Why small businesses would benefit from the cloud

Matt Parker, CEO of Babble, makes a case for the cloud for small businesses.

Many industries are becoming increasingly intertwined with the technology industry – there is no denying that. The requirement for businesses to be using the latest and best tech is now more apparent than ever. For smaller businesses looking to obtain a competitive edge by operating in a more efficient, cost-effective and collaborative manner, implementing cloud technology is the way to go.

Cloud technology makes you competitive

Firstly, the sooner startups and small businesses start acting like one of the big players, the better. Gaining an edge over bigger and more established names can be achieved more easily than you might expect – especially if teams challenge the conventional way of thinking. Opting to implement cloud technologies does exactly that. It opens up endless opportunities and essentially makes you more competitive, no matter how small your business. Putting it in place is taking no leap of faith either. A tailored package, dependent on the size and nature of your start-up or small business, can be agreed on with a trusted technology partner and implemented overnight. That means no downtime experienced, no backlog of costs mounting up and most importantly, getting your business to the next stage sooner.

Cloud solutions based on your needs

Cloud technology solves problems that commonly arise for many small businesses. The agile and flexible nature of the technology lets you scale up or down to match demand, so can easily mirror the peaks and troughs in how the business is fairing. Should you need it to, it also merges multiple business functions into one, be it HR or accounts. It can be entirely bespoke to meet the business’ needs. Every part of the business can therefore be more accessible and visible to the owner or management team, which is extremely beneficial as it enables managers to see how the business is performing in a snapshot. The adaptability of cloud technology can play a vital role in helping small businesses reach their next goal.

Saving, saving, saving

Whilst people might fear the notion of cost savings, it’s not as daunting as it might sound when it comes to implementing cloud technology. Small businesses can keep their overheads down by letting staff use their own devices, so management don’t need to buy laptops for the whole team and employees can use their preferred operating system. Everyone’s a winner. Cloud technology also plays a role in keeping monthly utility costs down. As sustainability rises up the agenda for the majority of businesses – and rightly so – cloud technology means teams use less energy. Regardless of whether a team is working remotely or in the office, using the cloud means lower bills at the end of every month. What’s more, you’ll be taking a step in the right direction to lower your impact on the environment.

Opening doors to a new way of working

Enabling your team to work in a hybrid model is a major benefit for small businesses and start-ups. Gone are the days of regions being a factor in the recruitment process. If it suits the nature of the business, staff can be recruited from anywhere in the country, meaning attracting the best talent is now easier than ever. Smaller offices – if any are needed – mean major cost savings, with less on-site hardware needed. Communication on Teams is easy, efficient and lets businesses implement a style of working that is tailored to them – you don’t need to conform to a one-size-fits-all all approach with cloud technology.

Futureproof your business

Whatever form they come in, mistakes and disasters happen. Whilst no business can totally escape them, they can have more of a lasting impact on small businesses. The cloud helps to mitigate the risks associated with disasters by ensuring secure data backups are taking place. Having additional contingencies in place helps business owners rest assured that when there is a bump in the road, it definitely won’t be the end of their journey.

READ MORE:

• Thinking beyond the cloud
• Organizations neglect DevOps security in latest Cloud Threat Report
• 3 top tips to ensure compliance in the cloud
• Implementing a successful hybrid cloud strategy

To put it simply, implementing a cloud solution can transform a small business into one that thrives. It has the potential to open up endless opportunities for you and your growing team – whether that’s by creating a more agile and flexible working environment, attracting a more dynamic and diverse team, enabling your business to get the nitty-gritty details right, cost-saving or data backups. Putting a cloud solution in place doesn’t have to be a long, drawn-out, stressful process, meaning the next chapter of your business success story is just around the corner.

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