IT disaster a harsh lesson for business

Suzanne Bullivant has flipped through nearly every page of the phonebook in the last fortnight and she has one valuable lesson for fellow business owners - don't rely solely on technology and back up your computer programmes.
Her business Dreamers lost its entire client booking programme on December 30 and finding people to re-book their appointments has been a nightmare.
"That morning, I came to work and turned on the computer first as usual before turning everything else on," says Suzanne. "I came back to turn on a light and the fuse blew."
Then a lightbulb came out of a socket and the premises endured a big power surge. "It just came out of the blue," says Suzanne.
Former business partner Febe Thurston had always dealt with the technology side of things "and since taking sole ownership I hadn't got into that yet".
Suzanne delivered her computer hard drive to Katikati Computers "at this stage everything was cool, I don't know much about technology so thought it would be fine" but after inspection Mike Pavletich told her the device was dead.
"He said it would cost $85 to replace but that I had lost my entire booking programme, which was specifically made for Dreamers by two university scholars who had since closed their computer shop."
After trying a few tests to retrieve the system, the hard drive has been sent to Hamilton for technicians to attempt to regain the programme and data lost.
Staff member Jo McLachland had been saving regular back-up editions to the programme but they turned out faulty. The only back-up retrieved was from 2008 and virtually useless to current Dreamers operations and clients.
Suzanne says the hardest thing has not been trying to retrieve clients details but their history - in which she also detailed their personal events.
"We've had the programme for 15 years and everything about every one of my clients is on it. I'd detail when a client's husband had died so when it was the anniversary, we could do something special for her to cheer her up," says Suzanne. "It's those special things that I thought of when I realised I'd lost the programme, not just the clientele stuff.
"We're having to start again and it's gutting. We don't know who has daily appointments for the next four to six weeks."
Suzanne and staff Jo and D'Arna Lauder have been on the phone constantly, trying to re-book any clients they think of.
"Yesterday, we had five ladies turn up for appointments at 10.30am due to double-booking but everyone has been great and very understanding."
It's estimated Dreamers has more than 250 clients on its books with 95 out of every 100 re-booking appointments.
Suzanne says the valuable lesson cannot be blamed on anyone but it has made her realise that business owners should know their own computer systems and copy their own back-up editions to ensure they're safe.
"Until it happens you never think you're going to lose it - when set up again, my staff and I are off to Katikati Computers for a thorough lesson on how to work our computer."
Anyone with an appointment at Dreamers should call them on 549 1213 to re-confirm.