5 ways Microsoft 365 can save the day for small business owners

Running your own business can be incredibly rewarding, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t challenges along the way. We’ve already looked at how Microsoft 365 can help you be more productive, and in this guide we’ll look at ways it can rescue you from a number of sticky situations.

Already familiar with the many ways Microsoft 365 can benefit your business? Discover how you can save 33% on the price of an Microsoft 365 plan here.

Otherwise, read on…

Misplacing that all important document

It could be you’re on your way to make a presentation to a client and you discover you’ve lost the memory stick with your slides on. Or maybe you want to show your business partner a proposal you’ve been working on, only to discover that your lap top battery has run out and you’ve forgotten your charger. With Microsoft 365, you don’t have to worry about this kind of situation because it offers cloud storage for your files. That means you can access important documents from any location on any internet enabled device.

Needing to make last minute changes

There are a huge number of reasons you might need to make last minute changes to your work. Anything from a crucial statistic becoming available when you’re already on your way to the meeting to deliver your findings, to a client changing their mind at short notice can mean you having to make rapid changes to something you already thought was finished.

You already know that you can access your files on the move, but the ability to use Microsoft Office on the go means that you can tweak your work right up until the very last second. Office Online and the full range of Microsoft 365 apps mean that you’ll be able to put the finishing touches to your work no matter where you are.

Double booking yourself

Everyone’s done it and accidentally double booking yourself with meetings leaves you in the awkward position of having to reschedule one meeting. Often double booking occurs because you’re not in a position to check your calendar, so you agree to things without being entirely sure that you can actually make them. Microsoft 365 Outlook not only offers you a calendar which allows you to keep track of who you’re meeting, when and where. It also has a “calendar peak” option, which allows you to check your schedule without having to move away from the email or task you’re currently working on. This is excellent if you need to quickly reply to someone’s request for a meeting, but can’t afford to drop what you’re doing entirely. Used properly, these two features should help ensure you never double book yourself again.

Dealing with interruptions

How often have you sat down to read an important document only to be interrupted by a phone call from a customer? Business never stops and often your priorities can change quickly through the course of a day, meaning you have to switch to another task. To help you pick up where you left off, Word offers a “resume reading” function. If you use it, Word will bookmark the place where you finished reading last time, and when you open the doc again, you can just start reading from there. Even better, it works across devices so even if you start reading something on your laptop and finish it on your tablet, you won’t have to spend ages scrolling through page after page in order to find the place where you stopped reading last time.

Getting your message across

You understand your business, but that doesn’t mean potential clients will instantly understand the benefits you can offer them. Microsoft 365 equips you with powerful tools that make it easy for you to communicate with potential and existing clients and customers. Excel can help you turn complicated statistics into attractive charts, while PowerPoint lets you put together deal-winning presentations. By getting to grips with the full suite of Microsoft 365 tools, you’ll be able to show potential customers and clients that you’re a well-run, professional business.

You can learn more about everything Microsoft 365 has to offer here. On these pages, you’ll also be able to find the details of our latest sale, in which you can save 33% on the price of a plan. If you have any questions or need more advice on growing your business, please leave us a comment below.