many Canadian business owners are backing up data, which can help ensure continuity in the event of a disaster. However, most of these administrators have no plan in place regarding other protections and what should be done to access the saved information after a crisis.

Though 98 percent of small businesses in Canada have backed up the crucial information needed to keep the company going, the survey found, 72 percent of those individuals are doing so onsite. Leaders need to think about taking advantage of other small business technology, and consider moving files to the cloud or another third-party archive provider. Those who save in-house would most likely lose all data if the storefront was physically destroyed, such as in the event of a fire or flood.

"Such loss could severely delay operations and hinder a full recovery. IT's important for small businesses to consider this in the development of any preparedness plan," noted Sage Simply Accounting vice president and general manager Nancy Harris.

Information must be offsite

According to Network Solutions, company leaders should always store the most crucial information at a different location. That way, if the company is either destroyed or can't be accessed, operations do not come to a halt. The source said owners have dozens of cloud provider options to complete this action.

Additionally, there should be at least one employee at a firm that is in charge of backing up information that comes into the company. That person should also check from time to time to make sure the documents can be accessed properly.

Communication is key

After data protection and disaster plans are made concrete, it is up to the owner of the company to ensure all employees are made aware of the arrangement. This can help get the business up and running faster after a disaster and ensure that all employees know about their responsibilities in an emergency scenario.