With recent major security attacks, now is a good time to review the security of your own data. Like it or not, storing and managing data in the cloud still makes some people nervous. However, with good information security in place, storing data online can be more secure than storing your information on your own internal systems.

It’ll never work…. words that have been uttered on so many occasions they are becoming worn out. Working remotely, away from the office, even at home – it’s a daunting prospect for a business that has always relied on a fixed location, permanent local staff, and a traditional way of getting things done. 

We may recognise the value of solid communication, and so have a passing understanding or acceptance of the idea that online collaboration software could become essential to how a team or collection of teams function, but what about the day-to-day value to management?

As a remote worker, you’ll have more freedom, comfort and calm than could ever be hoped for in a traditional, non-virtual office. Online collaboration software allows for fluid, ongoing lines of communication between you and the rest of the team. Nevertheless, any worker, no matter where or who they are, needs a full appreciation of what, when and how they work in order to maximise their offering.

Just imagine that the commute is done as you saunter down the stairs first thing in the morning; the queue at the coffee shop is forgotten as you make yourself a nice cup and some breakfast “to go”, as in “to go upstairs”; and you always dress smart for work, if smart means your dressing gown… 

Successful companies are often in the business of innovation. They may not jump at every shiny new toy that crosses their radar (although some certainly do!), but successful business leaders are always on the lookout for a new tool that will improve productivity and streamline workflow.

A common theme that runs through much of the literature pertaining to business and innovation and improved productivity is that we, as business leaders, need to capitalise on the advantages that ever-evolving technology provide us. There are so many groundbreaking technologies all around us that could potentially transform the way we do business.

One upon a time, you would lug a ‘lap-top’ computer around with you on your travels. You would need a padded case in case you dropped it, and space to prop it onto a train or plane table. Then you would begin the search for Wi-Fi. Sounds familiar? Today, we expect to be able to use our phones instead.

The world just keeps moving faster and faster – and we still find ourselves running out of patience. We complain when our microwaves take too long to heat up our lunch, forgetting that our parents took 45 minutes or more to bake a potato in an oven.

Cloud computing and related technologies are becoming increasingly attractive to smaller businesses, and it’s not hard to see why. This trend is simply following in the footsteps of all of the technological advances of the last few decades – designed to, among other things, help smaller businesses compete more effectively with large corporations. And it works.