Don't Let Misconceptions Derail Your SMB's Cloud Journey

Imagine you’re a small to medium-sized enterprise (SME) owner with a close-knit group of employees.

You run a tight ship and for the most part, your business has been operating smoothly. You’ve probably had a thought along the lines of, “My company is too small to entice hackers or cybercriminals. My wife and I are the only people who can access login details for our software, and we keep that info safe. Who could possibly have any interest in breaking into our system?”

Bad actors do. Around 43% of all cyber attacks target small businesses, and just 14% of these companies are able to defend themselves.

Given the sophistication and breadth of cyber attacks today, SME leaders need to prioritise security via technology like the cloud and use this as a foundation for their digital transformation program.

However, improved security is only one of the many benefits for SMEs; moving to the cloud is like stepping through a doorway to better opportunities for innovation, new business models, improved collaboration, and reduced costs, among other advantages.

Yet despite the benefits, some SMEs remain hesitant about migrating to the cloud. Others are ready but want to try a DIY approach. Whichever boat you happen to be in, the cloud is the place to be - and the time to become a cloud-driven SME was yesterday.

Let’s shine some light on common fears surrounding the cloud and why it’s a journey that SMEs shouldn't attempt alone.

Unfounded Fears Often Outweigh Cloud Benefits for SMEs

I’ve seen first-hand that SMEs often have a number of hesitations about migrating to the cloud, and if any of these sound familiar, know you’re far from alone. The most common concerns I see are:

● Security: Fears about the security of their data and applications in the cloud, so they keep servers on-premise for better control over security.

● Cost: They believe it will be more expensive than maintaining their own on-premise server.

● Customisation: They may have specific needs that are not well served by off-the-shelf cloud solutions and may prefer to maintain their own infrastructure to have more control over customisation.

● Dependency: Concerns about the dependency on internet connection and the potential for service outages.

● Compliance: They may be subject to regulatory requirements that make it difficult for them to use cloud services or may have concerns about meeting compliance requirements in the cloud.

● Data sovereignty: They may prefer to keep their data within the country, or even within the organisation's premises to ensure better control over it.

● Legacy systems: They may have invested heavily in their existing IT infrastructure and may not want to replace it, making it difficult to move to cloud.

● Internet speed: They may have limited internet connectivity or low speed internet which can make it difficult to use cloud services effectively.

In most cases, these concerns are unfounded; for example, cloud can mitigate the risk of cybercrime and prevent criminals from accessing and capitalising on sensitive data that can compromise your customers, personnel, suppliers, and business. Also, cloud migration is often a minimal initial investment that opens up more budgeting agility with a fixed monthly subscription cost.

The cloud offers SMEs the ability to reduce costs associated with IT teams, deliver on-demand work environments, provide readily accessible data in real-time, and improve decision-making and the customer experience.

A DIY approach to cloud migration can derail the SME digital transformation journey

SMEs who are preparing to migrate to the cloud in-house often discover that the reality of this undertaking is quite different from the simple “how to” guides featured online.

Let me share a short story that one of my SME clients shared with me:

“As SME manufacturers, we often find ourselves in the familiar situation of researching cloud providers and trying to understand the technical options available. However, as we delve into the process, we quickly realise that the task is more complex than we initially thought.

The different types of clouds and services, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, can be overwhelming. We learn that migration to the cloud requires a thorough assessment of our current infrastructure, careful planning, testing and retesting, scaling and ongoing management.

It becomes clear that we do not have the expertise or time to handle this transition on our own.”

The experience leads to frustration and creates another barrier on the road to cloud. Enlisting the support of experienced partners can alleviate the complexity associated with cloud migration and help SMEs identify the best cloud solution for their needs while providing guidance on using these solutions effectively.

With the right provider, SMEs can also access 24/7 support in resolving issues that might arise during the migration processes or while using cloud services, and receive help scaling their IT resources, maintaining compliance with regulatory requirements, and ensuring operational continuity in the instance of a disaster. Most importantly, they’ll obtain a cost-effective solution that truly aligns with their business needs.

SMEs shouldn’t wait to grasp their full cloud potential

The transition to the cloud is a necessary journey for SMEs, and with the help from the right experts, it can be a smooth and efficient process that delivers on the full potential the cloud can offer. The only real concern SMEs should have in a data-driven world is waiting to adopt the cloud.