Doing business from the “clouds”
Small business owners face a lot of challenges when it comes to setting up a routine and structure that suits them and meets their needs. There are a lot of luxuries that big businesses might have that simply aren’t an option for a small entrepreneur, for example, and sometimes these business owners find themselves working harder than their counterparts just to create a functional office environment. Luckily, there is help to be had in the way of cloud-based storage systems! These interesting and relatively new services are finding new customers and growing in popularity thanks to their rich feature set, convenience, and numerous benefits.
1. Keep Your Files Safe
This is something that many businesses owners, both large and small, tend to neglect until something goes wrong – at which point the only thing left to do is attempt to pick up the pieces. Rather than waiting until a disaster strikes to create a solid plan for the safety of your important files and records, consider taking a moment to research some of the various cloud-based storage systems available. These tools are lifesavers when something happens to your physical hard drive or backup device because they store your files remotely. You can access them from any computer, which means that hardware failure is no longer an issue.
2. Work Anywhere
Another particularly useful feature that cloud based WebRTC enable PBX phone system offer is the ability to work from anywhere you have an internet connection. You’re no longer tied to an office, which means that you can stay more productive wherever you happen to be: at home, at a conference, or even a weekend away – as long as you have access to a mobile device of some sort and an internet connection, you’re good to go! This even includes things like phone calling systems. With a cloud based phone system, for example, you can take your contacts, number, notes, and answering system with you, wherever you travel.
3. Embrace the Collaboration
How many times have you found yourself as a member of a team? And how many times have you been in the middle of a project only to realize that you need a particular file to continue, and the person in charge of sending it out seems to have fallen off the face of the earth? Situations like this only serve to heighten frustration and lower productivity and there’s absolutely no need for it! With cloud-based storage systems, you can remotely store and access all of the important documents that you need. You can also incorporate your documents with a variety of apps that automatically keep things synced across a number of devices.
4. Spend More Time Working
Similar to the previous advantage, working with a cloud-based storage system gives you access to all of the files you might need without having to wait for someone else to send it to you. Perhaps someone is in charge of creating spreadsheets for financial information, for example, and you realize halfway through the project that you need some of the same information. If you aren’t using a cloud-based storage system, this could become a significant issue that causes your work to halt until you can get a hold of your coworker. If you are utilizing the cloud, however, it’s possible to set up folders that keep documents automatically up-to-date as changes are made remotely. This means that you can have access to the document as it is created in real time, and won’t ever find yourself desperately trying to reach someone for access.
5. Take Your Office with You
Aside from the fact regarding how great the cloud is for files and collaboration, it is also useful for a great many other things, such as phone systems. Cloud based phone systems are systems that are, obviously, based in the cloud and allow access from all sorts of different devices. This means that you can take your work on the go, yet always be reachable by the office, customers, or vendors. This is a particularly great idea for customer service, because it allows your customers the ability to reach you at any time without the frustration of receiving voicemail or being caught in an unending loop of being passed off to other employees.
The cloud is truly one of the most innovate technological advancements that has been made over the past decade or so, and cloud-based services continue to grow by leaps and bounds. Consider taking a moment to conduct your own research and find a service that’s right for you – you might even find features that you didn’t know you needed! This particular type of system can help with collaboration, communication, and customer service – all for an affordable price, and featuring services that cover a large variety of needs.
Do you use the cloud in your business? If so, let us know how it helps you in the comments below!
