While the idea of shifting all your IT operations to the cloud can sound overwhelming at first, it’s the trend of today. For small businesses in particular, though, the uplift required can be significant. A hybrid cloud solution offers a unique blend of both flexibility and security, though, making it an excellent option.
As more and more small businesses begin to see the benefits of a hybrid cloud approach, consider the unique pros, cons, and general practical considerations. This will help you determine if transitioning to and adopting a hybrid cloud model is the best option.
What is Hybrid Cloud?
For those new to the term, a hybrid cloud combines both public and private cloud infrastructures. This enables small businesses to utilize both for varying aspects of their operations. The key components of a hybrid cloud include the following three items:
- Private Cloud: A dedicated environment for sensitive data, ensuring enhanced security and compliance.
- Public Cloud: Shared resources for non-sensitive workloads, offering scalability and lower costs.
- Integration: Both clouds work together seamlessly, providing a flexible and efficient IT infrastructure.
A small business can use the private cloud portion for customer data and the public cloud for email, marketing, and software applications, as an example. This flexibility often helps small businesses save money in the long term.
Why Small Businesses Are Turning to Hybrid Cloud
The choice of switching over to a hybrid cloud approach should not be made lightly. There will certainly be time and cost considerations to take into account, but four main reasons exist for why small businesses make this decision:
- Scalability: As your business grows, your IT needs will increase, and a hybrid cloud enables you to scale up without needing to replace your entire infrastructure. A small business can start with minimal cloud usage and expand as it needs more storage or computational power over time.
- Cost Efficiency: You pay for what you use under a hybrid cloud approach, thus allowing businesses to avoid the hefty upfront costs of traditional IT infrastructure. For example, you might choose to only pay for public cloud services when demand is high and move workloads back on-premises when traffic decreases.
- Flexibility: Hybrid cloud provides the agility to adapt quickly, from managing sudden spikes in demand to experimenting with new tools. A seasonal business, in particular, can scale resources during peak months without overinvesting in permanent infrastructure.
- Improved Disaster Recovery: Cloud services provide automatic backups and quick recovery options. This means a small business can restore critical data quickly from the cloud in the event of a local server failure.
While many of the reasons for switching to a hybrid cloud approach will vary from business to business, the above four are the most commonly seen.
Key Benefits of Hybrid Cloud for Small Businesses
There are many benefits that can come from taking the time to switch over to a hybrid cloud approach. First and foremost, with a hybrid cloud setup, businesses avoid the high capital expenditure that comes with managing traditional IT software. By paying only for what they use, businesses can save large amounts of money.
Additionally, sensitive data can be kept within the private cloud portion of the setup, thereby ensuring it’s protected while the public cloud handles less critical operations. This siloed structure can help keep data secure. Examples of data you may want to keep in a private cloud include payroll and customer information, whereas public-facing applications can be on the public cloud.
Going further, both business continuity and flexibility can be bolstered through a hybrid cloud approach. This is because small businesses can adapt their IT systems quickly without overcommitting resources. Through streamlined IT management, resources from both public and private clouds can be simplified. This benefit is particularly helpful for lean teams.
Potential Challenges of Adopting Hybrid Cloud
Everything won’t necessarily be all well and good under a hybrid cloud approach, though. Some small businesses have reported experiencing issues with the complexity of integration. Specifically, while hybrid clouds provide flexibility, they also require a certain level of expertise in order to successfully integrate the private and public sides seamlessly. This means significant time, planning, and technical knowledge are often required, which can be a challenge for smaller businesses.
Additionally, managing data across both a public and private cloud can create vulnerabilities over time, especially if there is no robust security framework in place. There are also ongoing management and monitoring concerns to take into account. Small businesses might lack the internal resources required to monitor hybrid cloud environments effectively, potentially leading to inefficiencies or vulnerabilities.
Is Hybrid Cloud the Right Fit for Your Small Business?
As mentioned, the choice of whether a hybrid cloud is right for you comes down to the nature of your business. The first three self-assessment questions you should ask to determine this include:
Do you handle sensitive data that requires additional security? If so, a hybrid model with a private cloud for sensitive data is ideal.
I’ve been using Cloudways since January 2016 for this blog. I happily recommend Cloudways to my readers because I am a proud customer.
Do you need scalability? A hybrid cloud solution is ideal if your business experiences seasonal demand fluctuations.
What’s your IT budget? Consider a hybrid cloud if you have limited upfront capital for an extensive infrastructure but need the flexibility to scale.
Common examples of companies that may benefit from using a hybrid cloud setup include a young startup that needs to balance affordability with security, retailers who need to privatize certain inventory yet who also have public-facing apps, healthcare organizations who need to comply with privacy regulations but also have public scheduling needs, and more.
Your business doesn’t need to fit into one of the above categories perfectly, but those seeking a blend of privacy, affordability, and usability should consider a hybrid cloud approach.
Set Up an Effective Cloud Strategy for Your Business
A hybrid cloud approach offers small businesses a powerful combination of flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and scalability, but it may not be the right fit for every organization. Consider your business needs, security concerns, and the long-term goals. If hybrid cloud sounds like a fit, consult with a cloud solutions expert to assess how it can benefit your business specifically.
