Are you searching for new party rental software? Regardless of whether you’re actively seeking a solution to manage and grow your business, or you’re just browsing due to frustration with your current rental management system, one of your first decisions is whether business software should be on a hard drive or in the Cloud.

Hard drive-based software was the original format of software that involves installing something on your server. For years this was the common way to use software, and it may be the only way you’ve ever experienced business software.

The Cloud, on the other hand, is often referred to as the future of business software. But what is this abstract thing? Some people don’t fully understand the Cloud and are therefore nervous to switch over.

Here are 6 things you need to know before switching to cloud-based party rental software for your event business:

1) What is cloud computing?

At the most basic level, cloud computing is using the Internet. So, a cloud computing software is a system that uses the Internet to store all the information instead of a hard drive. Most people already use cloud computing and don’t even realize it! Gmail, yes Gmail, is a cloud computing service. The components that make Gmail a cloud computing service are that all the information is stored over the Internet and you can access it from multiple devices. For example, you probably look at your Gmail on your computer, cellphone, and/or tablet. Because all your emails are stored in “The Cloud” (a.k.a. over the Internet) you can access your emails from any computer in the world with Internet connection.

The same applies for filing your taxes, checking your bank account, making doctor appointments, and more! If you use the Internet for performing personal or business needs of any kind, then you’re already experiencing cloud computing. No need to think of this as something new at all.

2) How do I use the cloud for my party rental company?

The same principle of accessing your Gmail from any computer can be applied to your cloud-based party rental management system. When working with a hard drive-based system, you physically have to be at your office in order to make changes. But, with cloud-computing event rental software, you can work from home, on vacation (which we don’t recommend), or even at a job site. For example, how many times have you gotten to a job site and the client wants to add sidewalls to their tents or chairs to their order?

With cloud computing software you can easily add the items to their order directly from your phone or tablet. This saves you from having to remember once you get back to the office or from having to call the office to tell somebody else to do it. This is just one example there are hundreds of ways the cloud-based party rental software can streamline and improve your party rental company.

3) What if there’s a problem with the event rental software?

With hard drive-based software, the problem can only be resolved on your hard drive. This means you either need to call the IT department to fix it or try to resolve the problem yourself. Both of these options can be very frustrating and time consuming, especially if you’re not particularly tech-savvy. With cloud computing software, it’s the software company that will resolve the problem. Simply contact the help desk of the software company and they will be able to resolve the problem remotely over the Internet. This means less hassle on your part and issues get resolved much quicker.

4) Is all cloud-based party rental software the same?

Searching for the best software for your business is overwhelming. There are so many options, all claiming to be the best software for managing business operations. There are generic workflow streamlining software solutions, then there are many different types of rental company-specific tools including party, equipment, agriculture, and more.

As a party rental company you should consider investing in a software that focuses specifically on your industry. Whether it’s understanding how you’re tracking your inventory of banana print linens, or appreciating the constantly changing event world, the software should be tailored to easily track and manage your day-to-day tasks. Don’t go through the hassle of trying to make your company work for the software, instead the software should be working for your company.

5) Why is cloud computing a big deal?

Technology is ever changing. Just look at the new iPhones and operating systems that come out every year. With the introduction of the Apple operating system 11 introduced in Summer 2017, the iPhone 5 is no longer supported on that operating system. It was only 5 years ago, in 2012, that the iPhone 5 was released. According to this logic, technology becomes obsolete (meaning is can no longer work properly) after 5 years.

So, when was the last time you bought a new computer or server for your office? If it was more than 5 years ago, any new hard drive-based management software will likely not work properly on the computers and servers you currently have. Now you run into needing to update technology for your entire office.

Cloud computing software eliminates the need to buy new computers. Because it is based on the Internet, older computers can work in the software just as well as brand new computers. Not only does this save your company a lot of money from not having to buy new computers, it will also save time from having to research and learn about a new computer.

6) What if the Internet stops working?

It is true that you need to have Internet in order to use the cloud-based event rental software. If the Internet stops working at your office then you will not be able to access the business software. While this is a problem, ask yourself when the last time the Internet wasn’t working at your office. Internet reliability has increased substantially in the past couple of years and malfunctions are becoming fewer and fewer.

Now think about all the other things you use the Internet for at your rental company. This includes emailing, researching, scheduling, processing credit cards, and more. So while the cloud-based party rental software depends on the Internet, so do many other tools and systems you currently use.

The great thing about a cloud computing event rental software is that you can work from anywhere with Internet access. Plus, there are many practices you can put in place for your most important items. You may print out Google Maps or take a screenshot of a recipe online before you hit the grocery store. Similarly, you can print out your pullsheets or take a screen grab of a contract before heading to a job. These are common day-to-day practices many people employee who live by the old Boy Scouts’ rule of “Always Be Prepared!”