It’s a question that we get asked by small business owners on a regular basis. In short we think the answer is yes. Here are just some of the reasons why we think moving your small business to the cloud should be a no-brainer.

Zero Capital Expenditure

With a hosted cloud infrastructure you can eliminate the upfront costs of purchasing new hardware like servers and instead transfer these costs to a much more predictable monthly operational expenditure that will help you to manage cash flow. This also removes the headache of having to budget for when new hardware might be required as this responsibility is passed on to the cloud provider, who will be making sure that all the equipment used is up-to-date and operating efficiently.

Reduced Costs

For smaller organisations, as well as the initial savings to be gained by not having to invest in new IT hardware, there are also opportunities to make some ongoing cost savings by leveraging the economies of scale that a cloud services provider can deliver. Make sure you work with a partner that understands your business needs well to ensure that you are getting the right level of service and that your requirements are not being over or under-provisioned.

Flexibility

Most small businesses pride themselves on their ability to be reactive and dynamic. With all your business critical applications and documents hosted in the cloud you can access them from absolutely everywhere…well as long as you have an internet connection of course. By accessing documents and programmes from a central location it’s much easier to manage software updates and control document versions, minimising duplication and promoting collaboration.

Scalability

Cloud based infrastructures are perfect for growing businesses. It is easy to add new users at a moment’s notice with minimum disruption. Many small businesses also see the benefits if they move offices. Instead of having to move physical assets and re-install them which would take time and have considerable cost implications, a cloud based solution means that as long as you have a working internet connection and your PCs are plugged in, your business will be back in action in no time at all.

Backup & Recovery

For smaller businesses, the cost and expertise required to implement a comprehensive backup and recovery solution can often be a barrier. When it comes to physical backups it often falls to one or two people to make sure that the backups are done and then there are challenges around physical security of the storage, who has the responsibility to take the backup home. The reality is that backups don’t happen often enough and this can carry significant risks. However, there are now a number of online backup solutions that remove these challenges. Your cloud provider should be able to ensure that backups of your virtual servers are carried out regularly and that these snapshots are stored securely in the data centre, without the need for intervention and ensuring a quick recovery should a disaster strike.

These are just some of our thoughts around how cloud computing can increase efficiency, reduce risks and improve cash flow in small businesses. Want to find out more about the potential benefits for your organisation?