Years ago, the internet was said to be the great equalizer. Now, you could say the same of cloud computing.
We already know that cloud computing can be beneficial to organizations of all sizes and within all industries. Though it may seem the cloud may be only for the “big guys” due to enterprises adopting the cloud at a rapid pace, ignoring the many benefits of the cloud for small and mid-sized businesses severely discounts the game-changing advantages that level the playing field for SMBs.
The worldwide public cloud services market is projected to grow 21.4 percent this year, totaling $186.4 billion according to Garner. Not only are enterprises continuing to move applications to the cloud, but small businesses are following suit.
Many small businesses have balked at the idea of a cloud migration for several reasons, but if you are weighing the benefits against the drawbacks carefully, it’s worth taking a second look. If a cloud migration is under consideration at your small business, there are benefits to making the move.
Cloud migration for small business helps reduce costs
Cost and budget is a large factor in most small business decisions. Without the backing and budgets that enterprise organizations normally have, SMBs look to be efficient with costs at all levels of the business. Cloud adoption means that physical storage is no longer a concern, as the servers and databases housing your information and infrastructure live elsewhere. The cloud computing provider essentially rents you space and you can adjust it at any time, which provides major benefits of the cloud for small business.
According to a recent study by Exact and Pb7 Research, small businesses that adopted the cloud actually doubled their profits while at the same time saw 25 percent additional revenue growth. Perhaps this is not the case for every business, but the efficiency and reduced maintenance and hardware costs add up and can be considered part of the benefits of the cloud for small business!
Scalability for small business
Of all the business-value advantages of the cloud, scalability is a fundamental benefit of a cloud migration for small business. With computing resources available on-demand, it’s easy to increase capacity, users, and space on demand. This makes costs more fluid and dynamic for businesses, as you’re paying for what you’re using while having easy access to more resources if necessary. Cost overcapacity and idle resources be gone.
Improved collaboration opportunities when migrating to the cloud
The workforce is increasingly remote. Even if your team isn’t remote full-time, being able to access projects and files within a cloud environment makes working off-site easier and more productive. As workers continue to become more mobile, making it easy for your growing team to access what they need is imperative. Cloud computing and software can help you do that, giving you even more benefits to a cloud migration for small business.
Cloud migration for small business: backups and security
Like all organizations, small businesses are at risk of data breaches or cyberattacks. According to the Ponemon Institute, 54% of companies experienced one or more cyberattack that compromised data and/or IT infrastructure in 2017. By building redundancy into your small business’s information management approach and backing up your data in real-time, the cloud offers protection against these security risks. Reducing your reliance on physical infrastructure and manual backups can not only save money but also valuable maintenance time. Saving resources is high on the list of benefits to a cloud migration for small business.
There are tremendous potential benefits of a cloud migration for small business. Cloud computing goes beyond information storage and has the capacity to improve the way your employees work together to grow the business. If you’re ready to make the move, check out these tips for getting your cloud migration strategy right the first time.
If your business is thinking of making the move to a cloud-based environment, whether it be public or private, WSM can help. We’ve been migrating small and mid-sized businesses for over fifteen years and are familiar with the business benefits and challenges that come with a cloud migration. Check out more information about migration here.
