There's no doubt about it - the way businesses conduct their operations is changing rapidly. The introduction of new technology is allowing people to work more efficiently and from more locations than ever before, and those in the modern workforce are increasingly looking for flexibility in their occupations.
Keeping up with all the most recent innovations isn't always easy, however. In fact, you may not even be aware of the potential on offer from modern solutions such as cloud computing, and how much of a difference they could make to your small business software solutions.
Is your small business making the most of cloud computing?
The beauty of BYOD
Cloud computing solutions come in all shapes and sizes, from basic email services like Gmail, through to data storage such as Dropbox or complete virtual desktop systems. Some of these services are still in their infancy, however a large proportion of businesses have been quick to jump on board - a survey from Forbes found 88 per cent of organisations reported using some form of public cloud service.
The key is being able to access these services anywhere, and having an essentially identical experience from any device. Enter Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), considered by some to be the future of how employees carry out their work. Research by Gartner indicates that in 2016, 38 per cent of companies plan to cease supplying their workforce with devices for work purposes, while in 2017 half of all organisations will require employees to provide their own.
Your business accounting software could greatly benefit from a BYOD solution.
It may seem like refusing to supply workers with the tools to do their job could be detrimental, studies from Good Technology found that the opposite is true. Not only were employees happy to trade the cost of equipment for greater freedom when it comes to their particular method of working, it was actually found productivity and efficiency increased with a BYOD policy.
How can BYOD help small business accounting?
Cloud computing technology can feed into almost all areas of a small business, with accounting software being no exception. Giving yourself or the employee responsible for your accounts greater choice in how they work allows them to maximise productivity, not to mention job satisfaction.
Meanwhile, the ability to work anywhere - perhaps the greatest gift of cloud computing - means your accounts are accessible at all times, as long as you have a computer and reliable internet connection. Whether in the office or working from afar, getting the most out of your business accounting software could greatly benefit from a BYOD policy.