Switch to the cloud in 4 steps
Switching to the cloud can be daunting for small businesses. This article breaks the process down into four manageable steps to ensure success.

- Getting paid faster by embedding secure payment options into your invoices,
- Easy and compliant VAT submissions, with direct integration into SARS,
- Real-time cash flow dashboards, reports, and forecasts,
- Secure payroll integration, and
- Direct bank feeds for fast account reconciliation.
1. Understand why you’re switching
First, you’ll need to document what you’re trying to achieve by moving to the cloud. The motivation for doing so will determine the structure and content of your strategy. To get you thinking about what your business might need, here are common goals when moving to the cloud:- A reduction in IT-related costs (no on-premises servers/data centres, and no ‘IT guy/girl’)
- Better cash flow certainty as IT costs shift from CAPEX to OPEX
- Faster, anywhere access to company data
- Scalability of cloud services (which can reduce overheads in lean times)
- Improved internal communication and collaboration
- Enhanced customer service
- More robust data security (automatic software updates, encryption)
2. Choose the type of cloud
There are four different cloud options: public, private, hybrid (of the previous two), and community. Depending on your needs, one will suit your business more than the others.- Public: All hardware, software, and cloud infrastructure are owned and operated by a third party. You are one of many businesses that ‘rent’ cloud services via the web. Google Drive is an example of a public cloud, with benefits including low cost, no maintenance, and reliability.
- Private: Instead of sharing the services with other users, the cloud resources are dedicated to your business. The hardware can be located onsite or hosted by a third party offsite. Benefits include flexibility and control.
- Hybrid: Combination of the above two options.
- Community: Infrastructure shared between entities with common interests or goals, like government bodies or those collaborating on research efforts.
3. Move your apps and data
Before you start moving anything into the cloud, ensure that everyone in your business has access to a fast, stable internet connection. Given how South Africa tends to relapse into load shedding, it’s essential that you have access to a generator. Alternatively, you can invest in an uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to keep your connection up when the power goes down. For reliable access to your data and functionality of your cloud-based apps, you cannot skimp on this infrastructure. The next step is to make sure you have the right cybersecurity measures in place. Cloud computing systems are generally very secure, deploying the likes of firewalls, penetration testing, virtual private networks (VPN), and artificial intelligence to keep your data and apps out of the wrong hands. But these can be undone by human errors that take the form of weak passwords, out-of-date virus software on devices, and a lack of awareness around common hacking techniques like email phishing and social engineering. Once you have the above in place, return to the list of data and apps you put together in point 1. Moving your data into the cloud should be a relatively simple copy-and-paste exercise; moving apps can be more complicated. To start, choose the applications that require the least bandwidth to run to get a feel for the capacity of your cloud service. Once migrated, get all those who would likely use the app to stress-test its functionality. If it operates like you expect it to, move on to the next app from a bandwidth demand perspective.4. Monitor and measure
While the benefits of cloud-based software relating to functions like accounting and HR are largely beyond reproach, it’s important to acknowledge that not all apps are better off in the cloud. For one thing, static apps (where bandwidth consumption doesn’t change) cannot use the scalability that makes the cloud so attractive. For another, apps that require huge bandwidth may result in unaffordable cloud costs for your small business. To find the right balance, it’s essential to monitor and measure the success of any data or app that has been migrated to the cloud. Following these four steps will help your small business make a successful migration to the cloud. In your cloud migration plan, document:- Why you are moving to the cloud,
- Which data and applications you’ll need to migrate to achieve those outcomes, and
- Which type of cloud you will use and why.
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