When owning a business, there are many things to manage in a small window of time. From figuring out your finances to managing your employees, juggling everything can be a difficult task to accomplish. Especially if you’re new to owning a business, dealing with everything can be terrifying. But luckily, we are fortunate enough to live in a time with very useful pieces of technology—in addition to having many resources and tools right at our fingertips. That being said, while it feels daunting trying to handle owning a business, its important to understand that you aren’t alone in the process and there are many avenues in which you can seek help and assistance.

When you come to the conclusion that you need a better way of doing things, you should first consider the applications and programs you’re utilizing. Like we mentioned previously, technology has reached an incredible level nowadays, so there is a multitude of programs that can help you for a wide variety of tasks. However, wouldn’t you want to work with a platform that can handle many different business processes for you?

When searching for these applications, you want something flexible and you want something that’s a good bang for your buck. Let me introduce you to Microsoft Office 365. If you’ve ever used Microsoft Word or Excel, then you’re familiar with some of their products. However, Microsoft has revamped these applications and they have rolled out a few new ones that are helping companies everywhere. In this post, we’ll discuss five reasons how Microsoft Office 365 can optimize business processes.

1. Wide Variety of Applications

When searching for the latest and greatest business applications, you want a one size fits all kind of deal. While there might be other applications more focused on specific tasks or processes, wouldn't it be amazing to only work with one platform for all of your business needs? With Microsoft Office 365, that dream is now a reality. From collaborating with your staff on Microsoft teams to building sophisticated spreadsheets on Excel, Microsoft Office allows you to do just about anything. In addition, a lot of these applications are available online so you don’t even have to have these programs downloaded on your computer in order to use them. One awesome app, called Microsoft PowerApps, even allows users to build mobile applications using templates, so you don’t even need coding experience to create beautiful mobile applications. The wide variety of Microsoft Office applications are also very user-friendly, making completing business tasks easier than ever.

2. User-Friendly Products

Another key reminder that we have to take into account when looking for the most productive apps is the fact that Microsoft Office has programs that you're already comfortable with. We all understand that new applications take some time to get used to—especially if the app has tools and features that are foreign language to us. Whether you used Microsoft Word five years ago or last month, aside from some upgrades, the application is still very easy to maneuver around. Aside from Microsoft Word, all of the other applications are extremely user-friendly. Whether you’re a tech-savvy business owner or if technology is a little hard for you to grasp, Microsoft Office will work for you. Every program has a relatable interface, so you never have to become familiar with a totally new look or design with many different features than the other programs. And since most of us are familiar with these products already, you can simply open these applications and get to work!

3. Users Can Work From Anywhere

One new feature that was rolled out only a few years ago is the cloud-based platform on Microsoft Office 365. Now that many programs have transitioned to the Cloud, Microsoft is along for the ride. That’s right, as long as you have an internet connection, all of these amazing applications and your important documents are available from anywhere at anytime. In addition, your programs, files, and emails can be accessed through any device. And if you have a desktop version of Office, these programs can be installed on up to five different devices per user. This cloud feature is especially useful for companies with remote employees, those who travel often, or companies with multiple locations. But even with companies that don’t usually work remotely or travel frequently, using the Cloud means that employees can always access these files no matter where they are. If a client needs something to get taken care of right away and you’re not in the office, you can now handle these requests quickly from anywhere at anytime. This adds flexibility to the workplace and makes your employees more productive than ever.

4. Top-Notch Security Features

While it's amazing that Microsoft Office provides access to a wide variety of useful apps, even on a cloud-based platform, you may be wondering if all of that confidential information stays safe. While many people have the belief that using the Cloud means your files are unsafe, that is not the case. Microsoft Office 365 is an extremely safe platform that takes security very seriously. Not only does this cloud platform save you money by eliminating the need for server rooms to store files, Microsoft has also put in tons of effort to put sophisticated security measures into place. They’ve added many built-in features that are focused on preventing the loss of your valuable data. Some of these features include:

Data Loss Prevention

This includes a set of policies used to protect your important information from leaving your company through the Microsoft Office 365 platform.

Encrypted Email

This email protection feature keeps your emails safe by only allowing the recipient to read them. 

Advanced Threat Analytics (ATA)

This feature uses analytics and machine learning to monitor what happens on your network and alerts you if they find anything suspicious. In addition, ATA will also scan your emails to detect malicious links or something unusual. The email recipient will still receive the email, but they’ll also get a notification of why a link or attachment was not included.

5. Flexible Plans

Another reason why Microsoft Office 365 is a leader for all of your business processes is that they have many different plans that are focused on your needs. While there are similar programs out there that help you with a wide variety of business functions, chances are that they don’t have very flexible plans. Microsoft Office 365 allows users to mix and match their plans to find exactly what they need. No one wants to pay for something they don’t use, so feel free to choose exactly what you need from the many programs of Office and only pay for the programs and features you care about.

Start Focusing on What Matters!

While many business owners spend valuable time and valuable resources finding what products work and what products don’t work, Microsoft Office 365 gives you user-friendly, highly efficient programs right at your fingertips. Instead of spending countless hours wasting time looking for the right applications, simply choose your personalized plan from Microsoft and start working on what actually matters—like running your business! If you have questions about any Microsoft programs or you want to get started on a new plan that’s focused on your needs, then feel free to contact Microsoft today for more information.