If you’re looking to save costs and improve efficiency in your small business then why not consider the eco-friendly advantage of cloud-based software.

There is no doubt that the cloud has provided many benefits and has been one of the biggest enablers of mobile business. Cloud technology enables small businesses to free up resources that would have been used for administrative tasks such as filing, printing out documents, and storing and sharing data.

Switching to a cloud-based bookkeeping system such as Pandle allows you to reduce your paper consumption by drastically reducing the need for hard copies. In the majority of cases you’ll be able to migrate everything online and eradicate the need for paper files.

It addresses two critical elements of a green approach towards computing: energy efficiency and resource efficiency. Whether done in a private or public cloud system, computing technology will be green for the following reasons:

• Reducing power consumption: Cloud computing allows businesses to reduce their power demands by decreasing their hardware requirements.

• Efficient data centres: Cloud servers might require more energy than a single company. However, cumulatively the energy consumption is significantly reduced.

• Resource Redundancy: One of the greatest benefits of cloud computing is the flexibility of its resource allocation. By only using what is needed wasted power consumption is reduced. Therefore being able to scale resources quickly and efficiently is a benefit to both companies and the environment.

According to research from the Cloud Industry Forum (CIF) 78% of UK organisations have formally adopted at least one cloud-based service. These services are more widely available with the likes of Microsoft 365 and O2 enabling more business to set up and run a mobile operations unit from almost any location, boosting both efficiency and capitalising on opportunities as they emerge.

Chief executive officer of the CIF, Alex Hilton, believes that the cloud gives small businesses a competitive advantage due to more flexible working and IT services. He states that ‘The overall satisfaction rates for cloud based software remains high, with 89% reporting satisfaction. This no doubt owes a large part to the fact that cloud services are helping businesses meet their desired objectives and are offering users tangible benefits’.

It is clear that the cloud is here to stay. It offers small businesses flexibility, security and reduced costs.