If You Can Count To Five, You Can Move To The Cloud

by Jennifer Hutchison, InfoStreet

Most business owners are already familiar with the cloud. These businesses understand the many benefits of moving to the cloud, so much so that according to a recent Forbes article[1], businesses in the United States will spend more than $13 billion on cloud computing this year. The global cloud computing market is predicted to grow to 79.1 billion by 2018, with the Forbes article noting that by 2015, “end-user spending on cloud services could be more than $180 billion.” The cloud is here to stay and is going to continue to grow each year. However, small business owners are asking, “what does this mean to me?”

Things that reduce your costs have value. If these same things also make you more efficient and competitive, they are invaluable.  With the cloud, this small business trifecta is achieved with added flexibility and mobility.

Small businesses are always in search of ways to stay agile enough to flourish in an economy often dominated by larger counterparts. One of the best ways to stay competitive and versatile is by moving to the cloud. Cloud computing offers small businesses more than just an easy way to tackle the economy and make more money. With your office in the cloud, you can reap benefits such as reducing costs, on-demand scalability, and eliminating the need for upgrading hardware and processes.

If this all sounds too good to be true, you can see for yourself. Moving to the cloud is an easy task. Follow five easy steps, and you can have your office up and running in the cloud right away.

1. Identify your goals

In any project, you will be more successful if you know what your goals are. You should always ask yourself “Why?” or “What do I want to achieve?” The same questions apply when you’re planning to move to the cloud.

Identify the goals you want your company to accomplish, and there is always a cloud app for that. More on this later….

Whether it’s cutting costs, extending the life of outdated equipment, or implementing new technology that will grow with your company, you will automatically reap the general benefits of the cloud, right off the bat. Cloud computing has a long-established history of cutting costs due to the fact that you no longer have to buy expensive servers or pay for your employees to upgrade to the latest desktop computers. In addition, you will cut the cost of paying for expensive licensing updates – something you never have to do when working in the cloud. And of course, with the cloud, you can rest assured that your team has access to the most recent versions of the most current apps available.

2. Stamp Out Fear of the Unknown

One of the least favorite items on anyone’s list, especially on the lists of those who want to get work done, is an unfamiliar environment with a sizable learning curve. With the daily advancements in the cloud, there are companies that have painstakingly taken on the task of providing you a familiar environment that lives in the cloud. For instance, SkyDesktop is a cloud-based desktop that looks just like the desktop on the computer that you sit in front of at your office, except that you are no longer tethered to your computer – now your desktop is wherever you are.

The same is true for your files, your apps and your settings. Gone are the days when you emailed yourself files so that you could work on them on a different computer, only to realize that the app required for the file does not exist on the second device.  Now you can work anytime, anywhere, and on any device that connects to the Internet.

3. Go Solution Shopping

Once you’ve defined your goals and figured out where you want to improve your business, all you need to do is to start finding your solutions. The easiest way of doing this is to find a reputable cloud provider to team up with. Most cloud providers have plans in place to help you get started in your very own cloud space. They’ll hand pick applications for you and offer support contracts to ensure that you stay up and running. Cloud apps are almost always priced based on subscription, which may be per-user or per-company, and you will often get to choose between monthly or yearly plans.

With a reputable cloud provider as your partner, you’ll have the option to take a look at your existing solutions and determine when and how to start taking advantage of the cloud. Do you want to replace existing programs, or perhaps find a brand-new app that will help you manage inventory or sign documents electronically? Your cloud provider will help you in this area by suggesting high-quality solutions that will solve old and new problems alike.

4. Roll Out To Your Team

You’ve defined your goals, you’ve found your ideal cloud partner, and now you even have a list of apps to work with. The next step is getting your team involved, and introducing them to the cloud.

First, test everything. Almost all cloud apps have free trial. Sign up for those who you feel will address your needs. Since trials are free, you can afford to cast a wider net, and then pick and choose your favorites. Once you’ve done this, you’ll be able to roll out your new apps to your team members as you see fit, one-by-one or all at the same time.  You only pay for what you use, nothing more, nothing less. Cloud solutions grow with you, so regardless of how many users you add or remove, the solution will be capable of servicing your needs.

Start with the programs your team would be using the most often: the apps that fit their job and expertise. Have your accounting department check out an app like Kashoo, a cloud-based alternative to Intuit or QuickBooks. Send your VP a CRM app to play around with. The most crucial part of this phase is to get the others excited about using cloud technology, which is easy to do. Turn your team into cloud cheerleaders by holding workshops and giving them time to try out the new apps, or allow them choose new apps and do free trials on their own. As an added benefit, you will see a huge rise in employee satisfaction.

Most cloud apps are easy enough for anyone to use, but remember, your cloud provider can help you engage and train your team if necessary – that’s what they do!

5. Welcome to the Cloud

Now you have your employee-tested and approved apps, along with a team that’s rallied together to participate in the move to the cloud. You’re finally working in the cloud and enjoying it.

With the many benefits of moving to a cloud-based environment – reducing costs, on-demand scalability, elimination of aging hardware and processes, and more – the decision to move your company to the cloud is often a no-brainer. Once you know the answers to “why”, and “how”, the question now becomes “when”.

When will you move a step ahead of your competition and take advantage of the opportunities and growth the cloud is offering? When will you move to the cloud?

Jennifer Hutchison has the pleasure of serving as a blogger and Customer Support Manager for InfoStreet. She enjoys writing on on a wide range of topics but focuses mainly on talking about bleeding edge cloud solutions and technology aimed towards small businesses. She graduated from California State University, where she majored in English with an emphasis on Creative Writing. An amateur photography buff, Jennifer can usually be found with her camera in hand at various weekend events throughout Southern California.