— ਮੁਫ਼ਤ ਚੈੱਕਲਿਸਟ
The Small-Business Technology Checklist
A plain-English checklist for Atlantic-Canada business owners — the technology basics that keep a small business safe, found, and running, with no jargon and nothing to buy. Work through it on a quiet afternoon and you will know exactly where you stand.
ਚੈੱਕਲਿਸਟ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ
- Your website 6
- Security and passwords 6
- Backups and recovery 5
- Email and accounts 5
- Privacy and PIPEDA 5
- Keeping it running 5
ਪੂਰੀ ਚੈੱਕਲਿਸਟ
Your website
- Your address starts with https:// and shows a padlock — not a "Not secure" warning.
- The site loads in under three seconds on a phone using mobile data, not just office Wi-Fi.
- Your name, address, phone, and hours are correct and identical everywhere they appear.
- Someone other than your web person can update text, prices, and photos without writing code.
- You own the domain name yourself — it is registered to you, not to a past contractor or agency.
- You know who renews the domain and hosting, and when — a lapsed renewal can take the whole site offline.
Security and passwords
- Every account uses a long, unique password — never the same one reused across two services.
- A password manager holds those passwords so nobody has to memorise or write them on a sticky note.
- Two-factor (a code from an app or text) is turned on for email, banking, and anything with customer data.
- Staff each have their own login — no shared accounts that nobody can untangle when someone leaves.
- When someone leaves the business, their access is removed the same day.
- Your team can recognise a phishing email and knows to never act on an urgent payment request without a phone-call check.
Backups and recovery
- Your important files are backed up automatically — not "when someone remembers".
- At least one backup copy lives somewhere off-site, so a fire, flood, or theft cannot take both copies.
- You have actually restored a file from a backup at least once, to prove the backup works.
- You know how long it would take to get running again if the main computer died tomorrow.
- Backups of customer data are protected and not left open on a shared drive anyone can reach.
Email and accounts
- Your email uses your own domain (you@yourbusiness.ca), not a free gmail or hotmail address.
- There is a record of every online account the business depends on and who controls each one.
- Critical accounts are not tied to one person’s private email — the business can always regain access.
- Software and devices install security updates automatically rather than being put off for months.
- Old accounts and logins for services you no longer use have been closed.
Privacy and PIPEDA
- You know what personal information you collect and exactly why you need each piece of it.
- A plain privacy note tells customers what you collect and how you use it — a legal expectation under Canada’s PIPEDA.
- Customer data is kept only as long as you genuinely need it, then deleted.
- Only the staff who need customer information can see it — access matches the job.
- You could answer a customer who asks what information you hold about them, or asks you to delete it.
Keeping it running
- One written page lists your key systems, who the provider is, and who to call when something breaks.
- You are not depending on a single person who is the only one who knows how everything works.
- You review this list once a year, because tools, staff, and passwords change.
- You know your monthly technology costs and what each subscription is actually for.
- You have a name to call before an emergency — not while one is happening.
ਜੋ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਉਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਿਤੇ ਫਸੇ ਹੋ?
ਜੇ ਸੂਚੀ ਦੀ ਕੋਈ ਲਾਈਨ ਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਰਾਤ ਨੂੰ ਜਗਾਈ ਰੱਖਦੀ ਹੈ, ਤਾਂ ਇਹੀ ਚੀਜ਼ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਅਸੀਂ ਠੀਕ ਕਰਦੇ ਹਾਂ। ਸਾਨੂੰ ਦੋ ਪੈਰੇ ਲਿਖੋ ਅਤੇ ਅਸੀਂ ਇੱਕ ਕਾਰਜ ਦਿਨ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰ ਜਵਾਬ ਦਿੰਦੇ ਹਾਂ।