However, as an avid cloud watcher, I believe this statistic is changing rapidly. As I wrote in my last post, small businesses as a whole are overwhelmingly embracing the cloud. Retailers could clearly benefit from taking their business to the cloud. This videographic illustrates some interesting opportunities for retailers and other businesses. Here are a few examples highlighted in the video.

Brick-and-mortar store: Manage better

For many brick-and-mortar retailers, tracking inventory can be an ongoing challenge. When you’re busy selling, it can be difficult to know which products are in stock at any given time and even harder to keep websites updated so customers can find what they want when they visit.

Storing product data in the cloud can give you a clear picture of your inventory. Employees may even be able to access the inventory list on their smartphones, so they don’t need to go to a computer to find the information. By hosting your website in the cloud, you also gain access to sophisticated software that can help you update your site on the fly and improve customer experiences.

Store with multiple locations: Improve service

Stores with more than one location can find it hard to stay in sync. They need to be sure that each store runs the same promotions and that they can move inventory quickly between stores. Last year, when I was shopping for a book for my best friend’s birthday, I remember being told I could find it at the bookstore’s second location across town. However, once I drove there, I learned it was out of stock. I wasn’t happy, especially since I had 3 kids with me. I’m sure other customers in the same situation wouldn’t be either.

The cloud can help you improve customer service by facilitating communication among stores. Staff can use the cloud’s file-sharing capabilities to update documents in real time, such as lists of new products and upcoming promotions. They can use online conferencing to hold virtual meetings. And they can keep customers informed through dependable cloud-based email without having to worry about email servers.

Online retailer: Scale automatically

One complaint I hear from online retailers is that they need to maintain servers year-round, even if their peak sales period comes just one or two times a year. Powering these servers and trying to troubleshoot when things go wrong can be costly and time-consuming.

Placing your online retail operations in the cloud can help eliminate these challenges. Because the cloud scales up and down automatically to meet demand, you can handle surges while paying only for the capacity you use. You don’t even need to think about it, and you won’t have to install or troubleshoot another server again.

Wholesaler: Sharpen focus

Small wholesalers are facing intense competition from bigger players. The key to success is often finding a niche and providing superior products and service.

The cloud is a great tool to help refine your strategic focus. Using its vast data storage capabilities and analytics software, you can easily identify your most successful product categories, which can provide ideas for similar offerings. You can also identify nonperforming categories. This stronger market differentiation can help you win—and keep—customers whose needs may be ignored by bigger wholesalers.

I strongly believe that the retailers who move to the cloud first can gain a competitive edge. If you’re using the cloud, I would be interested in hearing about your experiences. If you’re not, what’s keeping you from making the move? Share your story below.

Our receptivity to new technology has undoubtedly increased over the years. Cloud computing is a good example. Though a relative newcomer, it has gained traction quickly, particularly among small businesses. Recent research, including an AT&T survey highlighted in this infographic, shows a large majority of them now run at least part of their operations in the cloud.

Why the rush to cloud services? I strongly believe the promise they hold for small businesses is so compelling that they’re not hesitating to try them out. Once they do, they’re not disappointed, as the data in the infographic shows.

In my last post, I explained how the cloud can help small businesses grow. Yet I would argue that another big part of its fast rise is that it can help businesses solve some of their most common problems—a theme elaborated by cloud expert Michael Hugos in this podcast.

One less thing to worry about

If you run a small business and everyone in your company wears five hats, who has time to think about data backup? If the answer is no one, raise your hand. The result is that backup occurs on a hit-or-miss basis, and sometimes not at all.

This may not be such a big deal—unless Mother Nature decides to pay an unpleasant visit. A 2012 AT&T survey of small and midsize companies found that about one in four had experienced a disaster or other interruption within the past two years. To help guard against such events, it makes sense to have your data backed up automatically and to store it away from your place of business. The great thing about the cloud is that your data gets saved on offsite servers whenever you hit the “enter” key.

Ease your security concerns

Small businesses frequently face problems with computer security, but who has the resources to hire a security expert? Most simply download an online scanning tool to identify malware and hope for the best.

Companies that offer cloud services have a vested interest in security, since their reputation depends on it. They hire professionals who do nothing but protect their systems, and their encryption tools are among the best in the business. They also store customer data on redundant servers, so if one goes down, others retain it.

In the AT&T survey on cloud usage, 92 percent of the respondents who use the cloud said it provided a level of security they couldn’t find elsewhere, and 98 percent said they were confident in the security of their data in the cloud.

