Cloud Computing: Benefits for Small Businesses

Cloud computing is not a fad or a phase. It's here to stay. And why not? When you can improve processes and save money at the same time, cloud computing is clearly a smart choice for small businesses.

What is cloud computing?

When you choose a cloud computing solution for your small business, hardware that used to be onsite and software that used to be installed on your computer now lives out there somewhere in cyberspace, or "the cloud". Which means you don't need to deal with servers in the office or downloading software on every computer. That's all taken off your hands and managed by the cloud computing provider.

5 benefits of cloud computing for small business

It's not just less hassle for you. Many business-critical tasks benefit from being in the clouds. With cloud computing for small business, you can:

1. Save money. Start-ups costs are minimized because there's no software or hardware to purchase. Cloud solutions are typically subscription, pay-as-you-go services, so your upfront and ongoing costs are predictable. Maintenance and support costs are included with your subscription. And, you won't pay for upgrades and new versions; you'll get them automatically.
2. Increase productivity. With your data in the clouds and accessible anywhere you have a browser and an Internet connection, you can be productive, check your numbers, or review customer information even on the go.
3. Enable team collaboration. Web-based documents and data don't suffer from version control issues. Multiple people can access the same data at the same time, even work collaboratively and see each other's changes instantly.
4. Scale up as business grows. It's easy to add users and grow the size of your solution to meet you changing business needs.
5. Take advantage of the latest software. Forget about costly upgrades and complicated deployments. When your solution lives in the cloud, providers can add new features and upgrades anytime — so you're always using the latest and greatest.
6. Safety and Security. With cloud based applications you typically get more security than running systems on a desktop computer or internal network. Cloud vendors invest more heavily in network and physical security than a typical business. And they continuously keep everything up to date (have you installed all the recent operating system upgrades on all your computers?). Also, cloud vendors ensure that data is backed up and replicated in multiple data centers so if anything does happen, cloud-based business continuity measures ensure your business can still function uninterrupted.

Cloud financials make managing money easier

Keeping track of your money is right at the top of the best-practices list for ensuring business success, yet many small business owners are so busy with tasks at hand that managing finances falls off the plate. This lead to money left on the table.

Fortunately, cloud financials are making everything easier. You can:

• Pay your bills

  By digitizing processes that are paper-based, time-consuming, and error-prone, business bill pay in the cloud can save you over half the time and cost of paying your bills. Plus, you'll be able to pay vendors with a single click, review complete account history in one place, and synchronize all that data with QuickBooks or other accounting package.

  Accounts payable gets more organized in the cloud.

• Submit and track invoices

  With invoicing in the cloud, you can create personalized invoices with your logo, send them electronically, and easily track payment status. You'll never lose an invoice again — and you'll get your money faster, too.

Managing finances in the cloud saves small business owners both headaches and cash. Look at the results achieved by Bill.com customers across multiple industries.

Bill.com makes it 100% safe and secure

With Bill.com business bill pay and invoicing in the cloud your private data gets sent using 256-bit SSL encryption (same as a bank) so it's kept safe and secure. Learn more about how Bill.com keeps your data safe.