Make the most of cloud techology


Magpie Acc Blog - Make the Most of Cloud Technology

Many small businesses are costing themselves time and money by not embracing cloud technology. This may be due to fears regarding security, or the overall costs, but we can assure you, once you make the change you will never look back. There’s no need to be afraid of the cloud!!! The cloud is just another way of talking about the internet. When your business moves to the cloud, you don’t need to buy expensive hardware like servers and phone systems, you use a shared cloud infrastructure and only pay for what you need, when you need it.

Here are just some of the benefits of moving to the cloud:

– Cost

When you don’t have to buy a lot of hardware and licenses, or commit to long-term contracts upfront, you can set up your business cheaper and faster, with much less risk at the beginning.

– Time

Cloud-based systems are quick and easy to manage. You won’t need to arrange any time-consuming engineers’ visits to install, upgrade or maintain your software and equipment. It’s all plug and play. Everything is managed online, so whether you want to see your latest bill or add a new user, it’s just a mouse click away. By shifting the emphasis away from hardware, you’ll spend less time on IT issues and more time getting your business off the ground.

– Security

The provider responsible for your data will keep your files more secure than your small business ever could. Losing access to your business records, your computers or even your office could potentially be a disaster. With the cloud, all your data is safe and fully accessible anytime, anywhere, no matter what happens.

– Flexibility

If your business grows, your cloud resources will immediately grow with you. If you cut back, it’s easy and simple to streamline. Plus, you can pick and choose your services and see what works for your business.

– Anywhere, anytime

Whether you’re a small team or a solo entrepreneur, the cloud is the best way to encourage collaboration, information sharing and flexible working in your business. When your data and software is in the cloud, all your team can access it wherever they are, at any time of day. They don’t even need to be in the same part of the world.

– Unlimited storage, instant sync

The cloud began with data storage. With the amount of data we generate these days the idea of storing files on hard drives and network servers is fast becoming out of date. Cloud storage means you can store virtually unlimited amounts of data in the cloud and access it using any device at any time. Your files will automatically synchronise too, so you’re always seeing the latest version no matter what device you use.

– Future proof

The cloud is only going to get bigger and better in the next few years, as businesses all over the world move away from upfront investment in IT and telecoms equipment on their premises, in favour of remotely hosted solutions. There are likely to be far fewer landline telephone systems, for example, as business VoIP communications becomes the norm. So maybe it’s time to future-proof your business and adopt the latest technologies today.

Looking specifically at bookkeeping and accountancy, it is very clear to see that sticking with “traditional” accounting methods are draining your business’ time and effort, there is no added value, and it really takes the fun out of being in business. That is why we ensure that all our clients move to Cloud software such as Xero, Quickbooks, Clearbooks and Quickfile. Here are five ways cloud software benefits your business:

  • You have a clear overview of your current financial position, in real-time.
  • Multi-user access makes it easy to collaborate online with your team

and advisors.

  • Automatic updates mean you can spend more time doing what you love.
  • Everything is run online, so there’s nothing to install and everything is backed up automatically. Updates are free and instantly available.
  • Upfront business costs are reduced – version upgrades, maintenance, system administration costs and server failures are no longer issues. Instead, they are managed by the cloud service provider.

With all these benefits you can be confident that you have an up-to-date picture of how your business is doing, no matter where you are. Software updates can be developed and delivered faster and more easily in the cloud. This means you don’t need to worry about installing the latest version and you’ll get access to new features instantly. With cloud accounting software, you have the option to run your business remotely, from anywhere in the world. And when data is fluid and accessible, the possibilities are endless.