How can I tell if a print shop’s design files are backed up properly?
Ask where customer artwork and job files live, who has access and how often copies are made. Then ask to see a copy actually restored. A backup nobody has tested may not work. Also check that files belong to the business, not to one employee’s personal drive or account.
Customer artwork is the print shop’s memory. Repeat orders, reprints and quotes depend on it. Ask where files are stored: on the press computers, a shared drive, an outside service or a person’s own device. Then ask who can open, change or delete them, and what happens to those rights when someone leaves.
Next, test the backup itself. Ask for the schedule, the location and the last time a file was restored. Pick a job from a few years back and ask the seller to find it and show it opens correctly. A backup kept in the same room as the originals does not help after a fire or theft, so ask where the second copy sits.
Then check ownership and rights. Some files were created by freelancers, supplied by customers or built in programs on subscriptions. Ask your lawyer who owns what, and whether any licences or accounts transfer to you. Ask who holds the passwords. Last, consider the cost of a loss. Ask how long reprints would be delayed and which customers depend on archived files most. An adviser can help you judge whether the setup suits your plans.
Key takeaways
- Find out where files live, who can reach them and what happens when staff leave.
- Ask for a live restore of an older job, not just a description.
- Confirm the business, not an individual, owns the files, accounts and passwords.
Related reading
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Due diligence
Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
- 03Canadian Centre for Cyber SecurityGovernmentBaseline cyber security controls for small and medium organizations
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