The Case for Cloud in Small Business
Do you run a small business? Are you using the cloud? Have you managed to get the most out of it? If your answers are yes, yes, and no—then keep reading, this is for you.
It’s more common than you think—businesses that have moved to the cloud often don’t know how to fully unlock its potential, and as a result, they miss out on key benefits like saving money, working faster, and keeping their data secure at all times.
Below, we’ll share 7 smart tips to help you make better use of cloud tools, improve your daily tasks, and grow your business without wasting resources or facing security risks.
The Seven Ways You Can Use Cloud Solutions
Way #1 – Remote Collaboration
One of the main advantages of the cloud is that it allows you and your team to work collaboratively from almost anywhere in the world—as long as you have an internet connection, of course.
Tools such as Microsoft OneDrive, DropBox, Google Drive, and similar file-sharing services can give you and your employees more flexibility to work remotely.
Remote collaboration means you don’t need to worry about being too tied up with your office or headquarters.
Way #2 – Business Continuity
Have you ever had your laptop crash while you were working on something significant? Or have you ever had a hard drive suddenly become unreadable when you need the files?
And when you attempt to retrieve the data you need, you are informed that those are gone forever.
Placing your data in the cloud could avoid such headaches.
Automatic backup and recovery options are core aspects of most cloud-based apps. So, even if your team loses power or hardware while they are working on something important, all it takes for them to get all that hard work back is a click or two.
Way #3 – Storage
File storage services are one of the most common uses of the cloud.
If your business is not tech-heavy, you need enormous file storage capacity.
In fact, storing your inventory logs, client information, and even employee info on physical, on-site stores is no longer advisable — if it ever was. It will also let you access all these documents from the cloud wherever you are. And if security remains uncertain for you, as the owner and administrator of your small business’s cloud, you can also have complete control of who gets access to these files.
For example, if you want to run a more sustainable business, moving all your files to the cloud can also empower your operations to go completely paperless.
Way #4 – Data Security
Many business owners or small entrepreneurs believe the cloud brings a lot of security problems—and the truth is, it does come with security challenges. I know, that might sound like the same thing… but it’s really not.
Cloud services themselves aren’t inherently insecure. What’s happening is that as technology evolves, so do the threats that come with it. What does that have to do with your business? Well, the more you integrate technology into your operations, the more exposed you are to cyber risks—but only if you don’t follow proper security measures.
If you comply with established security protocols, then you have nothing to worry about. Your sensitive and confidential information—whether it’s related to your business, clients, partners, or suppliers—will be fully protected.
Way #5 – Scalable Growth Planning
One common misconception about cloud services is that they come with a huge upfront cost. However, cloud solutions are indeed very scalable.
What does this mean? That you will always pay for the services and access level you need for now.
It means you can always access the services and level of access you need. You could begin by paying only for the lowest storage capacity and migrating only a selection of your data cloud.
One of the best things about the cloud is that it scales right along with your business—you grow, and it grows with you. That means you only pay for what you actually need, as your company starts needing more.
Plus, you can always count on a managed IT services provider, allowing you to operate without an internal IT team—which means even more savings.
Way #6 – Cloud-Based Email
Do you still host your company’s email client on your servers? Or have you yet to find the time to create customized or personalized emails for your staff?
This is another opportunity to make service examples of cloud maximizing.
When you transfer your email hosting to a cloud-powered solution, you won’t need to manage or invest in servers to run your business email. That responsibility will now fall to the cloud service provider.
This cloud-hosted email is less expensive than on-site servers.
Way #7 – E-Commerce
Brick-and-mortar stores may not be extinct due to the pandemic, but they have surely cemented their customers’ dependency on buying things online. If you have an online store and plan to sell online from your physical store, your best bet is always to use cloud-based e-commerce platforms.
Services like Shopify have become so unstoppable in terms of ease of use and cost that having an in-house store management solution is now a non-starter.
If you use cloud-based e-commerce platforms, scaling is simple without the heavy investment in the necessary hardware.
How to Optimize Cloud Efficiency for Small Businesses
Let’s speak in a language that’s more appealing to you: return on investment (ROI). Is it really worth investing in cloud-based services?
Let’s take a look at some ways to get the most out of the cloud while making sure that the tools and approaches you use won’t drain extra resources from your business.
