Cloud computing is a practical, affordable solution for small and medium business owners. You get all the benefits of big-business infrastructure without the headache or responsibility of managing it yourself. Until recently, all of your company’s software and servers stayed in your office where your IT staff worked. However, in recent years, cloud-based software (also known as cloud computing) has surged in popularity. Cloud computing makes it possible to access data and software from any device with an internet connection. 

Businesses of all sizes increasingly rely on cloud computing to keep their businesses flexible and resilient. Here are five reasons why:

  1. You can log into the office from anywhere. Cloud computing makes remote work easy and accessible. After our pandemic experience, most leaders and business owners recognize the value of pivoting to remote work at a moment’s notice: it keeps operations running as usual. Another perk of the remote work option is increased employee satisfaction. In a recent Flexjobs survey, 98% of respondents state that they want some form of remote work, be it full-time remote work or working in a remote-hybrid
  2. Cloud computing improves efficiency and employee productivity. According to AccountabilIT partner Ring Central, Dow Chemical, Best Buy, and British Telecom, have seen a productivity increase of 35-40% from employees who have switched from office-bound work to working remotely. All made possible by the cloud.
  3. Cloud computing is accessible. There are lots of cloud-compatible tools that you and your employees already know. An easy example is the Office 365 Suite, including all of the programs that have become the staple of doing business everywhere, such as Word, Excel, Outlook, et cetera. With today’s O365 licensing, you can access your works in progress through the cloud as well as on your desktop-bound app. With O365’s cloud-based email, chat, video calls, data storage, and more, it is easy to plug in and work anywhere with an internet connection.
  4. Cloud computing is an affordable solution for startup businesses. With cloud-based email, document sharing, and conferencing, for example, startups don’t have to pay for expensive servers. The subscription model of cloud-based services allows businesses to quickly and cost-effectively scale their IT as their business grows. 
  5. With the proper security in place, cloud computing can provide operational stability. Many studies have indicated that more than 50% of small businesses go out of business in the event of significant data loss. When your information and files are properly stored, locked up, and monitored in the cloud, losing a laptop or the like will not affect your ability to continue with business as usual.

Cloud computing supports long-term business growth and resiliency. The best thing about it is that your organization can ease into the cloud with no need for an all-or-nothing approach. Start with some programs you already use, like those in the Microsoft O365 suite, and go from there. 

The flip side of cloud computing is that all of your information is out there on the web, which can be disastrous if your login credentials get into the wrong hands. For this reason, it is crucial to building your cloud computing strategy with security top of mind. Multi-factor authentication and encrypted passwords are a huge step in the right direction. Still, the most effective prevention is staff training for security awareness.

Are you running a small or medium business? We would love to hear from you! We can help with:

  • making cloud computing a more significant part of your business
  • ensuring that your data already in the cloud is secure
  • raising security awareness in your organization
  • all facets of IT support and security

We value your time, and we know what it’s like to run a business. Give us a call, and we can learn about your business and cloud computing needs and share our experience-based recommendations and best practices. If you’re interested, we’ll show you how we can help.

We have been supporting small and medium-sized businesses in the Denver metro area for over 19 years. Our approach is built around your business and your needs. Every business is different, and we work with our customers to create a tailored IT strategy that suits you and your budget. Call (866) 407-1284 or email us at Info@ait2022.wpengine.com.