Ready to explore several ways Microsoft 365 can help your small business scale up and grow? Just as a small flame can quickly grow into a raging inferno when it’s provided with enough fuel, your small business can rapidly expand and achieve new levels of success with the right strategies and resources.
Microsoft’s collection of productivity software and cloud-based services is designed to make it super easy for SMBs to digitally transform their processes. What’s even better is its cost-effective subscription-based pricing can accommodate any IT budget.
So, let’s dig into the ways it’s going to help you scale up.
Table of Contents
4 Ways Microsoft 365 Can Help SMBs Grow
1. Take Your Business to the Cloud
According to the 2024 Flexera State of the Cloud Report, 89 percent of SMBs use multiple public and private clouds, and Microsoft 365 is one of the biggest drivers of SMB cloud adoption.
By moving their productivity apps and other IT resources, such as computing power and storage, to Microsoft’s cloud, you can free yourself from the shackles of physical IT infrastructure and access scalable, secure, and reliable computing resources on demand.
As a result, you become able to respond quickly to changing business needs. Additionally, you gain the ability to focus sharply on your day-to-day operations instead of being distracted by IT issues that are outside your own area of expertise.
2. Become Location Independent
One way that small businesses can scale up is by hiring remote workers. This allows you to access a wider pool of talent, as you are not limited to hiring employees who live near your physical location.Â
Microsoft 365 gives you the tools you need to enable employees—both those who work in the office and those who are remote—to: Â
- Securely access data from anywhere.Â
- Collaborate in real-time on documents.Â
- Stay connected via text, audio, and video chat.Â
Their familiar desktop applications include:
- Word
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- OneNote
- Teams
- Outlook
Plus, employees can use web and mobile versions to work not only from any location but also on a variety of devices – beyond the standard laptop and desktop setup.
3. Ace Compliance & Cybersecurity
Microsoft 365 can help small businesses comply with various regulatory requirements, such as:
- HIPAA
- GDPR
- PCI DSS
- CMMC
This transforms them from scalability roadblocks to sources of competitive advantage.Â
Tools like Azure Information Protection can be used to ensure that sensitive data remains protected regardless of where it’s stored or who it’s shared with. Additionally, Microsoft 365 offers data encryption, multi-factor authentication, and advanced threat protection to keep today’s cyber threats at bay.
Microsoft 365 users can use robust auditing and reporting features to track user activity and generate reports that can help them demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements. All without spending an unreasonable amount of time on these activities.
4. Unlock Business Intelligence
One of the key features of Microsoft 365 is its integration with Power BI, a powerful business analytics platform that can help businesses visualize and analyze their data.
Power BI allows businesses to connect to a wide range of data sources, including databases, spreadsheets, and web services. All this data can then be combined and transformed into meaningful insights to drive business growth.
Examples
Power BI can help businesses identify trends and patterns in their data, allowing them to anticipate customer needs and respond more effectively to changing market conditions. It can also help businesses monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) so they can confidently make course corrections as needed.
How Can Teal Help Customize Microsoft 365 for Your Business?
Teal’s managed IT services can help your small business plan and implement its Microsoft 365 deployment. We’ll work with you to identify your business needs and goals, providing guidance and expertise on how to configure and customize Microsoft 365 to meet your unique requirements.
Post-deployment, we can deliver ongoing support and maintenance, monitor your systems to keep them running smoothly and securely, and train your employees to use Microsoft 365 effectively.
Contact us today to scale up your small business with Microsoft 365.
