Real estate brokers in the Wolverine State are required to keep trust account records for three (3) years and student records for a period of six (6) years according to Michigan’s Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.

Here’s a link to the PDF that outlines these various regulatory rules. You can find them on page 91 and 101.

We also want to share a video that talks about the benefits of using online backup versus traditional methods of data storage like cardboard boxes and CDs. Obviously, we recommend our service, Filetwin, because we specialize in dealing with businesses in the regulatory environment.

Michigan seems pretty reasonable with their record retention requirements. Three (3) years isn’t too bad to have to hold on to hard copy files. Just remember, that there is a square footage cost issue surrounding boxes stored in offices that we always blog about and the possibility of natural disasters (fire, flood & storm damage) that might never affect your business, however, one incident can bring your entire operation to a grinding halt if you don’t use a solution like online backup. We strongly recommend that small businesses in Michigan seriously consider online backup in their business continuity planning.

If you’d like to learn more about online backup as an option for your business, give us a call at 1 877 310-2884 and one of our Backup Specialists will be pleased to continue this conversation with you.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011

If you’re a real estate Broker in The Coyote State, then you’re required to retain electronic files for four (4) years according to the South Dakota Real Estate Commission. It’s interesting that South Dakota is one of the few states that actually has a PDF specifically on electronic record storage. At Filetwin we specialize in record retention for regulated businesses such as the real estate industry. Click here to read the Commission’s policy on electronic record retention.

Here are ten good reasons why Brokers should consider Filetwin for your electronic record retention requirements.

Number 10 – You don’t have a strategy for backing up desktops, laptops or servers.

Not backing up the systems in your office opens your business to liabilities and potential huge losses to your reputation and revenue.

Number 9 – Compliance. Compliance. Compliance.

We’ll keep you compliant so you’ll satisfy the intent of any regulation(s).

Number 8 – You don’t have the time to figure out an in-house solution.

There are too many vendors out there offering software solutions. With www.filetwin.com, you get more than software, you get our unmatched service responsiveness and personalized attention.

Number 7 – You just aren’t willing to compromise security for convenience.

Encryption and our managed service guarantees that your backup is completed properly.

Number 6 – You need a backup solution that you don’t have to monitor constantly.

You can request your backups to run daily, weekly or monthly. We offer continuous backup which runs real-time.

Number 5 – Your IT staff and budget are already overextended.

Stop wasting time and money with external drives, stacks of CDs and other traditional backup methods. This allows your in-house IT resources to be productive in revenue generating activities.

Number 4 – You don’t want to pay for something you aren’t using.

You determine how many computers and how much storage you need and that’s what you pay for.

Number 3 – You’re worried about natural disasters.

If you’re concerned about Mother Nature and that she might disrupt you’re business, then securing your data off site is a prudent decision for any business and you’re continuity plan.

Number 2 – You’re over the headaches that come with backing up remote locations and branch offices.

Now you can make sure that your business continuance plan is working throughout your company.

The Number 1 reason why you need online backup is….

Your IT budget is limited and a simple payment plan is easier to cover right now.

With Filetwin, there is no capital investment for hardware, small upfront costs and no administrative overhead to maintain.

We think these are ten (10) pretty good reasons why you should consider online backup and Filetwin. If you’d like to speak with one of our Backup Specialists in person, please contact us at 1 877 310-2884 and we’d be glad to answer any questions you might have.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011

Today our blog focuses on the State of New Mexico. According to the New Mexico Real Estate Commission if you are a broker in New Mexico, you’re required to retain your records for three (3) years. We always include the actual regulation itself because we know our readers often need to see the actual research itself. So, if you need to see the law, then click on this link http://www.nmcpr.state.nm.us/nmac/parts/title16/16.061.0023.htm and scroll down till you see section 16.61.23.9 on Record Maintenance.

Three years isn’t that bad. Most external hard drives would probably suffice. So what’s the advantage of using an online backup service? And what’s the advantage of using Filetwin? Two good questions, so here’s our answers:

1. Online Backup turns a manual process into an automated process. Right now, you have to remember to do the backup – and this is where most problems stem from – people forget to do the backup and that’s when your files will decide it’s time to get corrupted. With online backup, the process happens automatically. Now, this might not sound like a big deal, but once you get to see the software in action, and see that it does what it’s supposed to do, all your data is safe and you DON’T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING. There are many other virtues to online backup but this is the most popular we keep hearing feedback on.

2. Why Filetwin? Because we focus on regulated businesses. We don’t charge absorbent pricing to help you during an incident of data loss. We’ve hear story after story about low cost online backup providers who, once an incident happens, tried to charge a client $300 to help them restore their data. Ya see – there’s always a catch when a service charges under $10 to safeguard your critical digital files. Would you feel safe if the bank where you stored your jewels locked up the front door with a padlock??

In summary, Filetwin knows your industry. We know how to deal with customers in distress. In fact, we train our Backup Specialists in Escalated Customer Service Strategies so they’ll remain on-the-ball when crisis hits your company or office. To continue this conversation in person, please feel free to contact us at 1 877 310-2884. All of our Backup Specialists are located in the U.S. and we also offer bi-lingual speaking Customer Service Representatives.

  Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2011