Leverage Auto-Scaling to Reduce Costs
This technology works like an accordion in your cloud environment. That means your space can expand or shrink based on what you need—so you’re not paying for idle capacity during slow periods, and you can handle traffic spikes without any manual intervention.
Just like we said earlier, cloud services give you the advantage of only paying for what you use—and auto-scaling technology is the perfect example of that. In fact, this feature is available with popular providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, so you can take full advantage of it and customize your experience based on your workload and the specific needs of your business.
Pretty awesome, right?
Implement Cloud Cost Management Tools
We like to think of these tools as a kind of cyber-accountant—someone who takes care of monitoring, analyzing, and controlling your cloud expenses, just like your real-life accountant does with your business finances… but in the cloud.
There are several options you can look into, like AWS Cost Explorer, Azure Cost Management, and third-party tools like CloudHealth. All of them let you set budgets, configure automatic usage limits, and trigger alerts when those limits are exceeded.
So, what makes these tools so great? Well, they help you stick to the golden rule we’ve been talking about: you only pay for what you use. And in this case, there’s no way you’ll overuse—because you’ve got your little cyber-accountant keeping a close eye on everything in your cloud environment.
Optimize Data Storage & Backups
Costs, costs, and more costs—we’re still on the topic, but that’s because we know it’s what you care about most. You don’t want to overspend, right?
Another way to avoid that and stick to the “pay for what you use” approach is by storing and backing up your data effectively—so you’re not paying for storage you don’t actually need, also known as idle space.
For example, one smart way to do this is by categorizing your data based on how often it’s accessed, and moving the less frequently used files to a more affordable storage tier.
Another very important aspect to keep in mind is human error—something you can avoid by implementing automated backup policies. This not only reduces storage needs and optimizes costs, but also helps keep your cloud environment secure at all times.
Avoiding Common Cloud Adoption Mistakes
Remember when you were learning to drive and you’d release the clutch too early when shifting gears—and the car would stall? A pretty common mistake. Well, the same kind of thing can happen with the cloud.
Despite its great flexibility and scalability, small businesses often make a few missteps. Let’s take a look at what those common mistakes are—and how to avoid them—so you can enjoy a smooth, interruption-free cloud integration.
Overprovisioning Resources
Just like the word suggests, overprovisioning is when you assign more resources than you actually need—in this case, in the cloud. What happens when you do this? Your costs go up unnecessarily—and that’s definitely not what you want, right?
We can solve this with constant monitoring to determine whether your storage and computing capacity truly match your workload.
Another way to avoid this problem is by scaling down idle services and using cloud-native tools to track usage. It’s all about making your costs more predictable—so there are no crazy surprises on your invoices.
Ignoring Security Best Practices
Remember when we said the cloud comes with security challenges? Well, this is one of the biggest mistakes small businesses make when adopting cloud services: they take everything for granted.
“Don’t worry! The IT guys handle that!” (Said in the most relaxed, carefree tone possible.) WRONG! This is one of the most common—and most serious—errors. Yes, your IT service provider has a role and responsibilities when it comes to your company’s cybersecurity, but if your internal team lacks a strong security culture, all that effort goes to waste.
It’s your responsibility to implement strict security policies like strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, and data encryption.
When you combine those efforts with regular audits from your IT provider, your tech infrastructure stays healthy, safe, and protected from cyber threats.
Not Training Employees on Cloud Tools
Following the same line about security and the internal cybersecurity culture your company should have, let’s talk about your team. How prepared are they to identify cyber risks?
If you’re not sure how to answer that, then your business is probably at constant risk. Did you know that one of the main causes of cybersecurity breaches comes from the inside? That’s right—your own team could be unintentionally exposing vulnerabilities that cybercriminals take advantage of to carry out their attacks.
The good news? This is easily avoidable by training your staff on the security protocols your company has in place—how to follow them and how to react in the event of an intrusion or detected threat.
Employees with adequate training can contribute significantly to productivity and help your business utilize cloud investments to their capacity without making costly mistakes due to human errors or lack of knowledge.
If you pay close attention to these common mistakes—and follow these 7 steps to get the most out of the cloud—you’ll end up with a fully personalized digital environment that’s cost-friendly, perfect for collaboration, information sharing, data storage, and backed by an impenetrable security protocol.