5 Important Questions to Ask While Choosing a Cloud Accounting Solution for Your Small Business

Tally Solutions |Updated on: October 8, 2021

Cloud computing or cloud accounting has become a need of the hour. With remote working taking priority for businesses, there is a requirement to access data across different channels with utmost security and flexibility. Cloud accounting caters to such needs, resulting in scalability and growth of businesses with minimum investment in terms of infrastructure.

The most primary advantage of choosing cloud accounting software is to be able to access business data, remotely. Whatever information is stored in the cloud can be accessed from anywhere in the world and on any device. With so many options available in the market, it could be a daunting task for a business owner to choose the right fit for their business. So how do we find out which cloud-based accounting solution is best for our business?

Here are 5 most important questions that you should ask before you opt for cloud accounting software:

How will the software contribute in my business’ scalability?

As a small business owner, you may plan to grow your business in the long run. Expanding your operations in terms of adding more people to the team, to increasing more stocks, addition of branches/godowns, etc. would require you to opt for a more flexible option to manage business in a better way. An intelligent cloud accounting software will ensure that it gives you the flexibility to manage your business, just the way you want. Whether it's taking care of your stock levels or accessing your business reports remotely, your cloud accounting software will take care of your current and future business needs with ease.

How difficult is the software to use?

Any new technology requires a certain kind of training for users. While this could be time-consuming, it is also important that this aspect is not ignored. However, with an easy-to-use software, business owners will feel much more confident in adopting the technology for their needs. A lot of times, organisations feel intimidated with a cloud set up as it involves a complex process of setting up and then training your employees to use the technology. This would be time consuming and could also result in additional expenses as your would need experts to train your employees. A simple one-time set up would mitigate this problem and let you make the most of cloud technology for your business growth.

Will it incur any extra expenses in terms of infrastructure?

Small businesses operate within a set budget and so they tend to steer clear of any additional expenses that could be borne by their company. While choosing a cloud accounting software, often business owners get intimidated by the price it comes with. Thus, as a business owner you must always choose the best cloud technology which is also packed with the features that would help you manage your business better. Given the nature of operations of small businesses and the absence of reliable and affordable cloud technologies which ensure a great user experience through high availability and security, it is imperative that business owners use a simple solution offering anytime anywhere access and work collaboratively.

Which features will be accessible on cloud?

When choosing accounting software for your business, you obviously look for specific features that would help you manage your finances better, right? Similarly, you should always ask your cloud accounting solution as to which features will you get out of this solution that will be beneficial for your business right now and in the future. From the creation of invoices to tracking expenses to preparing financial statements to stock movements, these are some of the basic features that accounting software usually has. And it is obvious that when you look for cloud accounting software, you expect such functionalities by default.  Whether you are traveling or at home, you should be able to access your business reports and get complete visibility of your business data, seamlessly.

Will collaborative work be possible?

Secure data exchange is one of the key things a business owner looks for in accounting software. And with cloud accounting, this activity of working in sync with concerned individuals becomes much easier. With a straight-forward process, the cloud gives business owners an advantage of exchanging data without the need of travelling to another location. A flexible cloud accounting software gives a provision of seamlessly connecting with online and offline users. Let’s say if you have a set of users who are working on a standalone machine /desktop and few users are connected remotely, your cloud accounting software must facilitate all the users to work on the same data without any hindrances. Thus, ensuring greater collaboration and flexibility.

How secure will be my data once uploaded on cloud server?

Data security is one of the biggest challenges that companies face, irrespective of the size. While cloud services do promise complete data security, sometimes business owners can’t help but face data leaks and data corruption. Hence, it is crucial that your data is saved on an encrypted disk and securely retained. Automated backups, security controls and user access are the most primary features that would help you safeguard your data with minimum effort.

Read more:

• TallyPrime, on a cloud service
• Now remotely access your TallyPrime license and data
• 7 Benefits of Using Cloud Accounting in your Business