7 Benefits of Microsoft Teams for Small Businesses

Is your small business considering Microsoft Teams? Or have you had it for a while and aren’t sure if your team is getting the most out of it? Microsoft Teams helps your business stay connected, even if you have a remote or hybrid team. The Teams platform also makes meetings more effective and reduces the usage of email.

Here are seven benefits of using Microsoft Teams for small businesses for you to consider.

1. Better Team Meetings

Video conferencing was already a staple for business meetings before the global coronavirus pandemic. Still, many organizations turned to Microsoft Teams in 2020 to support social distancing because it’s easy to stay organized through integration with Outlook calendar entries. Most people prefer video to audio conferences because of the additional meaning that comes with changes in body language, posture, and facial expressions.

2. Better Chat and Fewer Emails

If you’re unfamiliar with Microsoft Teams, you may think it’s a glorified chat program — but it’s much more than ordinary chat. You can easily share files in chat and then launch a video call with your colleague right there to discuss the documents you exchanged, as noted by Microsoft.

Another benefit to consider is that your team will no longer need to generate so many emails just to collaborate. Instead, you hold structured conversations via Team chats. A quick chat message is better than firing up the email client and then hitting reply or following up with a copy of the previous texts.

3. Foster Teamwork

Deploying Microsoft Teams helps your workforce collaborate better. You can use the system to connect current Office 365 groups and create new teams as circumstances warrant. Once you form a team, each person will communicate using the same platform, with chats and notifications plus files easily located in the team’s shared space.

There’s no need for people to manually send copies of documents randomly to one another upon request or any requirement to verify document versions since you are sharing the latest details automatically through Microsoft Teams.

4. Allow for Offsite Workers

It’s not always easy to find talented professionals in your particular geographic location. But if you are running Microsoft Teams, you can easily accommodate remote workers.

Even if they’re halfway around the world, hiring the best candidates helps you stay competitive since you can hire the most talented and knowledgeable person for the job. Since many people have started using work-from-home setups while remaining distant from one another at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Microsoft’s collaborative tools will be crucial for connecting them regardless of where they live.

5. Empowering the Sales Department

Companies can help their sales department work together more effectively thanks to the ease of sharing information and collaborating on sales goals. But Microsoft Teams also helps your sales team sell more.

Your top salespeople can achieve more when they engage with customers over video conference in Microsoft Teams. They can share product demonstration videos, answer questions on the fly, and share details with a personal touch.

6. Robust Security for Collaborative Efforts

You can rest assured that your files will remain safe and secure when you deploy Microsoft Teams. Teams is part of Microsoft 365 and therefore uses the same security measures you’ve already come to expect from the developers, as noted by ZDNet. All streaming video conferences are encrypted during transit.

There is also Transport Security Layer or TLS to encrypt instant messages. Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol safeguards point-to-point video, audio, and all shared application streams. IT managers will appreciate that you can set up two-factor authentication for added security when using Microsoft Teams.

7. Streaming Complex Projects

The more complex a project is and the more people you have contributing to its success, the more vital it is to use specialized software tools to work together. Microsoft Teams streamlines the process because workers do not need to ask others for help finding documents.

Team spaces are organized according to the needs of the particular team. Think of how much time employees waste looking in their hard drives, flash drives, or devices like their smartphones or tablets when they need to share some information. With Microsoft Teams, sharing and updating documents is streamlined, so no one is spinning their wheels waiting for one of the members to find and distribute the relevant information.

After you and fellow stakeholders review these chief benefits of using Microsoft Teams for your small business, you may have some questions about integrating it into your workflow. For more information, please connect with Millennia Technologies today.