Small businesses employ nearly half of America’s workforce and contribute 43.5% of the nation’s GDP, making technological efficiency critical to the broader economy. However, growing companies often might be stretched thin with limited resources and tight budgets.
With the standardization of cloud computing, small players now have access to powerful tools that were once reserved for larger companies. So, how can you make the most of it?
This guide unpacks practical strategies to help small businesses maximize their cloud investments, eliminate waste, and build a leaner, more agile infrastructure.
Step into the Era of Intelligent Automation
Workflow automation uses software to handle everyday tasks like storing documents, managing content, and processing forms. This practice optimizes work activities by aligning them with your organization’s pre-defined rules and preferences, effectively eliminating hours of repetitive work every week without hiring additional staff.
But what truly takes it to the next level is the intelligent side of automation. With machine learning, platforms can manage the entire content lifecycle and continuously improve processes based on patterns it learns over time. This, combined with seamless integrations with existing tools and native capabilities, provides an all-in-one solution for your business.
Now, before integrating intelligent workflows into your operations, here are a few best practices to keep in mind:
- Evaluate your existing workflows to identify which tasks can benefit most from automation. Focus on repetitive, time-consuming tasks first to see the greatest impact.
- Ensure the automation platform you select offers features like AI-powered metadata extraction and the ability to add e-signatures directly within platforms like Salesforce. According to Box, this would help speed up the contract approval process.
- Once implemented, continuously assess the performance of your automated workflows and make adjustments as necessary to ensure optimal efficiency and alignment with business goals.
Embrace a Hybrid Cloud Strategy for Optimal Flexibility
A hybrid cloud strategy lets you take advantage of both on-prem and cloud solutions. In a hybrid setup, when a system goes down, you can easily switch to another, minimizing downtime and disruption. Plus, you can select the best tools and services for each task, tailoring your cloud setup to your specific needs.
Take careful note of the following before implementing a hybrid-cloud approach:
- Decide which workloads stay on-premises, which move to the private cloud, and which benefit from the scalability of the public cloud. This segmentation helps optimize performance.
- Your hybrid cloud is only as strong as its connections. Ensure secure integration between your on-premise infrastructure and cloud services with the help of high-quality networking tools and protocols.
- Managing a hybrid cloud requires orchestration tools to automatically move workloads between environments based on real-time needs. Invest in platforms that allow smooth workflow management between private and public clouds.
- Maintain strict security protocols across both private and public cloud environments. Use encryption and set up strict access controls to safeguard sensitive data while meeting regulatory compliance standards.
- With data and workloads spread across multiple environments, a hybrid cloud strategy can greatly improve disaster recovery. Make sure you have automated backup and failover processes to maintain business continuity in case of failures.
Right-Size Resources to Eliminate Wasteful Spending
Are you paying for cloud resources you rarely use? The trick to eliminating wasted cloud spend is staying on top of what you’re actually using versus what you’re paying for. One of the best ways to achieve this is through right-sizing your cloud resources.
Right-sizing is exactly what it sounds like: matching your cloud resources to your actual needs. Start by conducting a cloud cost audit to identify areas where you’re not fully utilizing resources and consider scaling back or optimizing services. For example, if you’re paying for extra storage you don’t need, downsize or explore more affordable options.
Also, when your workloads include Windows applications, evaluate how each cloud provider supports Windows-specific needs and the delivery options for those apps so you don’t end up paying for unnecessary infrastructure. For a concise comparison of the major public clouds and practical guidance on deploying Windows apps (including ways to avoid dependence on Microsoft RDS), see best hosting for Windows apps according to Graphon. That resource highlights trade-offs across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud and Oracle Cloud and calls out factors like scalability, security integration, and deployment effort. Folding those considerations into your right-sizing process helps prevent overprovisioning and keeps costs aligned with real user demand.
Another way to cut costs is by opting for the pay-as-you-go models from your cloud provider. These allow you to adjust your usage based on demand, ensuring you only pay for what you use.
You should also consider automating cloud resource management. Set rules for automatic scaling and shut down unused resources to prevent overprovisioning. By reducing waste, you’ll save money and improve the efficiency of your cloud environment.
It’s good to keep in mind that cloud flexibility works both ways—you can always scale back up if demand increases. Why not start with a pilot assessment of your most expensive resources today?
Make the Move into Cloud Efficiency
That was our take on optimizing cloud efficiency for small businesses. By embracing the right strategies, you can streamline operations, reduce waste, and unlock the true potential of your cloud investments. Keep challenging the way you think about your cloud resources and reimagining what’s possible.
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