Cloud computing is changing the way we do business. With its numerous benefits, including flexibility, lower costs and better collaboration, it’s easy to see why it has become so popular.
In fact, the rate of adoption has grown so quickly that 90% of UK businesses are now using cloud-based apps, according to research from workspace management firm Centrix Software.
There’s an app for nearly every task these days. We take a look at three cloud-based solutions that are designed to make your business more efficient.
1. Office 365
Cost: from £3.10 per user/month
Many businesses are accustomed to using Microsoft Office, and Office 365 is just a natural progression to the cloud. It’s got all the features you know and love, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, but they can now be accessed remotely from anywhere. So if some of your employees are working from home or travelling to a meeting by train, they can still view and edit all the necessary files.
Staff can also work together on the same document from any location, so if there’s a presentation that needs to be finished asap, they can collaborate to get it done in double-quick time.
You pay for Office 365 by subscription, which means it’s easy to keep track of your spending and minimise your IT costs. It’s automatically updated to give you the very latest version of the software and can easily be added to tablets and smartphones as well as PCs and laptops.
2. Box
Cost: from £3.50 per user/month
Box is a storage facility in the cloud specifically designed for businesses. It’s got all the basic cloud storage features, where you can store all types of file and access them from anywhere on any device with an internet connection. But it also enables people to share files with their co-workers, assign tasks, leave comments on documents and get notified when changes are made.
You have complete control over the privacy of your files. You can decide who has access to specific folders, as well as who can edit and upload documents. Individual files can be password-protected and expiration dates can be set for shared folders.
Box’s advanced features even allow you to edit files with other apps installed on your device, including Microsoft Office and Adobe Photoshop.
3. Xero
Cost: from £9/month
Every penny counts to your business, so anything you can do to manage your finances better can make a big difference to your yearly profits.
Accounting software lets you keep track of your income and outgoings. One of the best providers is Xero, which already has more than 400,000 customers worldwide.
The software is simple to use, and the dashboard gives you an instant overview of your business and current financial status, showing recent sales and upcoming bills. From there you can create purchase orders, pay suppliers, handle expenses, perform pay runs, create financial reports and much more. Another good thing about Xero is that it allows you to add as many users as you want without paying additional fees.
Posted by The Secret Businessman