When I started my business career a few decades ago, a cloud was a fluffy mass of moisture meandering along overhead. Sometimes benign, sometimes menacing, but as the apex player in planet Earth’s hydrologic cycle, a cloud is very important.
Here in the Digital Age when someone uses the word “cloud” in a conversation, you have to check the context, because they might not be talking about the weather. In the past few years, “cloud” has become the metaphor used to describe computing power and applications hosted on and delivered from off-site servers to your desktop or handset, instead of residing on your device.
Early in the development of the Internet, application service providers, or ASPs, were the first to deliver off-site processing power, but there was no umbrella term that described the concept. Today, we have several variations on the cloud theme: “in the cloud,” “cloud computing,” and of course, simply the “cloud.” And for small business, the digital cloud is becoming as important for success as its hydrologic namesake is to life.
So why do small businesses need to think of “cloud computing” as a big deal? Recently, on my radio program, The Small Business Advocate Show, I talked with one of our outstanding Brain Trust members about this. Chip Reaves heads up the U.S. unit of Computer Troubleshooters which has over 230 CTS locations in North America, and he explained what he believes is the greatest 21st century tool for small business, cloud computing, including some of the key advantages and applications.
I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen to Chip and me talk about cloud computing. Plus, you’ll hear how I used the ”cloud” to claim the title ”Love Doctor.” Be sure to leave your own thoughts and ideas on how cloud computing has helped your small business. Listen Live! Download, Too!
