How Your Home Business can Benefit from the Cloud and Mobile-Enabled Multifunction Printers

Tweet

This post brought to you by Fuji Xerox

In today's global market place, home based businesses are popping up everywhere. So if you find something that could help give your business an edge over the competition, it might just be worthwhile investigating further.

So you have most probably heard of the Cloud, but as a small business owner, maybe you are unsure of what it is exactly and how it can benefit your business?

What is the Cloud?

The easiest way to understand the Cloud is as a means of accessing and storing information and programs on the internet, rather than on your PC's hard drive. Basically, a Cloud provider, like Fuji Xerox, have a number of servers which allow you to store documents and files and to access software and other customised programs, without having to store them on your PC.

This means that you can access this information from any PC or mobile device, whenever and wherever you need them – on demand. Think of it as a storage and delivery system, that is a pay-as-you-go service, accessible from any mobile device.

How can the Cloud help my business?

The internet changed how we do business forever and the Cloud is set to have an equally dramatic effect on business. The missing piece of the puzzle is the massive increase in mobile devices and the desire that both consumers and businesses have, to access the internet on-the-go.

Many businesses are now encouraging mobile work practices, where employees are able to meet with clients in various locations and still access the internet, their data files, presentations and software from their mobile devices. It seems that the day of the office worker is limited.

So how can the Cloud help a small business, maybe a sole trader without any employees? There are actually a number of ways that you can benefit from using the Cloud:

• Instead of having to buy large computers and license expensive software – you can just pay for what you use, when you use it.

• You can log in over the internet and request the services your business needs, when you need them – similar to a self-service, on demand customised service.

• You don't need experienced IT people to fix your software when it goes wrong.

• You have access to expensive software, which you wouldn't otherwise be able to afford.

• As your business fluctuates, as it expands and contracts over time, with the seasons or market influences, or even with a sudden peak in sales, your use of the Cloud expands and contracts accordingly.

• You can easily employ staff as your business grows and incorporate their needs into the services provided by the Cloud.

• If you have one of the new mobile-enabled multifunction printers you can upload your emails or documents from your mobile device and they instantly join the print queue in your office – all secure with ID and passwords. You can print to any Fuji Xerox multifunction printer, so long as it is connected to the mobile print server.

So in short, home based businesses - right up to huge corporate enterprises, can all benefit from using the Cloud and mobile-enabled multifunction printers. As a cost effective solution with low IT investment, the Cloud is definitely a resource worth investigating.

Fuji Xerox Australia is part of a world leading enterprise for business and document management services. Through its broad portfolio of document technology, services, software and supplies, Fuji Xerox Australia provides essential back-office support that clears the way for customers to focus on their core business. With awards from the United Nations and the Banksia Environmental Foundation, Fuji Xerox Australia is well recognised for its commitment to sustainability.

Image courtesy of renjith krishnan / www.freedigitalphotos.net

remote working