Cloud Control: Why CEOs Need to Lead the Cloud Decision-Making

Moving to the cloud: who drives the change in a small business?

There are many articles on the Internet about cloud services and small businesses, and the universal agreement is that a small business will only benefit from the cloud. Some of my own articles on this subject, like 5 Ways a Small Business Can Use the Cloud, clarify these benefits.

The question we’re asking now is, who drives the migration to the cloud in a small business?

A small business will most likely have someone from IT as an employee – an IT manager, or even a CTO. Sometimes a large part of a company’s IT needs may be outsourced, with only some support in house.

At the same time, the CEO of a small business is usually involved in all its operations, being much closer to the day-to-day running of the business than CEOs of larger companies. And, most importantly, in a small business, time and other resources need to be more judiciously administered, and anything that can help the business grow and cut costs is essential.

Cloud computing provides both: access to resources helping the business to grow, but also an opportunity to pay less for computing services.

Tech or Business – or Both?

A while ago, I wrote an article discussing the nature of cloud computing: Cloud Computing: Business Model or Technology? And while it’s obvious that, at its core, cloud computing is about technology, the way to actually consider it is as a business model.

This is one of the reasons why the CEO of a small company is the one who needs to drive the move to cloud computing and not delegating the decision. The CEO is the only one in a small company who has a full overview of the needs of the business and how they can be best served. The CEO knows all the areas of his or her company best, and knows what’s needed for it to be efficient and profitable.

Of course, it is also essential that CEOs have their IT staff on board to help. But for a small business, the move to the cloud is a business decision, and the IT resources will be there to support the business.

The benefits are clear, and with the solutions available, a CEO is the one who needs to start the process of harnessing the cloud. When a business migrates to the cloud it will gain more autonomy for itself and for its employees, with less need for IT support, so the CEO will need to drive the process and keep on top of all the changes.

But this is only natural for the CEO of a small business. And cloud computing offers an excellent, new opportunity for the small player to access and control resources efficiently.

This topic and more are included in the Vistage Connect™ peer advisory sessions. Learn more.

Rick Blaisdell is an accomplished technical and business leader and a pioneer in the cloud computing field and in delivering the next generation of business technology. Focused on results, he has implemented revolutionary solutions to cut costs and improve efficiency. He is a creative thinker and visionary in the area of cloud computing. You can read more about him on his personal website, www.rickscloud.com, or e-mail him directly at contact@rickscloud.com.

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