Technology moves fast. So fast that there are people alive today who have never come across a 3.5 floppy disc. Storage has come a long way since the days of using a floppy disc drive. From compact discs to USB drives to ever-expanding hard drives and now the cloud. Storage is slowly becoming the norm, and with good reason. It’s secure, scalable and versatile. It levels the playing field for multinationals and scrappy startups. Here are just some of the ways you can grow your small business with the help of cloud computing.
Improve Collaboration
The way we hire people and organise our workforce is changing. It’s no longer necessary to hire someone within commuting distance because the internet has made the world so much smaller. For startups, this mean the talent pool gets a lot bigger because they can look for the best person for the job from anywhere in the world rather than limiting their search. When it comes to getting work done, the cloud can help to make the collaboration process seamless. While incompatible file formats were once a huge problem for distributed teams, cloud computing can help ensure that everyone is on the same page – literally!
Utilise Big Data
Cloud computing isn’t just about storage. There are many processes that can be automated, streamlined and improved when we introduce the cloud into the mix. By taking advantage of the vast swathes of data available to a company, it’s possible to put this data to use to make smarter business decisions. By taking this element of analysis away from the people in the business, it’s possible to take a step back and see your business with a wider scope.
Automate Processes
Companies are waking up to the possibilities offered by cloud computing that can free up man hours that would otherwise be wasted on menial tasks. Things like having an online customer portal where customers can update their details or make requests can free up a customer service representative from answering the phone and fielding these calls manually. By automating processes, this can free up a lot of time, save money on staffing, or even just remove the risk of human error causing problems.
Complete Flexibility
One of the issues small companies face when they are starting out is an issue of scale. Underestimate your IT requirements and you could be facing a huge bill when the time comes to switch to a managed IT services. However, if you overestimate your needs, you could end up paying for a lot more than you need. With cloud computing, it’s completely flexible at every step of the way, so you’ll never shell out money for more than you need, but upgrading your storage or products will never be difficult.
Rebecca
