Moving to the "Cloud" can be a very effective IT solution for small businesses. Allowing a Cloud hosting company with nearly unlimited resources to manage your IT resources can provide a much higher level of service than possible on your own and can save you money at the same time. Server maintenance is handled by high level, experienced experts. You have the ability to scale up or down as needed, and you just pay for what you use. Good IT people are expensive (and not-so-good IT people can be even more expensive in the long-term).
Disaster Recovery and Security are two big advantages to re-locating to the Cloud. Your data and applications can be located in multiple places around the world for redundancy. Top level security experts monitor the infrastructure for you. It's good enough for the CIA, the CDC and large healthcare providers, it's probably good enough for you.
Most of the links below are specific to Microsoft's Azure (my preferred provider) but will provide information regardless of your chosen Cloud Service Provider.
Start by finding a Cloud host. The biggest are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Azure from Microsoft and Google Cloud. Cost is a major factor, and most providers will provide an estimator tool for your monthly fees. The ability to find local expertise is another important factor. Choose well - it may not be easy to move from one cloud host to another.
You have a number of options when moving to the Cloud. You can move your backups, your data, your data and applications or your entire IT footprint to the cloud. The link below points to a pricing calculator for migrating to Micosoft's Azure.
Moving to the Cloud can take many paths. A well thought out roadmap will be invaluable for this process. Time spent up-front can prevent delays and cost over-runs caused by inadequate planning.The link below points to a helpful site for migrating to Micosoft's Azure.
There are many companies that can assist you in your move to the cloud. You may benefit from a session with the experts at Microsoft. Microsoft Technology Centers provide a number of services to guide your IT strategies with or without the Cloud. Click below to see what they may be able to do for you.