6 Reasons Why Cloud Computing is for Small Business

The desire to gain a competitive advantage, collaborate, connect and thrive has driven businesses to leverage the benefits of cloud computing. Imagine the feeling of achieving your business goals without over investing or wasting money on routine maintenance, general upkeep, and other unnecessary expenditures. Here are 6 reasons why small businesses love cloud computing.

1. Cost savings: It’s always about the money

Wouldn’t businesses love it when all the technology they need is available at a fraction of the cost?For a business to use cloud computing services, all it needs is an Internet connection. Your business can now tap into powerful software, resources and other services wirelessly for a small monthly cost. Now extended that to mobile devices or other handheld gadgets – with tools that used to be accessible only for the big businesses until just a few years ago.

2. Mobility: It’s cool, flexible and profitable

Cloud computing for small businesses are no longer tethered to a location; you could be literally anywhere in the world and still access documents, files, information, data, email, contacts, and calendars. Connect with your customers, your team, vendors and partners. You could remain productive on the move and train your staff to do the same without much difficulty. Cloud computing just blew your corporate walls down – you really have no boundaries anymore.

3. Speed: How quick can you be?

If you were to invest in a new set of servers and have them installed, or try to get business applications software designed for your specific needs, how long would it take? Deploying software or going through lengthy IT installation is time consuming and expensive. Isn’t it easier to subscribe to these new applications or plug-and-play software-as-a-service vendors?

4. Reliability: Can I trust your business?

Cloud computing vendors take up the onus of setting up, installing, running and maintaining the IT assets – such as servers, switches, routers, software, etc. It’s a challenge to upgrade hardware, keep software updated, manage glitches in infrastructure, and maintain service levels, and deal with storage & data. Cloud computing vendors perform these tasks for their clients. Cloud computing vendors sign contracts (some of them even have pay-as-you-go type payment models), NDA (Non-disclosure Agreements), confidentiality agreements and strive to honor SLA (Service Level Agreements) to ensure service quality and trust.Cloud computing is the new paradigm. Trust and reliability has a new meaning. Don’t you think?

5. Scalability: What if I want to grow?

Capacity planning is huge when it comes to scalability and business growth. Your ability to plan to scale up when your business grows is crucial. For a growing business, scalability is a puzzle indeed since there’s a risk of over-investing in capacity which goes unused or under-investing which leads to a lack of resources to match business growth.With cloud computing, you don’t worry about investment or capacity. Add or subtract capacity levels, subscribe or unsubscribe to services you need or those you don’t need respectively.

6. Innovation: What’s new?

What happens when the focus on investing, maintaining or managing technology shifts to your cloud computing vendor? How would your business grow if you didn’t have to worry about software, hardware and IT management? Wouldn’t you benefit from the latest of IT systems working for you at the back end?With IT management off your shoulders, isn’t business easier for you to manage?

Could you think of any other reasons small businesses love cloud computing? Leave a comment below!