The verdict in three sentences
An SME without a tested automated backup gambles its entire commercial history on every disk failure, stolen laptop or attack. The 2026 reflex: set an RPO (acceptable data loss) and an RTO (time to recover) per criticality level, then automate, encrypt and test the restore. The cost of a serious plan (15,000 to 60,000 FCFA/month depending on volume) is a fraction of the cost of a single uncovered incident.
RPO and RTO: how much data and time can you lose?
RPO (Recovery Point Objective) is how much data you accept losing: a 24 h RPO means one backup per day. RTO (Recovery Time Objective) is the maximum time to restart after an incident. The lower these values, the more the infrastructure costs, so you set them per criticality level.
| Criticality | Example data | Target RPO | Target RTO | Backup frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vital | Invoices, payments, stock | 1 h | 4 h | Continuous / hourly |
| Important | Customer records, orders | 6 h | 12 h | Every 6 h |
| Standard | Catalogue, settings | 24 h | 48 h | Daily |
| Low | Logs, temp exports | 7 d | 5 d | Weekly |
| Archive | History > 2 years | 30 d | 7 d | Monthly |
The cost of a loss vs the cost of a plan
A full day of downtime means unrecorded sales, lost orders and re-entry time. As a 2026 order of magnitude, an SME billing 4,000,000 FCFA/month loses about 150,000 FCFA of margin per day of downtime, before counting manual re-entry.
| Item | No backup plan | With automated plan |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly plan cost | 0 FCFA | 15,000 - 60,000 FCFA |
| Average loss per incident | 300,000 - 1,500,000 FCFA | 0 - 50,000 FCFA |
| Restore time | 2 - 10 days | 1 - 12 h |
| Data lost | Weeks to months | 1 - 24 h |
| Encryption at rest | Rare | Systematic (AES-256) |
| Restore test | Never | Quarterly |
Five rules for a plan that holds
A backup plan is only worth something if it follows the 3-2-1 rule: three copies, on two different media, one of them off-site. Add encryption at rest and in transit, retention (keep several versions to roll back before a corruption), and above all the scheduled restore test: a backup never restored is not a backup, it is a hope.
Mini case study
Fatou runs a hardware store in Thies with stock and invoicing software. A lightning strike fries her main PC; without a backup she would have lost 8 months of history. With a 25,000 FCFA/month plan (hourly encrypted off-site backup), she restores her database in 3 h and loses only one hour of entry. Cost avoided: about 600,000 FCFA of re-entry and lost sales, for 300,000 FCFA/year of plan. Payback on the very first incident.
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FAQ
Is a USB stick or external drive enough?
No: they sit on the same site, get lost or stolen with the hardware and are almost never tested. They count as a single copy; you need three, one off-site (cloud), to meet the 3-2-1 rule.
How often should I test the restore?
At least once a quarter for vital data. A test means restoring the database on a standby environment and checking that invoices and stock are consistent; budget 1 to 2 h of work.
What does a plan really cost for an SME?
As a 2026 order of magnitude: 15,000 FCFA/month for a small database (a few GB, daily), up to 60,000 FCFA/month for hourly encrypted multi-site backups. Far less than a single day of downtime.
Does encryption slow the software down?
Not noticeably: AES-256 at rest and TLS in transit are standard and transparent to the user. They mainly protect against disk theft or network interception.
What if my connection is unstable?
We combine immediate encrypted local backup with deferred sync to the cloud when the network returns. You never lose more than the set RPO, even on a temperamental 3G link.
Let's talk about your project. We audit your business software and set up an encrypted, automated, tested backup plan that fits your budget. WhatsApp +221 77 596 93 33.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
