7 Ways to Optimize Cloud Solutions for Your Small Business

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic has rendered many business practices obsolete. Face-to-face brainstorming sessions… Team building activities… Even the very concept of an office…

But the global crisis has also accelerated the adoption of certain technologies that might be worth keeping even when the world recovers.
These include cloud computing.

From remote collaboration to virtual classes, cloud applications are creating a semblance of normalcy during these challenging times. The cloud was once such an obscure concept. After all, it was hard to imagine an intangible, centralized location on the internet storing data and hosting business processes. But recent years have demonstrated the many benefits of "moving your business to the cloud."

Cloud Computing in SME's

Today, almost all large enterprises and multinational corporations conduct their business operations in the cloud. Moving to the cloud makes perfect sense for large companies with seemingly unlimited budgets.

But what about small businesses?

Is the cost of migration worth it?

Is it time for you to do it?

In this article, we'll walk you through seven ways you can use cloud solutions in your SMB. You'll then get a better idea of ​​why you should at least consider moving some of your business processes to the cloud.

7 Ways To Use 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, as long as you all have internet access.
Services such as those offered by Microsoft OneDrive, DropBox, and Google Drive, among others, can give you and your staff greater flexibility to work from anywhere.
With remote collaboration, you don't have to worry about being tied to your desk.

Way 2: Business Continuity

Have you ever had a laptop die on you while you were working on something important? Or a hard drive suddenly become unreadable just when you desperately need the files on it? Or tried to recover the data you need only to be told it's gone forever?

Moving your data to the cloud can save you from such headaches.
One of the key features of most cloud-based applications is automatic backup and recovery options. So, even if your team experiences a power outage or hardware malfunction while working on something important, all it takes is a click or two to recover their hard work.

Way 3: Storage

One of the most popular uses of the cloud is file storage. Even if your business isn't particularly tech-driven, you certainly need plenty of file storage. Indeed, it's no longer advisable—if it ever was—to store your inventory records, customer databases, and even employee information in physical, on-site archives.

By storing everything in the cloud, you'll also be able to access all these documents from anywhere. And if security is a concern, know that as the owner and administrator of your SMB's cloud, you have complete control over access permissions.
If you're looking to run a more eco-friendly business, moving all your files to the cloud can also make your operations completely paperless.

Way 4: Data Security

We understand that data security is one of the main reasons why SMB owners are still hesitant to explore cloud computing.
This concern may have been valid and concerning when the cloud was still in its development phase, but the industry has made great strides since then.

While you still play an important role in securing your sensitive data, most cloud service providers have now equipped their products with additional security measures. One example is the decentralization of data through blockchain technology. This makes information stored in the cloud much more difficult to hack.

Way 5: Planning for Scalable Growth

A common misconception about cloud services is that they require a significant upfront investment. But in reality, cloud solutions are highly scalable.

What does this mean?
It means you can always pay for the services and level of access you need at the moment. For example, you can start by paying for the smallest storage capacity and just move some of your files to the cloud. Later, you can increase your usage as your business grows. Since the cloud is also self-managed by providers, you can likely do without an in-house IT team to manage your data and technology needs. As your business grows, your cloud services can simply scale with it.

Way 6: Cloud Email

Are you still hosting your business email on your own servers?
Or perhaps you haven't yet created personalized or individual email addresses for your staff?
This is another area where you can benefit from cloud services. By moving your email hosting to a cloud solution, you won't have to manage or invest in servers to run your business email. The cloud service provider will now take care of that.
Additionally, cloud email hosting is generally more affordable than on-premises servers.

Way 7: E-commerce

The pandemic may not have rendered physical stores completely obsolete, but it has certainly increased your customers' reliance on online shopping.
If you run an online store or are considering moving your physical store online, cloud-based e-commerce platforms are definitely a great solution.

Platforms like Shopify are unrivaled, both in terms of ease of use and cost. It's becoming clear that managing online stores in-house is no longer the best solution. Cloud-based e-commerce platforms are also very easy to scale and grow, without the need for large investments in hardware.

Migrate Your Activities To The Cloud

Now that you know how valuable cloud computing solutions can be for your small business, we'll leave it up to you to decide when the time is right to take the plunge. Either way, we're here if you need more information about cloud solutions or need help moving your operations to the cloud. Article used with permission from The Technology Press .

About Nexxo

Nexxo Computer Solutions specializes in providing IT and technology services to Quebec businesses. Its mission is to offer Quebec companies IT services tailored to their needs. Acting as an external IT department, it handles all of a company's IT tasks, allowing it to focus on its business activities. It achieves this by collaborating closely with its clients and putting their interests at the center of its concerns.