For many small business owners, “the cloud” can still feel like a buzzword that tech-savvy entrepreneurs like to throw around when discussing the latest Apple or Microsoft products. But in reality, cloud computing has become one of the best and most powerful tools for saving money, streamlining operations, and making businesses even more flexible.

You might be familiar with the cloud from Gmail, One Drive, Dropbox, or even QuickBooks, but there’s a difference when you use the cloud for just yourself and when your whole business operates on the cloud. Our goal is to give you a rundown on how the cloud can help your business excel.

What Exactly Is The Cloud?

While there’s plenty of fancy definitions of what the cloud is and plenty of technical definitions of how it works, you didn’t come here for a technical seminar on that. At its core, cloud computing (what the cloud does) means using the internet to store, access, and run data and applications instead of relying solely on on-site servers, devices, and computers.

Instead of buying and maintaining expensive equipment, your business “rents” access to powerful, secure systems through providers like Microsoft or Google. These cloud services give you and your employees secure access to the critical data. This can come in crucial if remote work is a priority or if employees or operations travel.

Saving You Money

Now, while all that is great, the real question is, “How does the cloud save my business money?”

Traditionally, businesses had to buy servers, networking gear, and software licenses to maintain a secure, accurate database on-site. On top the costs of maintaining and electricity, businesses had to pay someone to maintain theses networks and devices. The initial costs of investment were high, and the stress to maintain the health and security of the systems were a constant problem.

Today, the cloud eliminates this stress for small business owners, saving that upfront and ongoing expenses. Monthly costs for your business’ database and applications are predictable through subscriptions, and emergency repair bills and lost data from an old, on-site server is a thing of the past.

Work Anytime, Anywhere

Speaking of great things that come with the cloud, remote work becomes not only a possibility, but an asset for your business. With today’s workforce being mobile, cloud services make it possible for your team to securely access files, apps, and tools whether they’re in the office, at home, or on the road. The cloud is still there, providing them the ability to work from anywhere.

Not only is the flexibility for access great, but the collaboration available through the cloud can go above and beyond. Multiple employees can work on and collaborate on documents and projects in real-time, meaning that deadlines and goals can be met regardless of weather, travel, or anything else!

Stronger Cybersecurity & Backups

For cloud providers, ensuring that their systems are air-tight on cybersecurity with how much important data clients store on their servers. Cloud providers invest heavily in their cybersecurity practices, putting the time, energy, skill, and money into dedicated safe practices that are the best current practices, and then some! This means that small business data is often much safer when stored in the cloud than on an office computer. Where a cybercriminal might just have to get into your network to access that single computer (which, for skilled criminals, is not too hard to accomplish), the defenses of today’s cloud providers stand firm.

We’ve also touched on it a little in this article, but data backups are critical to every small business. At a typical small business, one computer or a single server going offline, malfunctioning, or corrupting data is something you cannot afford. Cloud storage comes with built-in backup and redundancy, protecting you against accidental or malicious deletions, hardware failures, or local disasters. It’s just smart business practices for small businesses to protect data within the cloud!

Scalability… Without Surprises

Growing a small business is exciting, but the expenses stack up quickly. With new employees, new office spaces, new contracts, and more, the costs for technology scaling can feel overwhelming as it stacks up. The cloud, though, is a consistent growth engine that grows with your business.

Need to add new employees? Scale storage? Launch new software? With the cloud, it’s a simple update to your subscription. No major hardware costs investments, and no large-scale project costs to upgrade or redo an already existing system. The flexibility is king to help your small business stay lean and adapt quickly without big upfront costs to hinder your growth.

The Cloud is a Game-Changer for Small Businesses

Hopefully, you now see that the cloud isn’t just a tech trend. It’s a cost-saving, productivity-boosting tool that helps small businesses compete in their marketplaces against larger companies.

If your small business is not already on the cloud, it’s time to take the next step by investing in your business and your growth. Explore the best cloud provider, storage amount, and features that will propel your business ahead of the competition.

And, as always, if you need help along the way, Marvel IT Services is here and ready to help your small business with cloud solutions!