How to Keep Cloud Costs Under Control

Are you planning to migrate to the cloud? If so, you’re in good company: spending on public cloud computing services continues to increase each year in Canada and is expected to reach $10.3 billion in 2023.

However, it’s natural to feel concerned when you start exploring a new way of working, no matter how popular it is. You may feel concerned about potential challenges and issues that could affect your business — including the impact on your finances.

But don’t worry: you can keep your cloud costs under control if you’re careful. In this post, we’ll explore five ideas to help you manage your cloud spending more effectively.

Understand Your Exact Requirements Before You Commit

One of the biggest mistakes you could make when trying cloud computing for the first time is to invest in a more comprehensive package than you need. If you’re not careful, you could spend more than necessary on a suite of cloud services that’s too big for your business.

Think carefully about what changes you want to implement with cloud computing. Do you want to switch to a remote working model and facilitate smoother collaboration between employees scattered worldwide? Is continuous data backup and disaster recovery more important to you? Or is it something else?

Whatever your goals, research the type of cloud services that businesses similar to your own utilize. Create a plan for your ideal cloud computing configuration; the more you know about what you want, the more valuable your setup will eventually be.

If you intend to work with a professional provider of cloud computing services, they’ll accommodate your needs better if you present a detailed list of goals and ideas.

Educate Employees to Maximize Storage Efficiency

It can be easy to get carried away with cloud services at first. You and your team may overestimate how much online storage space you have and save every file, whether you’ll need it again or not.

Over time, your cloud storage may become crammed with data — and that makes it harder to declutter. You might even upgrade your storage capacity because you no longer know which files matter and which don’t, incurring extra expense.

That’s why it’s helpful to educate employees on efficient usage. Encourage them to avoid excessive clutter whenever possible. They should get into the habit of checking whether they or anyone else is likely to need a specific file before they store it in the cloud. That will leave more free space for critical data, and reduce the risk of your costs growing out of control.

Furthermore, try to stay on top of decluttering your files on a regular basis to prevent your storage becoming overloaded. Non-essential data may be stored locally instead of taking up cloud space.

Use What’s Best for Your Business, Not What’s Popular

The ideal cloud computing package for your business might look entirely different from the ideal package for other companies. The “ideal” depends on various factors. These include your:

  • Daily operations
  • Working methods and procedures
  • Employees’ capabilities and personal preferences
  • Budget

Keep this variability in mind when researching your options. Other business owners may insist that every business in every industry MUST use a certain tool or platform, but it could end up doing nothing for your company. Or you might find a more cost-effective alternative that performs the same functions without the popular brand name inflating the price.

However, it can be difficult to determine whether a specific cloud service is right for your business or not in the first place. You may benefit from speaking with other business owners that use cloud computing. Their input could help you set up the right infrastructure to suit your unique requirements.

Track Usage for Clear Visibility and Reduced Waste

Keep track of your cloud usage to identify when applications remain unused and try to find out why. Potential questions to ask include:

  • Do employees find an application hard to use?
  • Is the tool too limited?
  • Is the application unnecessary?

Whatever the issue, you can remove it from your configuration easily. One of the core benefits of cloud computing services is that you can switch specific ones off when you don’t need them. And you’ll waste less money on irrelevant software.

Various tools provide an overview of cloud usage and give you a clear insight into your setup. Cloud monitoring tools are also helpful for spotting issues in your cloud infrastructure, so you can prevent them from expanding into bigger problems.

Addressing issues as soon as they appear means you’re less likely to face substantial costs to fix them if they continue to mount up.

Work with a Professional Cloud Computing Services Provider

Integrating cloud computing into your business operations can be complicated and time-consuming. And it’s even more difficult when you’re running a small company with a busy team to oversee. You may not have the hours to invest in researching cloud services, the latest applications, cost-cutting tips, and everything else you need to consider before you get started.

Fortunately, working with a professional cloud computing services provider will make the process much easier. The best provider will create a customized onboarding path to ensure the smoothest integration at the best price.

To do this right, they’ll work hard to understand your:

  • Business requirements
  • Daily operations
  • Budget
  • Growth goals
  • Any other relevant factors

With enough detailed research, a good provider will build the ideal cloud computing package for you — so you only pay for what you need. They’ll also monitor your setup, add or remove applications as your needs change, and offer reliable technical support.

All this cultivates optimal efficiency and minimizes financial waste.

How to Start Using Cost-Effective Cloud Computing Services

GenX provides SMEs with a tailored, streamlined path to onboarding infrastructure and applications to the cloud. We offer highly competitive prices suitable for businesses on a range of budgets, from new companies to established teams looking to scale.

Contact GenX to get started now!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *