Point solutions are the ones which address a single business issue. They possess a great degree of focus and specialization, and they are champions in their areas of functionality for this exact reason. Examples of these include helpdesk software, maintenance planning software or room-booking software. This very feature becomes a weakness for an SMB business which needs to address multiple problems at once. If one chooses a point solution, it would be necessary to select multiple numbers of them for various issues.

A business grows from small to medium when new projects or ventures are started, and the first thing done by entrepreneurs during this time is to search for modern technology tools. The mistake of choosing several single point solutions are made by many during this stage. For example, website builders like SquareSpace or WordPress are chosen initially, but then it is realized that email service is also required, for which Mailchimp or Constant Contact are selected. As a shopping cart, an e-commerce company generally chooses Shopify or WooCommerce or Twirll E-Commerce Platform for e-commerce website design and other relevant solutions. In the bargain, frustration continues to build, with different log-ins, different bills, several integration and innumerable monthly bills. 

How cloud solutions help SMB businesses 

Transformative technologies such as cloud solutions help in small-to-medium business growth by providing real-time access to information necessary in a modern economy. Growth in sales, marketing and operation of a business is measured through the following ways: 

• An amazing customer experience (CX) that proves to be effortless, convenient and personalized 

• Solving critical challenges in employee recruitment, retention and training that helps individuals remain relevant in a dynamic business environment 

• Management of growth through a scalable, cost-effective methodology 

• Constant production of quality products to delight customers 

• Regular reinforcement of the technology foundation

Integrated IT solutions for SMBs 

IT departments of most companies are usually happiest with minimum software solutions. However, if one makes use of point solutions, it would become necessary to purchase different software products, which wouldn’t really be very productive. Since every individual software comes with its own minimum requirements, support services and release policies, it makes greater sense to pick up an integrates solution. In fact, one database for all RE and FM information allows extensive analyses, better reporting, and maintenance of data.   

For a normal point solution, which solves only one issue, not only will an SMB have to buy more products, but data will also have to be entered at numerous touch points. In comparison, data will have to be entered only once in an integrated solution. Do not forget- with an integrated solution, you will have to deal only with a single support system, which in turn will give your IT department a great deal of comfort. 

Bringing down total cost of ownership 

Looking at the cost of ownership in terms of quality, agility, time savings and compliance can become a stressful exercise. Several business case studies demonstrate that showcasing benefits of integrated solutions is simpler in comparison to point solutions. An integrated solution in terms of finance tends to deliver greater control, more information and greater transparency, as well as highly reliable answers in comparison to one single software solution. Additionally, an integrated solution is much more flexible and efficient as compared to the above. 

At the end of the day, entrepreneurs need their problems to be solved, but not with the help of an increasing number of tools. The vast majority of these entrepreneurs do not get into business because they enjoy watching landing page conversions and marketing technologies, but because they believe they can make an actual difference to the lives of their clients or customers, and are good at doing so. An SMB business can only grow with the above vision.