Look for a solution that offers all these elements: automation, speed, virtualization, offsite and monitoring — Solutions without these characteristics are simply not worth your time or the time of your customers. Any additions to these are icing on the cake.

Sell the value of BDR, instead of the price of backup — Focus on the outcome, instead of pricing. When pitching your offering to potential customers, reveal the consequences of data loss. Show them the negative impact.

Don’t let mother nature control you — Always try to be one step ahead of mother nature. If you’re reacting to mother nature, you’re already too late. Be proactive and be ready for any disaster at any time.

Prepare, prepare, prepare (and test) — When a disaster occurs, your team should know what to do. Prepare your staff and customers for potential disasters with a plan for how everything should be handled. Test backups as often as possible — at least weekly — to make sure everything works the way it should.

Eat your own dog food — Practice what you preach. Your customers are expecting you to follow the same advice that you’re pitching to them — before and after they sign on.