How can I use cloud tools for my business?

1. File storage and sharing

Swap the file cabinets for a file storage service like Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive, or DropBox. By using a file storage app, you can keep all your important documents and other files securely on the cloud, which can be easily accessed by your team, improving productivity and ease of sharing files.

2. Accounting

Accounting software like Xero makes it easy to get up-to-date financials and operate your business. Accounting software makes doing your business accounting easy, handling work like payroll, invoicing, purchase orders, and more all on the cloud.

Accounting software can also provide you with valuable insight into how your cash flow is going, with the ability to generate reports on the fly, and forecast your cash flow so that you know how your business is going in full detail.

3. Data collection

Do you collect data from paper forms or checklists? By using a data collection app like Locale Central, your team can record data on their mobile phones or computers. With a data collection app, you can take your paper forms and checklists and turn them digital, improving productivity, and storing your data securely on the cloud.

You can also use IoT (Internet of Things) with an IoT service like AWS to automatically record data and store it on the cloud. With IoT, you can capture real time data with a device such as temperature, location, and more, then your device can automatically communicate with the cloud to process your data, store your data, or trigger other processes.

4. Automation

By using a cloud tool like Zapier, you can automate your business to save you time and money. An automation tool like Zapier allows applications to talk with each other, when a “trigger” you set up happens on one app, such as sending an invoice in Xero, Zapier can run “actions” on other apps, such as adding information to a spreadsheet.

5. Information Sharing

Does your team have a shared knowledge base? By using an all-in-one workspace like Notion, your team can organise their notes, documentation, projects, tasks, and other information all securely on the cloud. By having a shared knowledge base, your team has easy access to any information they need to carry out their work, preventing both common mistakes and unnecessary phone calls. A shared knowledge base also makes it easy to update information as it changes, keeping your whole team in the loop.

6. Communication

Communicate on the cloud with a real time messaging app like Slack. A communication app like Slack allows for real time collaboration between your team, improving productivity for your team. Slack also allows you to organise your messages into channels to better organise your topics, as well as integrate other apps, so you can automate communication such as sending a slack message when a new file is added.