Smart use of cloud services can be very useful for any small business. You can use these services to make your business more efficient, save you money, and protect your data. But which cloud services should you be making use of for your small business? How can using the cloud help your business to grow and improve?
File Storage
Storing files on the cloud instead of on-site at your business can save you a lot of money on the costs of hardware. It’s also more efficient, as everyone can have access to and work from the same documents, without needing to share files or print them out. Your documents are also safer, as they won’t be hit by any computer problems.
Phone Systems
A small business PBX phone system can be hosted on the cloud. By using a cloud-hosted service, you won’t need to pay out for expensive set-up costs or other equipment. These services are quick to set up and easy to use. A phone system run through the cloud is also great for small businesses, as it can be used as part of mobile office setup. Many businesses operate virtually, with many employees based remotely. A cloud phone system can be easily directed to company mobiles to keep you connected to each other and your customers, wherever you happen to be working.
Automation
The way you use the cloud in your business can grow and change with the needs of your business. Instead of having to make continual investments in new and upgraded technology to keep your company up to date, you can use cloud solutions which update automatically, without the costs. Automated updates are faster, and saves your staff downtime waiting for updates to be made.
Data Backup
Any small business owner should know how important it is to properly back up your data. The Cloud allows you to simplify the process of backing up your data, by backing up automatically as you work. Using the Cloud also creates copies of your data that are stored off-site. This means it is safe from any local problem, such as theft, damage, or malfunction.
Remote and Mobile Working
One of the major bonuses of cloud technology is that it allows the small business owner to work on the go, creating a fully functional mobile office. The cloud lets you access and sync your data from anywhere. This is great for accessing data when onsite with clients, working while travelling or for allowing for remote working staff. This means you can take your office on the road with you.
Sharing Information
Whether you’re sharing information between your team in-house or between teams across multiple offices, using the cloud makes sharing data between them all effortlessly. Once all your data is stored and backed up in the cloud, you can share files as easily as just sending a link. This saves you from emailing large files or having to find methods of sharing files too large for email.
File Storage
Most businesses use images, audio, and video in their marketing materials. These kinds of files take up a lot of space on your hard-drive, which can end up costing money in extra storage needs. By using the cloud, you can shift all your documents and large files into storage on the cloud, instead of in your local system. This saves a lot of space, meaning you can use local storage only for the files that you need to use every day.
Growth Planning
The cloud is very scalable, so it is easy for small business to create a plan for growth that makes the most of the benefits of the cloud without having to make a large investment up-front. You can start small while your business is starting out, and then increase your usage over time as your business grows and your needs change. This way, you only pay for the services that you actually need and will use. The cloud is also managed by the apps that offer the services, so you can don’t need to rely on in-house IT staff to manage your technology, saving you even more money.
Small businesses who need to reduce their costs without making compromises on their ability to do business and compete with bigger companies can make excellent use of the cloud. If you aren’t sure if making use of cloud services will work for your business, then you can start small and see if the benefits are worth making further changes to the way you operate.