Why Moving Your Business to the Cloud isn’t so Complicated
Small businesses deal with a bunch of extra hurdles (compared to medium and large ones), but they have the advantage of flexibility when it comes to making decisions for the company. This is because bigger companies need to discuss every change or upgrade with investors, stakeholders, and more.
As such, a decision like moving the business to the cloud should be easy to make. After all, there are a lot of benefits, especially for a small company looking to get bigger. However, it’s also a significant change for the daily workflow, which may make things a bit more difficult due to limited resources & workforce.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. Modern platforms and systems allow for a smoother migration, and there are things IT administrators/business owners can do to speed things up.
Here are some of the most important ones:
Choose the Right Platform
Nowadays, the cloud services market is quite diverse and rich in offers. However, as a business owner, there are plenty of things you need to consider besides storage space and speed. You also need to worry about mobile sharing, disaster recovery, file security, sharing rights, and more.
All these variables make the migration process more difficult, which is a good excuse for delays.
Luckily, there is another option. You can use a file server solution that allows you to store files and data in local servers (which means increased security) while safely sharing them with the people who need remote access. This makes the process easier for the company while also bringing some of the benefits of a full-on cloud solution.
Make a Risk Assessment
It’s important to understand that a cloud service solution can’t guarantee 100% uptime. Still, the best providers plan for failure, which allows them to keep the business running for about 99% of the time.
That’s why, before moving to the cloud, you must run a risk assessment. Identify your business’s points of failure and plan for scenarios where they are met. Once you know the weak points in your business flow, you also know the type of cloud structure you need, which narrows the offer down to the best providers for your needs.
As a side note, moving the business to the cloud doesn’t mean you shouldn’t run regular backups that you store in a secure location. In fact, this is one of the most recommended steps you need to include in your best practices rulebook.
Prioritize Security
Small businesses everywhere are easy targets for hackers and ill-intended actors because they practice weak security measures. Even more, in an attempt to reduce costs, small business owners may feel tempted to select cloud solutions that are free or low-cost.
However, this is the worst path to take in a world where cyberattacks and data leaks are prevalent.
For a safe transition, it’s crucial that you make sure the on-site cybersecurity strategy is on point and up to date, and the cloud solution of your choice has a strong security policy. Low-cost security measures will only create bigger problems in the future!
Wrap Up
The main lesson to learn from the points above is that big changes are scary for everyone. But, if we break everything into small, manageable steps, even a difficult cloud migration can become a breeze.
Also, don’t forget to pay attention to the risks and consult a specialist before making the move – it makes all the difference in the world!
