The Cloud: The great technology equalizer and a $45 billion dollar a year industry that is expected to grow to $95 billion in the next 24 months.
A considerable part of the growth of cloud computing comes from small businesses, no surprise there. Technology is a huge driver of competitive advantage, and small and medium business are now able to harness the power of big IT without the cost of onsite infrastructure.
If you have used Google Drive, Dropbox, online CRMs or other types of file storage, you have experienced the cloud. There are many advantages of the cloud, the most notable one that is cited by those that are coming onboard, is the low cost of entry.
With services like Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Services to name a couple, it is extremely cost effective to take advantage of considerable computing capability without having to invest in your own IT department. Having access to these resources allows the small business owner to compete with the big players in key areas of the business that can place a smaller, more nimble business at a competitive advantage in the race to the customer’s purchasing decision.
Cloud computing allows for more efficient file sharing and storage. Moving or selling a business used to mean a cumbersome 
process of moving files and data backup procedures. Since cloud computing allows you to keep your data in one place regardless of your physical location, moving or transferring business assets is now a breeze.
Employees can access files from the office or from remote locations making it easier for outside sales support personnel to carry out their job duties unrestrained by the location of assets. This capability has opened up telecommuting to scores of employees, making it convenient and cost effective for companies to leverage human resources in new ways that would not be possible without the cloud.
Business disruption due to loss of data in fires, floods or theft of hardware from onsite locations no longer has to be a problem for small businesses. Remote, secure storage and back up of data can make recovering from disaster a lot easier if you have your data securely available on demand.
While cloud computing is still in its infancy and the vast majority of businesses are making limited use of this technology innovation, it is without a doubt a concept that is here to stay and will be revolutionizing the way businesses incorporate computing in their day to day operations.
