By Margaret Lyons, Customer Success Manager for InfoStreet, makers of SkyDesktop, a free Cloud-based desktop.

On May 22, 2013, I earned my Bachelor’s Degree.

Yet, I’m not your average college graduate. I spent a good ten years immersed in many facets of the business world before coming to the realization that my future had to include higher education if I was to attain all of my life goals. During the last four years, I’ve attended school full-time at community college and later a university all while working full-time as Customer Success Manager at InfoStreet, Inc. During this time, I’ve had the unique opportunity to engage with undergraduate students as well as CEOs on a daily basis, and the time that I have spent in this unorthodox situation has clearly demonstrated to me that there is one very important thing that most college graduates know that many small business owners do not: college graduates know the cloud.

Now, my statement may shock you. Or, perhaps you’re not surprised – after all, today’s graduates are learning about the latest and greatest in business, technology, and communications in their coursework. But this is the plain truth: college graduates have experience with the cloud in a way that many small business owners do not. And this experience gives college graduates an edge that small business owners may miss out on.

Today’s college students interact with the cloud on a daily basis. As an example from my personal experience, both the community college that I attended as well as the state university that I am graduating from use a cloud program called Moodle as a staple of the learning experience. Moodle is a system that allows professors to calculate and report grades, administer and score tests, and collect and track assignments, among other uses. Just ten years ago, when I began dabbling in community college courses, all of this happened on paper, or on personal computers. Communication was slow and inefficient. Today, Moodle lets me contact any of my classmates and my professor with one click. I can begin an online discussion relevant to the course on a message board that reaches the entire class, and I can check my grades and get a clear snapshot of my standing at any time of the day. Beyond Moodle, students at my university also have access to a cloud system that is used to register for courses, pay fees, track degree progress, print unofficial transcripts, and even purchase textbooks. This inherent cloud proficiency means that many of today’s college graduates are entering the workforce with a skill that many small business owners do not have. Like those of our generation who grew up with computers in our classrooms, today’s college graduates have an ability that no generation before has had the opportunity to learn.

The cloud offers small business owners this same variety of functions and flexibility, which increases company productivity. In my professional life, I interact with CEOs of small businesses every day. I keep track of my contacts in a basic cloud CRM system called InfoStreet CRM, one of many cloud CRM options available. I schedule my meetings via the InfoStreet Calendar. I compose, proofread, and share documents using Google Drive. I host online webinars via MeetingBurner. Nearly 90% of my day is spent working in the cloud and using the cloud to my benefit and the benefit of my company. I am able to communicate with clients and partners, track information that is pertinent to my position, and save time while using the cloud. The same is true for my company’s CEO, as well as our employees. The cloud is not only our product, the cloud is what gets us through every day.

Why aren’t more small business owners taking advantage of the benefits that the cloud offers? Although I certainly can’t speak on behalf of all small business owners, I can tell you that the ones that I speak with often come to one conclusion: they aren’t familiar with the cloud and are therefore reluctant to make the move. This is certainly a valid concern. Luckily, companies such as InfoStreet exist (shameless plug – I happen to think we’re pretty fantastic). At InfoStreet, not only do we offer small business owners a multitude of cloud apps to choose from to get them started, but we also invest in our customers’ and partners’ time. We offer full support, if you need it, and plenty of written online support if you don’t.

Cloud apps exist for any business need you could imagine: accounting, employee scheduling, customer appointment setting, file sharing, calendaring, email, project management, customer relationship management, e-signatures, online meetings, and the list goes on. The first step a small business owner needs to take is to get out there and research, either on their own or with a partner. With any reputable cloud service provider, a small business owner can explore the cloud at no financial risk to their company. Learning about the cloud and then putting the cloud to work will allow small business owners to keep up with recent college graduates – and the business world – and will help companies increase their growth while saving time.

With so many options available to simplify your life and increase your company’s productivity, why would you wait any longer to explore the cloud? If you’d like to see what InfoStreet has to offer, visit www.infostreet.com.

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