You don’t have to be a business owner or a university student to have a lot of important files stored on your laptop. Today, we are relying on our gadgets more than ever before; paper files are quickly becoming a thing of the past since it’s so much easier to simply access everything that we need electronically.

But, what happens if your old laptop suddenly isn’t so reliable anymore? If your laptop has given up and come to the end of its life taking your files with it, then you might be feeling a little bit desperate. Thankfully all is not lost; here are some top tips to help you get everything back and prevent it from happening again in the future.

#1. Speak to the Experts:

In some cases, you might be able to retrieve files yourself from a laptop that hasn’t quite given up just yet. But, if your computer is completely dead and won’t even start up, you’d need to know your way around the inside to successfully recover your data.

So, the first thing you should do if you’ve lost your laptop data, is contact a good data recovery company. The professionals will know exactly what to do to get into your hard drive, unless there’s been an irreparable issue with it, you’ll usually be able to quickly get everything back.

#2. Check for Other Issues:

Sometimes, your laptop hard drive may well be perfectly intact; it’s something else that’s broken, such as the battery or the screen. So, it’s a good idea to check this out before you pay anybody to recover the data.

If you haven’t damaged your laptop accidentally, then you might even be able to get it repaired under your warranty. You’ll probably need to pay for breakages or water damage caused by an accident, although if you’ve been forward thinking and insured your gadgets, this will usually cover the cost.

#3. Check for Software Problems:

If you are using a Windows device, you can re-boot your computer in Safe Mode, which will only load up the minimum requirements to get your device back up and running. If this is successful, you’ll then be able to locate your lost files and run anti-virus software to deal with the problem.

#4. Move to the Cloud:

Whether you’ve been lucky enough to get your files back from your damaged device or not, it’s a good idea to let the situation be a learning curve. Storing all your files on your laptop hard drive might be convenient – but this is only the case if it’s working!

Today, there’s no need to store anything physically; cloud services such as iCloud or Google Drive offer plenty of space for all your important files and documents. What’s even better is that you’ll never lose them, no matter how many times you replace or break your laptop.

There is a quote floating around the internet that sums up what an entrepreneur is: entrepreneurs are the only people who will work 80 hours a week to avoid working 40 hours a week. And while that might put most people off, there are benefits which are not just monetary, when you are a business owner.

1. Strategy becomes a game

You will become better at making any kind of decisions purely because you have been placed in a situation whereby you call the only shots that matter. Any fumble could prove disastrous, but you will also learn that there is a viable solution to every problem.

2. Better creativity and imagination

Now this is where your inner child comes in. How do you keep people interested in whatever services or products you are selling? You might come up with promotions or brand new products and create a market for it. All this requires being able to brainstorm and think up fresh, interesting ideas. Contrary to popular belief, it is nurture, not nature,that allows certain people more creativity over others.

3. The world becomes your oyster

Once you have mastered the art of being in control and playing by your own rules, you will soon realize there is so much untapped potential around you. Money doesn’t grow on trees, but it grows on people who are more than happy to give it to you for something in return. It might not even be something they know they want, but you can make it so it is irresistible. You will see opportunities at every turn, learning, always learning about something new. Such as how to work social media and technology seamlessly through case-studies like AirBnB. They allowed their hosts to cross post onto Craigslist, effectively reaching more people with the ad and also publicizing the app on the company’s behalf – for free!

4. Limitless extra income

You reap what you sow, and if you have executed a great idea flawlessly, it will give you boundless returns. However, it is not always about the money. It is about challenging yourself and having the satisfaction of a job well done. A job done for nobody else but yourself.

5. Fine tunes your social skills & up your confidence

If there is one thing being your own boss will give you, it is to teach you to respect yourself. You never have to worry about meeting someone else’s requirements, one of the many reasons why there are courses teaching prisoners entrepreneurship. Furthermore, you will be exposed to people from all walks of life, from people who might give you a leg up to those who will reject you and all those experiences will teach you how to be better at pitching ideas and inspiring others.

Most people might turn to entrepreneurship to escape the tedious repetition of a desk job, others might have a bright passion that absolutely refuses to shut up and while there are those who are complacent working for a corporation whose CEO will never even learn their name, everyone will benefit from being an entrepreneur regardless of whether they fail or succeed. Although, entrepreneurs will never see failure as one, but merely a learning experience.