Connectivity made simple: how the cloud can benefit your SME
The cloud can help small businesses grow by allowing greater connectivity, flexibility and security.
Cloud technology is enabling start-ups to get off the ground, helping established businesses grow, and empowering managers to make better informed decisions.
“The cloud” can seem like a complex concept, but anybody who has used Gmail or Dropbox has used the technology. Ian Sutherland, business development manager of Your Office Anywhere, likens the cloud to using somebody else’s computer. Companies such as his have huge servers, full of data and software that other businesses (his clients) can tap into.
For example, where his clients' staff aren’t confined to one location, documents can be stored in the cloud and access granted to employees wherever they are. Aplications and computing power can also be rented as demand requires. This allows SMEs to scale up resources when necessary – and scale down to more affordable options at other times.
Making smarter decisions
Business information specialist Graydon has tapped into the power of the cloud to improve decision-making. The organisation takes information from its various departments across three countries, including sales, human resources and finance, and feeds it into a cloud-based analytics platform.
“Each team has access to a central set of data that's accurate and trusted – instead of everyone using their own files and then arguing about the results,” says company director Bart Redder.
If you have one member writing a proposal in Microsoft Word and another on Google Drive, you will run into issues
David Vallance, Vape Crate
The system joins the company’s data sources, carries out analytics and data preparation, then provides the results in easy-to-digest visual formats.
“The move to the cloud means that the management team can look at performance figures every week, rather than once a month,” says Mr Redder. “Decisions can be made faster and with better quality data.”
Building a business
Vape Crate, an online e-cigarette liquid provider, started in 2016 and launched its subscription service to the public earlier this year.
Cloud-based working has allowed founder David Vallance to build a team that, without the technology, wouldn’t have been able to work together.
“As an early stage start-up, our team is scattered about the place,” explains Mr Vallance. “Some are still working in other jobs, some have family commitments, and others live on the other side of the world.”
The company uses cloud services for customer relationship management, customer services and storing files, so employees can work on financial projections with colleagues across the country while tweaking marketing ideas with an agency in the USA.
But working on the cloud needs to have company-wide buy-in to work, says Mr Vallance. “If you have one member writing a proposal in Microsoft Word and another on Google Drive, you will run into issues. Duplicate files, strange formatting and version control will all inevitably trip you up.”
Before your business finalises on using the cloud, make sure that everyone is on the same page and understands why the company is using it. Then before you roll out cloud services, give people the opportunity to get to know it. From there you can finalise a date to start using it, he adds.
Speedier processes allow more transactions
Leeds-based commercial insurance broker, Gauntlet Group, was an early adopter of cloud-based technology in 2013. The company operates an almost entirely paperless office, storing all documents in secure systems online.
Research, but scrutinise all advice and do your own due diligence
Ian Sutherland, Your Office Anywhere
This allows staff and clients to access information through the PaperCloud app on PCs and mobile devices. Managing director Roger Gaunt credits this move as one of the main drivers behind the organisation’s growth.
Importantly, clients can access their own policy documents, certificates and get updates on claims through the app. Or if they call the office, staff can immediately access information on screen instead of rifling around in filing cabinets.
“Our response speed is much improved, which meant that we could transact more business with the same number of people. We have been able to grow faster than the competition without having to increase recruitment,” says Mr Gaunt.
However, the idea of cloud technology can worry some people and can take some adjustment. When Gauntlet group first went paperless, people still preferred faxing and post. “We sat with the client and showed the simplicity of the cloud. Now everybody wants immediate access to high-resolution PDFs," adds Mr Gaunt.
A good provider means better security
Mr Sutherland says that as long as an SME seeks out a data host or application provider with a good reputation, there's no reason to worry about data loss or leaks.
While your average data centre will have 24-hour guards, bars on the windows, and card-swipe machines to get in, Your Office Anywhere has two different power sources from the National Grid and a back-up generator to ensure that the system is always on, he adds.
Businesses interested in the cloud should talk to their existing IT providers, he advises, and start by defining desired business objectives.
“You can also do your own research online, but scrutinise all advice and do your own due diligence,” explains Mr Sutherland. “Talk to other businesses about the systems that they use and how they find them. Claims and costs made in sales pitches don’t always match the reality.”
