The Costs and Benefits of the Cloud – How Much Do You Spend Each Month on Cloud Services?

Last night, on my iPhone, using the WordPress and Excel apps, I made a spreadsheet of all my recurring subscriptions for Cloud services I use each month for my business and created this post. It’s about $220/month. When I compare that to what I used to pay for staff and infrastructure, it’s such a small amount and it truly amazes me. Best yet, the software and technology I get is extraordinary. I can lower this cost even more by paying annually. The costs and benefits of the Cloud are polar opposites. The value is tremendous. It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur.

Other benefits of the Cloud:

1. Software is constantly updated. With Office365 and Adobe Creative Cloud, I get updated versions of my desktop apps regularly.

2. I can access my data and documents from any device, anywhere.

3. I can easily scale my business up and down, based on my needs, number of employees and current projects. Most Cloud apps allow you to add/remove users and features without being locked into a long term contract.

4. Many cloud apps are free: Skype, Google Hangouts, social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest and LinkedIn.

5. Backups are done automatically, in most cases, but I keep a local copy when possible.

While the Cloud remains in an early stage, it’s growth over the past couple of years has been extraordinary. Many continue to fight the Cloud. Me, I love it. I’ve been able to do things as a “startup” that I’ve never been able to do before. I’m having a ton of fun and making a good living.

So, how much do you spend each month on recurring subscriptions? Give us the total in the comments below.