Save every version so you can go back

I keep a saved copy of a tool before and after every real change. It costs almost nothing and it means one bad session never wipes out a week of good work.

Small business owners building their own tools rarely think about this until the moment they need it, right after a change breaks something that used to work fine. Saving versions turns a stressful scramble into a calm step backward. It also gives you the confidence to try a riskier change, since you know exactly how to undo it if the result isn't right.

Try this today: before your next coding session, make a copy of your working tool in a clearly labeled folder or file, dated in words rather than digits, so you always have a known good version to return to.

• copy before you start
• test after you finish
• keep the last few working copies, not just one