If you’re already using the cloud to help solve your business challenges, I’d love to hear about your experiences. Please share them below.

A recent AT&T survey, highlighted in this webinar, found the biggest cloud users are fast-growing companies—those whose revenues rose 10 percent or more in 2012. What do these winning organizations know that others don’t? For one, they understand the cloud helps free them from spending time to build their infrastructure so they can focus on growth. And they know the cloud can help reduce costs and improve customer service.

As a result, many small businesses now perceive the cloud as critical to their future growth, according to a recent research review by Slashdot. Here are four ways the cloud can help small businesses grow:

1. Back up and store data

Data backup and storage are among the most common uses of the cloud for small businesses. About three-quarters of the businesses surveyed rely on the cloud for this. Respondents say the payoff includes ease of use, improved productivity, and reduced IT costs. Services like AT&T Backup and Go back up data automatically and include sophisticated versioning capabilities that let you retain and retrieve older copies of files.

Remote backup and storage can also help protect your company from malware and natural disasters, among other threats. Reputable cloud providers also store their clients’ data on redundant servers, so if one goes down, the others retain it.

2. Gain instant computing power

When you’re in the cloud, you can access resources on demand. I know of a good number of startups that got off the ground quickly because they had the freedom to create and experiment without making a huge investment in infrastructure or IT staff. For more established companies, the cloud offers a way to seamlessly handle surges in demand. Think of a small provider of games for mobile phones whose latest game takes off. The cloud offers a way to manage a sudden flood of usage without forcing the company to buy servers that might sit idle once the peak passes.

3. Improve collaboration

Another solid benefit of the cloud is enabling remote staffers to work together in real time. Let’s say you manage a sales team with members in several locations. Your salespeople can use a cloud-based file-sharing service to update timelines, pitch decks, and other documents. And they can do this wherever they are—in the office, at home, or on the road using their smartphones. This will be one of the most valuable cloud capabilities for businesses in 2013, according to Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, writing in Forbes.

Cloud-based conferencing services also have potential to help keep organizations in sync. You can meet with remote colleagues, customers, and suppliers through your computer or mobile device—no need to get on an airplane or buy costly conferencing equipment. I also know of businesses that use these services to conduct virtual training, which can be another powerful cost saver.

4. Level the playing field

Finally, the cloud helps small businesses look and operate like larger ones. Cloud-based Web hosting and design tools are an integral part of this. These include capabilities that make it easier to build and maintain a compelling Web presence, such as do-it-yourself tools for creating web pages, including mobile-friendly ones; intuitive dashboards for easy updating; analytics tools for monitoring website and mobile traffic; and domain-based email with built-in calendaring and collaboration tools.

Want to dig deeper into these applications? This checklist shows what to look for in a best-of-breed cloud app and can help you map out a cloud strategy for your organization.

Are you currently using the cloud? What results have you seen? Share your experiences below. I’d love to hear about them.

Here are five ways businesses are using mobile apps to help increase productivity, improve customer service and boost sales:

1. Support sales activities

A business owner I spoke with recently told me how she uses a sales support app to help her salespeople reduce busywork so they can focus on closing more deals. The app lets them store contact information, use maps, and manage their sales pipeline more efficiently when they’re on the road, while she uses it to generate sales reports. They also use an expense tracking app to simplify expense reporting and reimbursement. They’re even able to snap pictures of expense receipts with their phone cameras and print, view, and email expense reports straight from their phones.

2. Improve fleet management

Companies of all kinds are using GPS-based workforce management apps to improve oversight of remote operations. I was interested to learn about a company called Streetblimps that uses an app to track its roving fleet of mobile billboards, allowing it to show clients where the ads are any time. Other apps include a time-card feature so employees can record and submit hours through their smartphones.

3. Complete and submit forms

Apps can even help companies make their products and services better. Here’s a video that shows how a pizza chain’s inspectors use an app to deliver instant feedback, helping to shorten their inspection process and improve pizza quality. Data entry apps like this one enable users to fill out and submit forms through their smartphones rather than faxing or hand delivering them to an office. They can be a significant timesaver for field workers in a variety of industries, including property management and healthcare.

4. Process payments

I’ve seen several point-of-service apps used at home parties, street fairs, and farmers’ markets. Users have told me they’re bringing in more sales because of them. The apps let retailers who sell their wares outside a storefront accept credit and debit cards with their smartphones. Business owners can key customers’ card information right into their phones or use an attachable card reader to accept payment. They can then email or text customers a receipt.

