7 ways to grow business leveraging the cloud

It’s no surprise that more and more businesses are utilising cloud services because of the clear benefits offered, including cost efficiencies, increased agility and mobility, plus simplified IT infrastructure.

In fact, according to a study by Telsyte, annual spend on cloud computing by Australian companies is set to reach nearly $800 million by 2019. Also, research conducted by the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that almost 30 per cent of medium sized business, including First 5000 members are using paid cloud services.

Whether it’s accessing Google Docs, Dropbox, social media or your favourite cloud accounting program, it’s safe to say, cloud computing is becoming business-as-usual.

While many businesses are already using some form of cloud computing, it is certainly an area that can be further leveraged. Here are some ways you can better leverage cloud services in your business.

1. Improved growth and scalability
   A great benefit of many cloud services is the ability to easily add new users or scale the level of support you need. Rather than having to invest significantly in more hardware and upgraded physical servers, all you need to do is increase your subscription level. If you’re looking to increase your business’ footprint, cloud could be a great option.

2. Better mobility
   With cloud, your team is no longer bound by the technology in the office. They can access most, and in some instances, all of the programs and systems they need to undertake their role and on all types of devices.

3. Access the latest programs
   When a new version of Office gets released, forget having to upgrade everyone’s computer. Opting for programs in the cloud gives you access to the latest versions that are automatically updated. Plus, you can access them from just about any device and you’re no longer stuck with paying for licences for individual computers.
4. Better security and backup
   Cloud technology and security have improved greatly over the past few years. In some instances, your data is actually safer in the cloud than on a physical server in your office. Plus, most cloud providers offer a reliable backup and recovery service.

5. Data storage
   While many of us already use Dropbox, for those businesses that carry large amounts of data, like customer records, storing data in the cloud can be hugely cost effective. It also improves accessibility when working from multiple locations or across teams.

6. Operate in real time
   The pace of change in business has never been greater and your business needs to be able to respond quickly using accurate and up-to-the minute information. Having your IT environment in the cloud means everything is kept in real time, teams can access the same documents, resulting in less errors and incorrect data.

7. Faster implementation
   Migrating to new technology has traditionally required considerable business disruption, allocating employee resources to work on the project, set up and maintenance of physical IT equipment and a number of other factors. This all contributes to the total time needed from purchasing your solution to actually getting running with it. However, many cloud services are faster, easier and more cost effective to implement, meaning you can concentrate on business as usual.

Even if you are already using some form of cloud technology in your business, it’s worth looking at how you can further leverage the benefits it offers so you can save time, expand your business, cut costs and improve operations.