Small and mid-sized companies are increasingly turning to cloud-based software to help run their businesses smoothly, but there’s still a lot of apprehension and confusion around the exact benefits of the technology.

For the unfamiliar, SaaS (software as a service) is a software distribution model in which a third-party providers hosts applications and makes it available to customers over the internet. Common examples of SaaS products include Slack, Calendy, MoneyPenny, and Financio, amongst others. Depending on what your business does and your budget, you can pick the products that will benefit you the most.

 

Increased collaboration

If your budding startup is growing faster than expected, or you find your teams operate in silos, then it’s time to use a service that enables people to collaborate and bounce ideas off one another. With file sharing capabilities and myriad integrations, Slack, Workforce by Facebook and RealtimeBoard are all great tools to supercharge collaboration.

 

Keep track of your finances

While small businesses and startups are busy solving real-world problems, it’s important not to lose sight of more routine accounting tasks. There are a bunch of tools designed specifically for the easy use of micro SMEs/SMEs and non-accountants. Financio, for example, improves collaboration by allowing businesses to share files and exchange messages with clients, whether they using Financio or not.

 

Streamline your marketing

For startups, keeping up with marketing efforts is crucial. For instance, if you have a sales lead query on Facebook Messenger, does it reach your sales team? What about when someone complains about your product on Twitter – does it reach the relevant customer service executive? Tools like Sprout Social and Hootsuite have offerings that will integrate your teams and cut out manual work they might be doing.

 

Improve your project management

Getting off the ground is easier said than done. Behind the scenes, there’s a lot of coordination and management that happens to get one’s product or service out the door. Calendly is an excellent scheduler that allows organisations to select the hours they see clients, and then lets clients pick the time slots they prefer. Internally, there’s tools like Asana, which allows team members to keep track of projects easily by mapping out each stage of a project, and organize everything in one place.

These are just some of the many benefits of SaaS, and there are SaaS solutions for all types of businesses, no matter how unique. With careful research and a bit of trial and error, you’ll find the right combination of tools for your business.