Smaller armies that are about to go up against larger foes rely on the right formation and more importantly, the right equipment. The same goes for small businesses today; there might not be literal wars, but there’s definitely a battle going on -- one for success. When compared to large corporations, SMBs are outnumbered in terms of size and resources, so it’s important for smaller businesses to utilize the right tools to both grow and make money.
That’s where Office 365 comes in. This innovative tool helps facilitate employee productivity and collaboration both at the office and on the go. With Office 365, you’ll have access to well-known applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, SharePoint, and Skype for Business. On top of that, you’ll be able to instantly share and edit files with colleagues via the Internet.
According to a 2015 statement from Todd McKinnon, co-founder and CEO of Okta, “Office 365 is the number one most-deployed application across enterprises.” He also revealed that at the time, up to 12.4 million people were using Office 365, beating out major players such as Box, Google Apps for Work, and Salesforce. If you’re still not convinced, here are some more incentives for your consideration:
Uninterrupted operations
In 2015, the U.S. Institute for Business and Home Safety showed that 25% of small businesses do not reopen following a major disaster. If a fire or an earthquake were to destroy all your in-house systems, you’d be left with nothing -- plain and simple. But by utilizing Office 365, you’d be sending all your business documents, emails and other sensitive data to the cloud. This means they’d always be available, prompting a swift recovery and restarting of business.
Data security and control
With Office 365’s cloud computing capabilities, data security won’t be an issue. Thanks to its built-in security and continuous compliance, business owners will be able to focus on what matters most. You’ll always know where your data is stored and who has access to it. If you happen to lose your mobile device, you’ll be able to remotely wipe data. Moreover, Office 365 allows your business to continue operations even if your devices break down.
Work anywhere at anytime
Because working remotely becomes a breeze with Office 365, gone are the days of calling on an IT technician or a tech-savvy friend to help set up a Virtual Private Network (VPN). All you need is an Internet connection, and you’re good to go!
Organization
It’s a fact that meetings, emails and contact management are all vital components of daily business operations. Office 365 automatically synchronizes your emails, calendars and contacts across all of your devices. Additionally, you’ll be able to access data from any device and at anytime.
Predictable budgeting
Ideal for small businesses, Office 365 eliminates upfront costs through its flexible monthly billing process that allows you to increase or decrease the number of users to suit your needs. You won’t be binded with a contract and are free to change plans at any time. Moreover, on-premise solutions require constant monitoring, patching and backups -- another key service that Office 365 provides. If you were to compare the total cost of in-house servers, OS licenses, client access and server applications licenses, air conditioning and the physical space -- the setup and operating cost of Office 365 would become microscopic.
Larger mailbox storage
For some reason, we tend to store EVERY single email that we’ve sent or received, meaning our inboxes are overflowing with work, personal and junk mail that don’t need to be there. Leave it up to Office 365 to handle the housekeeping -- you won’t have to bother with that annoying reminder telling you to clean up your inbox. Instead, just enjoy your free 50GB of email storage space.
Effortless licensing
Dealing with software licenses can become troublesome for a small business owner. Let’s say that one employee is using one version whereas another is working with the upgraded version. Your staff wouldn’t be up to speed and no standard would exist in the workplace. Office 365 is responsible for all the licensing and is deployable company wide. This means that everyone will have the same software versions, and all users will receive upgrades at the same time.
Countless things go into running a successful business: from data security, employee productivity to corporate synchronization. Without the proper IT, maintaining daily operations would be quite difficult, so it’s pivotal for smaller businesses to capitalize on the right tools not only for smooth sailing, but to build for future growth by gaining a competitive advantage as well.
If you’re currently looking for Office 365 solution but are unsure about certain things, don’t worry! Our team at Complete Technology provides Office 365 solutions that help address the unique needs of your business. Let us show you why business size doesn't matter and that it’s possible to do more with less. Feel free to get in touch with us via telephone or email; we’re more than happy to answer all your questions.
