Cloud computing has been front and centre of the global shift to remote working.
The COVID-19 pandemic left many business practices obsolete.
Face-to-face brainstorming sessions…
Team building activities…
Even the entire concept of the office… *insert spooky suspense sound effect here*
But the global crisis also accelerated the adoption of certain technologies that might be worth holding on to even after the world recovers.
This includes how to utilise cloud solutions.
From remote collaboration to virtual classes, cloud-powered applications are creating some sense of normality through these tough times.
Starting to utilise cloud solutions used to be such an obscure concept to many businesses. After all, it was difficult to imagine an intangible, centralised location on the internet that stores data and hosts business processes.
But recent years have proved the numerous benefits of ‘moving your business to the cloud.’
THE CASE FOR CLOUD IN SMALL BUSINESSES
Nowadays, almost all big corporations and multinational companies transact their business processes over the cloud.
Well, moving to the cloud does make perfect sense for large firms with seemingly unlimited budgets.
But what about small businesses?
Is the cost of moving worth it?
Is it time for you to do it? In this article, we’ll give you seven ways you can utilise cloud solutions in your small business. After which, you will get a clearer picture of why you should at least consider moving some of your business processes to the cloud.
THE SEVEN WAYS YOU CAN UTILISE CLOUD SOLUTIONS
WAY #1: REMOTE COLLABORATION
By its very nature, cloud connectivity allows you and your team to collaborate in real-time from anywhere in the world—so long as you all have internet access. (try not to make your colleagues jealous from the beach)
Services like those offered by Microsoft OneDrive, DropBox, and Google Drive, among others, can allow you and your staff greater flexibility to work from anywhere.
With remote collaboration, you don’t have to worry about being too tethered to your office or headquarters.
WAY #2: BUSINESS CONTINUITY
Ever had a laptop crash on you while you’re working on something important? Nightmare!
Or had a hard drive suddenly corrupt when you desperately need the files in it?
And when you try to recover the data you need, you are told those are gone forever?
With cloud, you can save the tears because moving your data to the cloud can help prevent such headaches.
One of the best features of most cloud-based apps is automatic backup and recovery options. So, even if your team experiences a power outage or hardware malfunctions while working on something important, all it takes to recover their hard work is a click or two. Brilliant!
WAY #3: STORAGE
One of the more widespread applications of the cloud is file storage services.
Even if your business is not tech-heavy, you surely have a need for significant file storage capacity. In fact, it’s no longer advisable—if it ever was—to keep your inventory logs, client information databases, and even employee information on physical, on-site archives.
Storing everything on the cloud will also allow you access to all these documents anywhere you are. And if security is your concern, know that as the owner and administrator of your small business’s cloud, you can also have full control over who gets to access these files.
If you want to run a more sustainable business, moving all your files to the cloud can also empower your operations to go fully paperless and do your bit to be environmentally friendly.
WAY #4: DATA SECURITY
We understand that data security is one of the biggest reasons why small business owners have been cautious about converting to cloud.
That may have been a valid and pressing concern when the cloud was still in incubation, but the industry has made great leaps since then. While you would still need to play your part in securing your sensitive data, most cloud service providers have now equipped their products with extra security measures.
One example is the decentralization of data through blockchain technology. This makes the information stored on the cloud much harder for hackers to crack.
WAY #5: SCALABLE GROWTH PLANNING
A common misconception surrounding cloud services is that it requires a considerable upfront investment. But in reality, cloud solutions are very much scalable.
What does this mean?
It means you can always pay for the services and access level you need for now. For example, you can start with paying for the smallest storage capacity and just move some of your files to the cloud. Eventually, you can increase your usage as your business grows.
As you scale your business, your cloud services can simply scale with it.
WAY #6: CLOUD-BASED EMAIL
Are you still hosting your company’s email client on your own servers?
Or perhaps you haven’t gotten around to creating personalized or individualized email addresses for your staff?
This is another area where you can get the most out of cloud services.
By moving your email hosting to a cloud-powered solution, you won’t have to manage or invest in servers to run your business email. The cloud service provider will now be responsible for that.
On top of it all, cloud-hosted email is usually more affordable than on-site servers.
MOVE YOUR BUSINESS INTO THE CLOUD
Now that you know how helpful it can be to utilise cloud solutions for your small business, we’ll leave it to you to decide when it’s the right time to take the leap.
Our Cloud Consultants are here to offer more information on cloud solutions or if you require assistance in moving your business to the cloud.
Please feel free to call us on 0115 8220200, if you’d rather we call you then complete our Contact Form. There is no obligation to move beyond an initial call, and no obligation to buy anything, ever.
Article used with permission from The Technology Press.