How Cloud Technology is Democratizing Business Communication

It’s no secret that the Internet managed to democratize countless things which were historically expensive and hard to get. Its impact on consumer access to entertainment and information is well-documented – think encyclopedias, news, movies, etc. – but its impact on small businesses deserves closer examination. It is not just individuals getting a boost: internet technologies made it so that small businesses can access enterprise-grade tools and systems.

This has played out in a variety of ways, from financial transactions to sales analysis software. But one area of conducting business has both seen a revolution and has flown almost entirely under the radar: contacting customers. Once, the infrastructure required substantial capital investment in hardware, software, and specialized training, creating a significant barrier to entry for small businesses.

“That’s all in the past thanks to modern technology,” says Dmitri Lepikhov, the CEO of MightyCall, an internet telecommunications company which offers cloud call center software to small and mid-sized businesses. Lepikhov has been at the forefront of this shift. Under Lepikhov’s leadership since 2015, MightyCall has achieved remarkable growth, increasing revenue tenfold. The company was also able to increase staffing by nearly one-third during the pandemic, still maintaining a boutique operation of a little over 60 employees. The company’s growth and success is reflected in its recognition on the Inc. 5000 list and its designation among the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s “Top 100 Small Businesses of 2024.”

Lepikhov attributes this success to MightyCall’s deep understanding of their target market. “As a relatively small company ourselves, we understand the challenges and needs of our clients. When we spend our time and energy creating new software features or other offerings, we are not just guessing based on trends. We are living the same experience as our customers and get what they need to be successful. This allows us to develop solutions that address real needs with a customer-centric approach.”

Some of the software, like auto dialers which help small businesses reach large numbers of customers in a relatively short period of time, previously required dedicated hardware systems, and with the emergence of the internet – sophisticated software with a pricepoint inaccessible to small businesses.

“But now, most can afford it,” Lepikhov says. This is another reason why MightyCall has been so successful: “This has spurred competition: as entry barriers fall, more providers enter the space. In turn, this drives continuous innovation and forces us to update our software and stay cutting edge.”

Lepikhov points out another way the internet has democratized software: by allowing small businesses to combine tools from different providers. “In the early days of the internet compatibility challenges were rampant, different software could not fit together as if they were puzzle pieces from different puzzles. It got even more complex if one person used a MacBook and the other used a computer with Windows OS.”

Seamless software integration, where any two or more pieces of software can interact with one another, has changed all that. This interconnectivity has particular significance for small businesses. For instance, a local service provider, like a barbershop, can automatically synchronize online appointments with their calendar system, and even integrate more complex things, like financial management or customer voicemail transcriptions. This opens possibilities for small businesses which they did not have before.

“In a traditional small business model, if you wanted to run a complete operation, you would need multiple full-time employees for functions like administrative assistance, reception, bookkeeping, and sales,” Lepikhov reflects. “Now the first three of those jobs can be done by software. It lowers operational costs and removes barriers for small businesses. What’s more democratic than that?”