Starting up your own business can be exciting yet daunting – all those plans with little facilities and in most cases, little budget. It is essential for start-ups to leverage the resources they already have to achieve the best possible start to their enterprise journey.
Although essential to business, IT systems can take a huge chunk out of budgets. With this being the general opinion of IT, fresh businesses tend to back away from investing in IT and instead, aim for the cheapest and easiest fix which is usually not the most optimising one.
For start-ups to bloom effectively it is important they have sufficient resources that can: maintain data securely, work from various locations and scale up/down. With cloud computing, start-ups can take full advantage of a complete IT set-up taken care of by a service provider. Here are 5 other ways start-ups could benefit from the cloud:
1. NO NEED FOR AN OFFICE
When hearing the word “workplace”, you think of an office filled with expensive kit. Cloud service providers can offer the kit that is scalable depending on fluctuating employee numbers. This means you do not actually need to purchase a full office worth of kit, instead, you can save your budget and opt for the cloud.
By adopting cloud computing, all the kit you could ever need is stored in the cloud and can be accessed easily with an internet connection.
2. ENTERPRISE-LEVEL SECURITY AND DATA PROTECTION
Despite start-ups being reluctant to invest in proper IT facilities, it is crucial for their data to be protected. Despite this, many just store their data on a laptop or PC with no encryption and irregularly perform data backups on external hard drive or a cloud storage app like DropBox. It is common sense that if the device was to be lost or stolen this can jeopardise the entire start-up, resulting in the strict budget being avoidable to replace the device and recreating the data.
With the cloud, no data is actually stored on the device itself, meaning a device is merely an empty shell and data can’t be tampered with by unauthorised person. By choosing a cloud solution from a reliable, certified provider, start-ups automatically operate on enterprise-level security standards. Data is encrypted, automatically backed-up and stored in secure data centres at no extra cost.
3. BUSINESS GROWTH EASILY DEALT WITH
Thanks to the scalability of cloud solutions and the pay per-user-per-month pricing model, a company has no need to invest a large amount of money to provide new employees with the new kit. In addition to this, if the business developed to an extent where they would need a new office location, moving and setting everything up is easier and quicker in comparison to a traditional IT solution.
4. SMALL STARTING BUDGETS CAN GO FAR
With pay as you go pricing, businesses don’t need a large amount of capital for either hardware or software to get started. All the business needs is an internet enabled device- no costly server, no off-site backup solution. Software and licenses are also part of the package. They can be hand-picked and are always the latest versions, eliminating the need to refresh licenses and upgrade operating systems and software.
5. ASSURED DISASTER RECOVERY AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY
As start-ups are extremely careful with their money, it’s easy for them to overlook the importance of a satisfactory and reliable disaster recovery and business continuity strategy. If a device breaks or is stolen, there’s no way to recover data. This has the potential to bring a whole company to a standstill and could ultimately result in bankruptcy.
By utilising a cloud solution, start-ups can be assured that even if the hardware is lost or broken, business can continue as usual as employees can simply use any other device to access their data, apps, and email via the internet.
At Atlas Cloud, we offer a cost effective DRaaS solution which is powered by Zerto. The solution removes the process of manually recovering critical data. We have a proven track record of delivering some of the most complex applications in the cloud. The disaster recovery is also available with monthly subscription allowing the ability to scale up and down, giving you flexibility and taking away the headaches and expense of adding additional capacity to an in-house solution.
IT SHOULD HELP NOT HINDER
In conclusion, the cloud lets entrepreneurs worry less about their IT and refocus from short-term survival to long-term goals. IT should not be a hindrance to any business; instead, it should provide a solid foundation for businesses to grow. Tech should open up opportunities for a company, regardless of size and budget. This is why the cloud continues to be a game changer for all, from micro start-ups to the world’s largest corporations.
