There is nothing more swear-inducing than losing hours of work.
Painstakingly created formatting, pages of data entry and complicated formulas all lost in the blink of an eye because you forgot to hit save on your spreadsheet before the battery on your laptop died.
Instead of throwing your laptop across the room in frustration, it is time to consider the cloud.
Cloud-based software solutions are an effective way to streamline your business systems and basically just make business better.
Here is how…
What Is The Cloud?
Firstly, let’s cover off what ‘the cloud’ actually is. Put simply, using ‘the cloud’ means that you are storing and accessing data on the internet, instead of on your local hard drive.
There are many different softwares that are cloud-based – anything from word processing to accounting, and from websites to email. They are designed to make business easier for everyone and small business owners find them particularly effective.
Some of our favourite cloud-based solutions are:
- Xero: for accounting and bookkeeping
- G Suite: for emails, word processing, spreadsheets, and presentations
- Dropbox: for data storage
- MailChimp: for email marketing
- WordPress: for website management
- Asana: for task management
There are actually so many more, but we would be here all day if we tried to list all of them!
So, how can the cloud make business better?
Access On The Go
As a business owner, often you are on the road, out at meetings and working on the go. If you are using cloud-based software then you have a mobile office, able to access your systems and files from anywhere that has WiFi.
Even if there is no WiFi available, there are workarounds. Some applications allow you to access your content offline and will then syncs your changes when you are back in the realm of the internet. Also, you can use a data connection on your device to open a hotspot and connect your laptop.
Collaborate With Your Team
Forget emailing files to your colleagues or never knowing if you are working from the most current version of a document. With cloud-based software, you can collaborate with your team in real time. Everyone can update the same documents with the right permissions. And if there is something that contains sensitive information, you can simply change the privacy settings so that only the people who are meant to see it can.
Save Time
There never seems to be enough hours in the day when you are running a business. Fortunately, cloud software can give you the gift of time. There are lots of tasks that you can automate or rules you can create to save you time, stress and energy.
If done right, some automated tasks can even make your business money. That is, emails that are automatically triggered by certain actions. Abandoned cart emails can recover lost sales, email sequences can introduce your business and make sales, and advertising campaigns can grow your brand awareness, encouraging new clients to join your business.
Save Money
No more expensive software purchases or updates that take half of the day. Cloud-based solutions always have the most up to date version with the latest and greatest whizz-bang features.
As most software solutions are comprehensive, you may be able to use one tool for many different aspects in your business. That might even mean you can cut out some of your previous programs if they perform duplicate functions or are no longer necessary.
You will also be able to reduce your hardware spend as you won’t need portable hard drives or servers for data storage. Your PC might even run faster with less clutter on your drive!
Be Sustainable
One of the great things about cloud software is that it is a more sustainable solution. So your business can operate in a more environmentally friendly way. Electronic filing means less paper waste, video conferencing means less travel and vehicle emissions, and home offices mean less need for giant electricity guzzling office buildings.
Flexibility
The amazing thing about small businesses is that they can grow and expand in many different ways. Using cloud-based solutions mean that the software can grow with your business. It also allows you the flexibility to experiment and change when you need to.
Best of all, cloud solutions are designed for anyone to be able to use them. Once you know what you are doing, they are straightforward and easy, even for the most technologically challenged among us!
Help Is Here!
When running a business, there will be tasks that you hate or jobs that you don’t have the skills to do. By being in the cloud, you can easily bring on experts to help you with those tasks. The experts don’t even need to be in the same office as you, or the same city.
Here at Admin Army, we work with many different businesses nationwide, via the cloud. We are able to help them with their finances and administration without leaving our computers. We take on the tasks you don’t have the time for so that you can focus on your core business.
If you are interested in saving time and stress, then get in touch with us today for a free chat.