The approach is reasonable because every change has cost considerations. The good thing about cloud computing is it that gives small businesses an opportunity to reduce their overhead costs. As we will discover later in this article, small businesses can get the best out of the latest technologies at a low cost through cloud computing. Here are more reasons why every small business should migrate to cloud computing
Flexibility and increased productivity
One major benefit of cloud computing is that your employees can work from any location. The services require a reliable internet connection. However, employees can still work offline and synchronize their work later when they connect to the internet.
The flexibility to work from any location leads to higher levels of productivity. Cloud computing enables teams to collaborate and share data efficiently. Field officers can send real time information to all other team members to enable them to complete their projects in time.
Lower overhead costs
Businesses incur high costs on physical servers and other equipment to store their data and software licenses. Service providers offer different types of cloud computing services that eliminate the need for the expensive equipment.
The major types of cloud computing services include Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Small businesses can choose the packages that suit their prevailing level of income. Businesses enjoy the same benefits of physical or in-house servers without incurring the cost.
Easy to scale
It is easy to scale cloud computing up or down easily depending on the needs of a business. If a business expects a rapid increase in the number of users or sales, the service provider will increase the bandwidth or number of servers. A business can scale down at low peak months and cut down its expenses.
This way, a business only pays for the servers or bandwidth that it actually needs. With physical servers and data centers, the business has to maintain the equipment throughout the year.
Real time financial reports
Many business owners that use physical computing system wait until the end of the month to get financial reports. Sometimes accountants can only prepare comprehensive reports quarterly. Cloud computing enables businesses to automate all processes including preparing financial reports.
Hence, business owners can generate real time financial reports. Such reports enable them to adjust their strategies early in the month to increase their sales or reduced costs. In addition, business owners can generate real time reports of the performance of different departments.
Better security
When cloud computing was first introduced, most business owners were concerned about the security of their data. Service providers addressed these concerns by introducing sophisticated systems to secure data.
Today, business owners are assured of top security of their data in the cloud. Sometimes the security systems are better than the systems that small businesses install in their on-site data centers. Better still, small businesses get top security hassle-free. The service providers bear the responsibility of securing their clients’ data and software.
Access to thousands of apps
Cloud computing platforms come with thousands of apps that small business owners can use to automate their processes. Installing and uninstalling these apps is simple. The apps are designed to help businesses digitise some processes like accounting, signing documents, tracking invoices and communication. A business can shift from paper-based processes to digitised processes by utilizing the apps on the cloud platform. Some of the apps are free while others are available at a low price.
Agility and innovation
When a small business moves from its traditional processes to automated processes on the cloud, the move inspires a new attitude in its employees and teams. The employees start thinking different about their jobs. They start thinking of new ways to complete their tasks and improve their level of performance.
Cloud computing also inspires employees to explore all the apps and software available on the cloud platform. Improved collaboration in teams inspires the members to think creatively about team projects.
Cloud computing services are not restricted to medium and large businesses. Small businesses benefit equally from automated processes and low-cost servers. Service providers have different packages of servers and bandwidth to suit different budgets.
Hence, small businesses can scale up and down at any time depending on the prevailing market conditions. Given the potential benefits of cloud computing, every business small or large should consider shifting its processes to the cloud.
