CREATING A STRONG ECONOMY
5 Smart Ways to Use Cloud Computing for Your Business By Miguel Salcido | AllBusiness C loud computing has made a loud splash in the Internet world, and has greatly affected how small businesses operate and store information. Not only
is it a time and money saver, but it reduces a lot of hassle when it comes to IT and technical maintenance. Cloud technology is quickly moving up as the most used and relied upon technology for many small businesses. A very revealing stat was recently released stating, “throughout the next five years, a 44% annual growth in workloads for the public cloud versus an 8.9% growth for ‘on-premise’ computing workloads is expected.” Knowing that we are growing into a world that thrives and succeeds in a shared workspace, here are 5 smart ways that you can take advantage of cloud computing in your own business ventures. 1. Manage your Finances. When it comes down to administrative tasks and duties like keeping track of your finances, cloud computing is quickly moving up the ladder as the most secure and efficient. Yes, there is some resistance as far as the threat of hackers, but the bottom line for a business comes down to the bottom line. Saving time and money can help your business survive. Finding ways to shortcut the daily monotonous administrative duties will greatly help in the long run. 2. Go Mobile. Businesses anymore are faced with a constant challenge to keep up with the “mobile revolution,” which demands that we have access to corporate services and applications from anywhere at any time. Mobile transactions are becoming the main form of business. The technology is evolving so fast that its now possible to do things like order Chipotle via an app, to buying jeans while in an actual retail store using your phone. To keep up with this type of economy, it is critical to have access and availability 24/7 to accommodate any customer at any time. Cloud computing allows more businesses to operate with this type of access. 3. Store It Up. As more businesses grow into cloud computing, they are also growing into cloud storage. If you think about it, your workspace and information is being held in the cloud. Rather than relying on your own devices and software to keep your information secure, you can access it via the Internet. In this respect, “Cloud hosting” provides for automated backups and easy access
to information at a moment’s notice. 4. Share Information. Clients love transparency. In fact, they rely on it. If you can provide clients with access (albeit limited) to see what and how you are working on their campaign, you are doing them and your business a great service. Sharing cloudspace allows you to collaborate and work more comprehensively with them. Even providing information as basic as campaign stats and analytics will put them at ease and build trust in the work you are providing them. 5. Alleviate IT Headaches. With most businesses comes the inherent need for reliable software. And with reliable software comes IT problems and hassles. But with cloud computing, you can let go of that burden and leave the IT and maintenance to a third party. No longer will you have to strain to keep everything up to date; nor will you have to pay to keep an IT expert in-house. Cloud computing is certainly not a mainstream form of operations, but it should be. While the technology is nothing new and revelatory in the last few years, it is becoming so with businesses and information access. It provides solutions as well as innovation for businesses and allows for quicker transfer of information (which is imperative for the success of any business). With more access to clients and information, any business can take advantage of its efficiency and reliability to make business grow. There are many advantages to cloud technology, and it continues to improve (granted, it is far from perfect, there is no denying that reality). As it stands now, cloud technology will continue to seep into our everyday way of life, so why hold back? n
10
The Business Review | March 2021
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online