Most small business owners we work with have had almost no exposure to cloud technology and how it can solve problems for their business. Below are five key reasons why you should be considering cloud solutions to drive better results within your small business.

Each of the benefits have a corresponding case study taken from previous implementations that we have carried out.

1. Cost Effectiveness

Cloud services are remarkably low in cost for small businesses and generally have flexible payment options (monthly/annually). Additionally, almost every cloud service has tiered pricing which means that you are only paying for the functionality that you use within your business.

Putting it into practice…

A small business with under 10 staff was looking to save money while increasing the capabilities of their customer relationship management (CRM) system. This is a system that helps track interactions with leads and convert prospects to paying customers. Moving to a cloud CRM managed to save the company $350 a month. That’s a saving of $4,200 a year.

On Premise Legacy Solution

One off Expenses

• Server Infrastructure (Over $2,000)

Ongoing Expenses

• Software licensing ($200 p/month)
• Server support package ($150 p/month)

Total cost: $350 p/month

Hubspot CRM

One off Expenses

• Cloud Migration ($500-$1500)

Ongoing Expenses

• Software licensing (FREE)

Total cost: FREE

2. Flexibility

Most cloud service providers offer a free trial period in addition to easy import/export features. Not only are there zero infrastructure startup costs, you can quickly and easily change services/providers with no impact to your usual daily business activities.

Putting it into practice…

When selecting a replacement CRM system for the “Cost Effectiveness” case study, we activated trials from three different vendors to demo to the client. Giving the client time to investigate each solution (at no cost) meant that we could be sure we were selecting the best system for their needs and objectives. If the company’ requirements expand or change over time, it will be quick and painless to migrate the data to another cloud vendor.

3. Scalability

It is the ultimate goal of most businesses to achieve growth. As your business scales, your cloud solutions will scale with you with no extra overhead. Being able to instantly add users and functionality to your cloud services means a seamless growth experience without disruption to your business activities.

Putting it into practice…

After a recent cloud migration for one of our clients, they unexpectedly won a large tender that they had not planned for. The new system, Google Apps for Work, allowed them to quickly and easily get the new staff set up with email accounts, instant access to data and no software installations. The total admin time for adding five new users to the system was under 10 minutes.

4. Mobility

The cloud has an unbeatable ability to provide access to your data and functionality anywhere, on any device. This gives you and your employees the flexibility needed to carry out tasks without the normal geographic or information access barriers. Cloud software doesn’t require installation either, so you can get up and running on any device by just logging into a website.

Putting it into practice…

A key requirement of Advisori’s operations is that we are able to quickly access any relevant information whether we are sitting in a boardroom or a café. We use a combination of Google Apps for Work, Hubspot CRM and Asana to ensure anyone can work with the same efficiency, regardless of location.

5. Collaborative

Cloud/web services mean that any employee/user can access and edit data simultaneously, creating an unprecedented level of cooperation and collaboration. Successful collaboration can often produce an output for your business that is even greater than the sum of its parts, and with features like live HD video calls you can collaborate from wherever you are in the world.

Putting it into practice…

A new company manufacturing high quality leather bags and accessories required a solution that allowed them to collaborate on designs from multiple countries (Australia, China and Italy). A combination of Google’s “Hangouts” tool and the Google Apps for Work platform allowed them to collaborate completely seamlessly despite their inability to meet in person.

Conclusion

Cloud technology has incredible potential to completely revolutionise your business with unbeatable cost, flexibility, scalability and mobility. If you are considering upgrading your business technology, or have a particularly challenging technology problem, feel free to send us an email at hello@advisori.com.au to discuss your options.