Part 2 of How to Create an Office in the Clouds.

Part 2 – Choosing to go 2.0

If you missed part 1 of How to Create an Office in the Clouds, check it out here.

There are a ton of blogs and information sources regarding 2.0 apps out there, they’re fun and exciting.  We’re going to get into the dizzying array of options available later in this series.  But for now, let’s focus in on some of the important aspects of going 2.0 that are largely ignored.  To do so, I’ve created 5 easy questions for determining if going 2.0 will fit your company’s culture.

Before we get to the questions, we’re going to start with the basics, because without a solid foundation you won’t be able to answer the questions accurately.  Every company should have a well thought out, comprehensive business plan that serves as a living breathing document for your organization.  This business plan should begin with the mission/vision/values and should be complete enough to help guide your business decisions.  It doesn’t necessarily have to be an 80 page thesis on operations and a dissertation on economic theory as it applies to your widget, it can be a pictogram in crayon, as long as it speaks to you.

If you do not have a business plan yet… ignore this post and begin here: culture-sculptor-business-plan-template.doc

If that is too cumbersome and you’re leaning towards the pictogram/crayon direction, check out this book:

If you already have a business plan and have a fairly comfortable grasp of your business dynamics, begin by making a list of all the functions in which you sense room for improvement for you business.  I typically use a SWOT analysis to help me with this task.  Once you have this list, then you are ready to determine if moving you office to the clouds is right for you:

5 factors to consider when thinking 2.0

1. Do you have a good reason to do so?  – Consult your list.  I have been guilty of adopting new technology just for technology’s sake.  This is very often advantageous for numerous reasons, most of which involve learning and occupying a busy mind.  These reasons don’t typically hold water against determining to go 2.0 with a stronger business sense in mind (A.K.A. the bottom line).  Make sure you’ve got a legitimate reason to go for it, and remember saving money is a great one.
2. Are any of the items on your list related to anything involving: communication, relationships, data, CRM, organization, collaboration, marketing, advertising, networking, project management, office connectivity, sales?  If so great… 2.0 is doing wonderful things in these areas.
3. Do you have buy in with your internal and external customers?  Internally, get your ideas together and go ask… even if you’re the owner!  Mandating large sweeping changes has the ability to negatively effect a company’s culture in some very significant ways, even if it’s “for their own good”.  Externally, if your potential 2.0 solutions will change your interactions with your customers, ask them if they’re ready for it first.
4. Do you have the expertise, or can you find it? – You do not need to be exceptionally computer savvy to pull off integrating 2.0 solutions into your business these days, but if your company’s culture tends to be techno-phobic, this may not be a good place to start.
5. How flexible are you?  I ask this because, once you move to a 2.0 solution you lose the control of being able to remain the same.  For example if you are accustomed to Excel 2003 and do not want to experience the learning curve associated with moving on to Excel 2007, you can decide not to upgrade.  Some 2.0 solutions will evolve whether you are ready for it or not.  Typically these are always changes for the better, but as any new feature has the potential to be instantly frustrating, you will need to know this about yourself.

If you’ve answered “Yes” to all the questions above, congratulations joining us in the clouds and taking your business 2.0 (to some degree) is most likely going to hold some great advantages for you…  In the next post we will discuss many of the best ways to integrate solutions successfully.  Following that post we’ll get into all of the cool new toys out there that can help your business.  Talk to you soon.