There’s a growing trend among small and medium sized businesses – technology that fuels productivity and collaboration.
Having technology that allows teams to work anywhere is no longer optional. It’s the norm. There’s one tool in particular that has risen to the top as a favorite to answer this trend, and that is Office 365.
Office 365 is a subscription service to a suite of Office products and applications. Together, these tools are used to keep teams moving forward and answering customer demands.
Is Office 365 Suitable for SMBs? Yes!
Office 365 was built for small and medium sized businesses. Why? Because Microsoft saw a need from these organizations to ease the struggle of doing business anywhere.
This product was designed to, “take the work out of working together” as Microsoft says on their website. They created it to enable professionals to work anywhere, anytime without hassle.
There are a lot of tools on the market that make anywhere, anytime work like this possible, but Office 365 is particularly beneficial. Here are 5 reasons why Office 365 could benefit your small or medium sized business.
1. Collaboration Made Easy
At the heart of Office 365 is collaboration. Microsoft knows the importance of working hand-in-hand in today’s world. The tech giant also knows that people are glued to their smartphones and laptops, working from all corners of the world. That’s why they built a product to simplify the exchange of information no matter where your employees are located.
With all Office 365 products, employees can work simultaneously in the same documents, all in real time. Plus you can work across multiple devices without having to download anything since all the services are accessible online. All your employees truly need is a device, an internet connection, and they are off to the races.
2. Scalability
You’re creating forward momentum in your business. The last thing you need is a tool that isn’t flexible as your business changes.
What you need today is probably going to look different than what you’ll need in six months or a year. Office 365 was designed to be as agile as your business. The software is designed to adapt to your business needs. Instead of having to go through the growing pains of changing to a new software system, Office 365 will grow (or even shrink) with your business requirements. With office 365 you can easily add or remove additional subscriptions with the click of a button.
3. Short Learning Curve
Here’s a pleasant surprise – you’re already familiar with many of the tools in Office 365. That’s because this product incorporates all of Microsoft Office’s tools, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. That’s important because it means your team won’t have to learn how to use new software. The learning curve is dramatically shortened because everyone is already familiar with the products you’ll use.
Another perk? You won’t have to worry about the formatting of these documents, spreadsheets, or presentations either. Because it’s already in one of the most common formats used in the business world, you can get to work without creating extra work for your team.
4. Security Plays a Big Role
Your business intelligence is just that – yours. If it gets in the wrong hands, it could spell disaster for your business.
Microsoft has invested heavily in security to prevent hacking. Because of this investment and ongoing work to protect their customers, Office 365 is ultra-secure against outside threats. Rest assured that microsoft is taking all measures possible to make sure your data stays safe, private, and secure.
Still, there are additional measures in place to ensure your data is not lost. Office 365 includes OneDrive, a versatile cloud backup program. If your business does lose any data, you can reclaim it with ease.
5. Better ROI Over On-Premise Email Server Solutions
Generally, if you’re using an on premise email server, you’re probably paying more than you need to. On premise email servers come with a large capital investment that can easily be avoided. Additionally, Office 365 is a more affordable option compared to the cost of managing your own email solution on an on-premise server.
In addition to your email solution, you can also upgrade to OneDrive, Microsoft Office Suite, and Skype for Business. You get more tools for a lower price, which means bigger savings all around for your business.
Takeaways
Office 365 is a popular tool for good reason. It’s now becoming the norm among small and medium sized businesses because there are so many clear benefits to adopting it. The collaboration alone is a reason enough to incorporate this tool into your business. Factor in its ability to scale as you grow without requiring an extensive learning curve and you have a productivity tool that surpasses any other on the market. What’s more is it’s secure and ultra affordable. Contact us if you’d like more information or to discuss whether Office 365 is right for your business.