Is Cloud Storage the Answer?

If, like me, you are forever emailing documents backwards and forwards, carrying around flash drives or just lugging your laptop everywhere, then you may be entitled to ask, is there a better way? In this week's blog entry I am going to look at Cloud storage, and whether this is a viable alternative.

The Challenge
I like to get second opinions on many of my ideas and a fresh pair of eyes on a document never hurts. To do this at the moment I email my minions with the documents, they suggest changes and email me back. This normally goes on 2-3 times at least before I am happy with the outcome. Another solution is to physically hand over my flash drive to them and then the same pattern occurs, much to-ing and fro-ing before I'm happy with the finished article. Both of these tend to get messy, clog up my inbox or require plenty of legwork. They are also both very time-intensive which, when you're running your own business, is not something you look for in a process.


The proposed solution: Cloud Storage
One possible solution to this toing and froing is to use The Cloud. This is a virtual storage area, online, where you can access your files and documents with a login and password. But is this the answer, well lets look at the pros and cons.

Pros

The storage is virtual, meaning you don't need to worry about what device, what flash drive or where you've saved your work. So long as you have internet access (and remember your password) you will be able to retrieve your files.

Depending on the organisation your storage is with, you can have multiple logins and have multiple users accessing the documents at the same time. This is great for conference calls where you can talk through documents together and update them, with the updates being shown in real time.

You also only pay for the space you require, prices vary significantly for the service you require as the options can be tailored to fit your specific needs.

The storage capacity is only limited by the amount of funds you have to spend on it. Unlike a desktop or laptop which has finite hard drive space, cloud storage can easily grow with your business, reducing the need to upgrade your hardware.

Also, by storing your files virtually, it means should anything happen to your premises, such as flooding or fire etc, you'll still be able to access your files as soon as you can find a computer to log on to.

 

Cons

You need an internet connection to access any of your files. While this is not normally a problem (there's always a coffee shop with Wi-fi around somewhere) it does mean that if your internet connection goes down your productivity grinds to a halt.

Some concerns have been raised over the security of cloud storage. As a result it is important to choose an organisation that encrypts your data and one where you can set up a secure username and password. Also, the risk of unauthorised access is quite possibly on a par with the chances of you leaving your flash drive on the table at the coffee shop or leaving your laptop on the bus. (I would recommend researching the organisation you're thinking of using for cloud storage, particularly regarding their security history).

Cloud storage can get a bit pricey depending on the amount your store and how often you access it. While there are offers out there if you look hard enough, basic packages start from between £5-£10 per month and go up from there. If you've already got hardware storage this is an additional cost and when you're starting out additional costs are something most businesses look to avoid.

The Verdict
Whether cloud storage is the answer or not really depends on your business and its needs. For me the security questions are not an issue but the biggest stumbling block is the cost. As a start-up I'm still looking to keep these down to the absolute minimum as otherwise this would be reflected in the price of my products once I launch. While I would love to be able to talk through documents with people and update them in real time, the demands for this do not currently outweigh the costs. For the time being at least, Ginger Sky will be sticking to emails and flash drives, but cloud storage is definitely something to consider when the business grows.