Finding the Best Cloud Backup Service for Your Small Business

Cloud services can include a broad spectrum of offerings, from servers and databases to comprehensive software applications delivered over the Internet. 

Unfortunately, if you’re not an IT professional yourself, it can be easy to get lost in the clouds. To make it easier for you, we’ve created this guide to help you find the best cloud backup service for your small business.

Understanding Cloud Services for Small Businesses

Cloud services have revolutionized how businesses and consumers store data and access software. Cloud services refer to the delivery of computing services, including servers, databases, storage, networking, and more over the Internet. 

Typically, the most common types of cloud services for small businesses include Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

Infrastructure as a Service 

IaaS provides virtualized computing resources over the Internet. This allows businesses to rent servers, storage space, and network capabilities, eliminating the need to invest in and maintain physical servers and data centers.

Platform as a Service

PaaS offers a development and deployment environment in the cloud. It provides developers with the tools to build, test, deploy, and manage software applications without worrying about the underlying infrastructure.

Software as a Service

SaaS delivers software applications over the Internet, on a subscription basis. SaaS allows users to connect to and use cloud-based apps over the Internet, such as email, calendaring, and office tools.

Assessing Your Business Needs

Before getting started with finding a cloud service for your business, you first need to identify specific business needs that can be addressed by cloud services. This can include conducting a simple network assessment. 

Typically, you would work with your IT department to provide this. If you’re a small business and don’t have any IT staff, working with an outsourced IT service provider is also a great option. 

Shameless Plug: Omnis Technologies is a managed service provider that offers free network assessments for small-mid-sized businesses. Feel free to contact us and we can set up a time to evaluate your needs!

How to Choose a Cloud Service Provider

When evaluating cloud service providers for your small business, having a detailed understanding of their offerings and policies is essential for making an informed decision. There are 3 key factors to consider when finding how to choose a cloud service provider. 

1. Reliability and uptime guarantees
2. Security measures and compliance 
3. Pricing models and cost-effectiveness
   
   

1. Reliability and Uptime Guarantees

Your cloud service provider should offer high availability, backed by service-level agreements (SLAs) that promise a minimum uptime percentage, typically 99.9% or higher. You can investigate their historical performance and redundancy measures to gain insight into their actual reliability. 

2. Security Measures and Compliance 

Today, cyber threats are more common than ever, so having security measures in place is essential. Before choosing a provider, assess their security protocols, encryption practices, and compliance certifications with industry standards. 

If you understand their approach to data protection and incident response, you’ll be able to check if they meet your own security requirements. 

Resource: Cybersecurity can be difficult to tackle alone. To help you out, we’ve created a downloadable small business cybersecurity plan to take with you. 

3. Pricing Models and Cost-Effectiveness

Typically, cloud services follow a pay-as-you-go model, but discounts may be available for long-term commitments or high usage volumes. It’s essential to understand the pricing tiers, additional fees, and any potential for scalability that might affect your costs over time. 

Resource: Sometimes the cost of IT services can be vague. To break it down, we’ve created a case study to guide you: The Cost of Outsourced IT Services for Small Businesses. 

Implementing Cloud Services: Working with a Managed Service Provider

IT isn’t for everyone. It’s simple to get lost in the world of IT and can be confusing at times. Instead of adding more stress to the position of small business owner, working with a managed service provider is a much easier solution. 

An experienced managed service provider will be able to answer any questions you may have regarding cloud services and will make sure you’re choosing the right one. If you’re ready to get started, reach out to Omnis Technologies today.