Apple’s iCloud has long been recognized as one of the easiest to use and most complete cloud services out there. The tool can be used for various applications and integrates Apple’s calendar function, email, and iWork’s document sharing features. While the tool is largely popular among everyday consumers, it can also be used in a business setting. As a matter of fact, if you’re a business owner and aren’t using iCloud to its full potential, you might be cheating yourself out of one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why mastering iCloud’s functions could benefit your small business.
Increased Organization and Efficiency
iCloud allows you to access any of your documents from any of your Mac devices, whether it’s your tablet, PC, phone, or laptop. While it might be great to be able to watch a lecture or listen to videos you have stored on your laptop on your phone, businesses can unlock its power to access important documents and share them seamlessly.
Another great thing about iCloud is that it can be used with third-party tools like PieSync and allow you to transfer contacts between your iCloud and various other apps automatically in real-time. PieSync’s two-way sync feature also allows apps to communicate directly with your iCloud. That means that contacts added to your CRM or your mailing lists could be automatically imported to your iCloud, allowing you to contact them directly one on one. Being able to automate that process will save you a lot of time, and also allow you to build a list of critical contacts much more easily.
Reduce Risk
Being able to always have a backup option is another great feature to have. You just never know when malware will strike, and you don’t want to lose documents because you didn’t have a plan B. Even at its relatively high price, iCloud is a great investment in your document security.
Facilitates Remote Work
Remote work is the word of the day at the moment, and iCloud makes it that much easier. You could let specific members of your team access, share, and modify documents. You can check changes and make amendments on the fly. You can pass customers to salespeople on your team, or vice versa, and your employees won’t have to think about sending documents to their personal inbox for when they get home.
Another great thing about iCloud is its reading list sync option. This option allows you to save articles you may have consulted on any device and broadcast it to the cloud. This could be a great option if you want your marketing department to create content for instance, or if you want your employees to learn about recent changes in compliance standards.
iCloud can be a powerful application for any business, and if you aren’t using it yet, we strongly suggest that you learn how to implement it immediately, especially if you’re trying to run a leaner and more agile remote operation.