5. Serve patients better

My children’s pediatrician uses an app to retrieve drug and disease information, along with drug dosages, side effects, and pricing. Medical professionals are increasingly using apps of this sort to deliver care more effectively. In addition to providing information, the apps also help doctors and nurses monitor patients remotely.

As mobile devices and apps become more integrated in your workforce, having a secure way to manage them all is becoming more important. Mobile device management platforms can help improve your oversight of the devices your staff use and allow you to deploy apps across your company.

Have you begun using mobile apps in your company? I’d love to hear about your experiences in the comments below.

Set a course of action now to help you focus your efforts in the coming months. Here are a few tips to help you get started:

Maximize your online presence

If your company doesn’t have a website, you should make it a top priority. Fortunately, this is easier than ever, thanks to affordable do-it-yourself tools that include customizable site templates. If you want something more involved, you may want to engage a website design service.

If you already have a site, make sure it’s truly an asset. Ask yourself:

• Does it reflect the products or services I currently offer?
• Is it organized and easy to navigate?
• Is my basic information, such as address, contact information, and hours of business easy to find?
• Can customers make purchases on my site? If not, you may be losing business. Many customers prefer using an e-commerce site rather than visiting a store, especially if they’re not close by. Look at this checklist to learn more about making your website ready for online shopping.

Be sure your business is listed in prominent online business directories, such as Google Places, Yahoo! Local, and Citysearch. These sites make it easy for consumers to find your company when they’re searching online for the products or services you offer. Keep your listings up to date and include new special offers regularly to help drive traffic to your door.

Reach mobile customers

Consumers are buying smartphones in droves, and increasing numbers are using the devices to find local shops. Having mobile technologies in place can help capture customers and sales in the coming year. Here are a few key mobile technologies to try out:

A mobile website-

If your website is difficult to navigate or slow to load on smartphones, consider creating a mobile Internet site that works better on small screens. Some services allow you to create a mobile-friendly version of your full website, with streamlined navigation for smartphone users.

Mobile apps-

Small businesses are increasingly offering apps to enrich the customer experience. For example, you might use an app to reward customers as their purchases mount or to make it easy to arrange for a service, such as home delivery. You can choose from off-the-shelf apps or build one that’s customized for your business. Read more about using mobile apps to improve service here.

Mobile barcodes-

Consumers can scan these square, black-and-white designs to immediately visit a special page on your website. These pages often contain a coupon, menu, or product video. Mobile barcode services can help you generate codes and create the destination pages.

Embrace the cloud

More businesses are turning to cloud services to manage their operations more effectively, improve employee productivity, and forgo expensive IT investments. A few key advantages include:

Extra capacity on demand-

Using cloud-based servers, such as AT&T Cloud Architect, allows you to gain additional computing power to get you through busy periods, such as spikes in website traffic during the holiday shopping season. AT&T Cloud Architect provides all the resources you need to be scalable and reliable, without breaking the bank. Plus, it’s easy to use. A self-service online portal presents a range of standard server features that require little or no added configuration.

Faster time to market-

If you’re thinking of building a web or mobile app, using the cloud can help you get started without having to buy and set up servers. Worried about the holiday rush?  AT&T Cloud Architect has you covered.  You can set up virtual servers in minutes via the comprehensive self service portal.

Reduced IT burden-

Taking advantage of cloud services means you and your employees have no extra hardware to manage, so you can focus on other aspects of your business.

Choosing the right technologies and tactics for your business can help you pave the way for success in 2013. What web and mobile strategies will you implement? Are you already using the cloud to run your business more efficiently? Share your experiences in comments below.

Prior to her current role, Allyson oversaw creative development, project management, and competitive response initiatives for AT&T Mobility solutions. She has served as an advertising manager, focusing on consumer mobility, and was part of the merchandising team responsible for creating displays in AT&T’s 5^th Avenue flagship store in New York City.

An entrepreneur at heart, Allyson founded and operated an online stationery business, while taking “time off” from AT&T to raise her second child. She believes that her experience as a small business owner has translated well into her current role at AT&T in small business marketing – giving her invaluable insight into what customers want to hear and how they want to hear it.

Allyson holds a Bachelor of Arts in Advertising from the University of Georgia and was the recipient of AT&T’s 2010 Service Excellence Award.

In her spare time, she can be found cheering on her three children at ballgames and swim meets, as well as volunteering for Special Olympics. The family also enjoys having tacos with friends while watching UGA football.