As a means of making necessary data a little easier to share these days, many businesses large and small are now shifting a larger amount of their data to the cloud. However, while this has really only become a major industry shift in the last few years, it seems that many firms are planning to move even more heavily in this direction in the near future.
About 4 out of every 5 small businesses in particular say they will be fully ready to handle their day-to-day operations through cloud-based computing within the remaining years of the decade, according to the latest survey from Emergent Research and Intuit. That’s up from just 37 percent of such independent enterprises who say they’re capable of doing so right now.
“This report paints a detailed picture of how small businesses will increasingly use cloud technology not only for efficiency gains, but also in more transformative ways that redefine the rules for achieving long-term success,” said Terry Hicks, vice president and general manager, QuickBooks Online Ecosystem at Intuit. “Whether you’re a tech startup in Silicon Valley or a mom-and-pop shop on Main Street, cloud technology presents radically new opportunities, and potentially disruptive changes. This report is all about developing a deep understanding of how small business can stay ahead of the curve.”
What does this entail?
It goes without saying that the ways in which each small business will need to use the cloud will be unique, but overall, there are only a few categories into which most users of these services will fall, the report said. For instance, there will be specialized services that help to make it easier for all employees to access the necessary company data from anywhere, as well as helping those firms that don’t really have a centralized location where all their employees work to better integrate their employees into a cohesive functional unit. Other firms might end up using cloud services to highlight their work to prospective clients or customers, such as with portfolios that can be accessed anywhere.
Of course, a larger presence on the cloud might bring with it a larger risk for hacking attacks or other types of data breaches that could expose large amounts of data. As such, it might be wise for small businesses to start investing in small business insurance to mitigate the financial risks that come with these incidents. This kind of coverage, known as tech insurance, can help companies save thousands or more if they’re affected.
