How Critical Is Cloud Computing For Small Businesses And Startups

It is the wave of the future.

All the fascination about terminal hardware applications will be over in the near future. The "Cloud" and SAS will rock the hardware and software world and make access to technology easier for vast populations. Devices to do so will cost pennies on the current dollar or they will be free.

Like the PC makers, the sun is already setting on cell phone devices, associated applications, OTS packaged software and related products. Even though these products are enjoying current popularity They are expensive and will be rapidly overtaken by tight economics and services competition.

Smart,strategic planners are pointing to the future and it is not a hardware and licensed software market - it is service oriented with low cost access and rates. Volume, free products, advertising and shareware will drive it all.

Possible exceptions for a bit longer period of time are the high-end hardware and software technologies in government contracting, which for security reasons must be cloistered, protected and safeguarded. Your friendly government agency will be the last to boot its PC out the window.

How critical cloud computing is to *any* business - startups or otherwise - depends entirely on the business itself - on its needs and goals and on its policies and strategies. It is far from certain that all businesses need cloud services.

"Cloud" technologies are much misunderstood, much misrepresented and poorly understood even amongst those who work in IT: amongst the issues which are now poorly presented are

a] there's no such thing as "the cloud" - there are many many different cloud-like deployments of systems and services; each offering different levels and types of service. Some are entirely private, some are entirely public; and others are a mix of the two. Some clouds are entirely on-premises; some clouds are remote, and some may be a mix of the two. There is no "one-size fits all" cloud deployment. There is no cloud. There are merely collections of distributed services which are *described* as being a cloud - or as something or other as a service.

b] moving to a cloud deployment is not significantly different to deploying any other fail-safe high-resilience deployment of technology. The difference is that one has moved the complexity further away - outside one's direct control, and increased the fragility and the number of dependencies unless suitable risk and impact analysis has been done prior to the design/deployment phase - and done to appropriate standards of due diligence.

c] the reduction of costs is largely an illusion; we ourselves may see reduced capex/opex costs, but meanwhile the energy costs and Carbon footprints of the global data warehousing and cloud industry and all of its NOCs have spiralled exponentially so that they now significantly exceed those of all the worlds air traffic and are well on track to exceed those of air and road transport combined by circa 2020. Cloud doesn't reduce those wider social and environmental "costs" it merely moves them elsewhere - out of our sight - leaving "us" with the illusion that we have reduced our capex/opex.

d] moving to a cloud deployment is all very well but it increases a critical risk which has been with us since the dawn of the internet; the wire limit - how much data one can move between locations in a given time period. We are now creating [and using] data at a rate that vastly exceeds our capacity to move it.

We are also creating a gigantic single point of failure for all businesses which make themselves entirely dependent on the cloud; if all their comms fail so does the business. If their data movement time exceeds their risk recovery window then the business fails.

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Cloud technology can be very useful; but only when all parties involved truly understand its risks and its rewards. Startups need to make informed choices when determining how critical a cloud deployment may [or may not] be for them. Appearances are often deceiving.

You can easily find out what a cloud network can do for your business ... by requesting a comparison of available providers including free quotes here:

Compare Cloud Providers

How To Grow Your Small Business And Gain Customers

In order to be a market leader you have to constantly innovate to grow your business and customer base.

The most important thing you can do to grow your business and gain customers is to address their needs and deliver extraordinary value.

Marketing is not about the company, but about the customer - you should be entirely devoted to the client's agenda and achieving success on their terms.

Learn how to focus on exactly who is your target customer, how you can help them and where you can find them and engage with them.

This is such a critical part of growing a successful business, it not only makes the marketing much easier as you can begin making progress with the right people from the start, rather than chasing prospects that are never going to be customers, but it's also a massive saving for a small business. Focused marketing really helps control costs as you are investing in doing less but see a more profitable gain.

Treat every customer like a guest in your home. Build your business one customer at a time with personalized customer service and sales. Great listening and follow up skills are critical as is never saying "We can't do that."

Two more things come to mind that can help you grow ....

1- Develop credibility with credbile people

We have found that our best source of new business comes from people that we have served, advocated for, helped advance their endeavors.

2- Learn to say no.

Dont be afraid to say no to a client or prospect. You have to show some confidence and power in you and your abilities AND, you should not take on a project or a client simply because you need the revenue.

You need to create customer loyalty, which then translates into retention. As customers choose to stay with your company, they'll expande the services they use, products they buy, and the amount of money they spend. All of which are at no to minimal additional cost to you. Basically, provide excellent service to clients, resulting in a network of referral based business as well as a pipeline to future business.

Pinterest Marketing for Niche Businesses...Live Video Q&A FREE

Pinterest is EXPLODING in popularity right now. It has literally created entirely new revenue streams for small biz owners who were smart enough to recognize the "potential of the pin."

Pinterest has quickly rifled to #3 of all social media, just behind Facebook and Twitter. Let's not beat around the bush...

We're so excited about the growth potential for site owners and marketers with Pinterest that we've set up a special event dedicated to the subject.

And to host the event, we've invited the cream of the crop - Jason Miles. A little bit about Jason...

Jason is the Vice President for Advancement at Northwest University, author and universally-recognized Pinterest expert...

Jason's not your average Social Media Expert. He actually puts his own knowledge to practical use!

Together with his wife, he founded Liberty Jane Clothing, which they grew into a six-figure niche business. Their top social media traffic source? You guessed it... Pinterest!

Excited yet? We are too. Here's how you can catch Jason during this unique one-time-only event ...

Pinterest LIVE Video Q&A with Jason Miles Wednesday, July 25, at 6PM ET

You can learn more here ....

Marketing With Pinterest

Come join us for some rare (and oh-so timely) insight on a subject that suffers from a serious lack of credible information -- Pinterest.

During the live Q&A, Jason will dispel some popular Pinterest rumors and focus on what this emerging SMM platform means for YOUR small business!