How Cloud Computing Saved My Business

Some might find it strange that something as ephemeral as the " cloud " could have as great an impact on businesses as more tangible transformational technologies just as the smartphone and computer.

With the cloud, businesses don't have to invest in and maintain costly backroom hardware and software. They are freed from costly, time consuming maintenance and administrative duties and can concentrate on what they as a matter of fact want to do -- run a profitable operation.

But the cloud is not just transforming how businesses operate. It has been critical to the survival of some companies. Here are three examples of entrepreneurs who have turned to the cloud to both establish and save their businesses.

Dilemma: Unable to track marketing efforts or provide sales insights.  Post.Bid.Ship was launched in July 2010 to provide matchmaking services between carriers and shippers, however it needed to improve and better coordinate its operations. The company at first had a three-step process -- acquiring leads and converting them into customers, handling customer relations, and matching carriers and shippers -- each a separate operation relying on traditional media and phone calls.

Dilemma: Spiraling costs of phone systems.  Founded in April 2011, CDL Helpers lends a sympathetic ear to thousands of truckers nationwide. Its half-dozen tactical management agents spend near seven hours a day talking with drivers of client companies, collecting anonymous information about their experiences.

An automated switchboard phone system to keep in touch with drivers across the country would have cost $1,500, plus another $3,000 to $5,000 to set up and is not easily expandable. Just in case, long-distance phone bills would have totaled about $500 a month according to CDL founder and CEO Tucker Robeson.

Solution: VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)-based phone system RingCentral.  Launching on a shoestring, Robeson opted instead to use cloud-based RingCentral, which costs $50 a month. It allows Robeson to add lines and extensions via his PC quickly and inexpensively. The only phone equipment CDL needs are $50 PC gaming headsets.