Microsoft 365 for Small Businesses: What Do You Actually Need?

For many small businesses, Microsoft 365 has become the foundation of the working day. Email, documents, spreadsheets, file sharing, meetings and collaboration can all sit within the same Microsoft ecosystem.

Microsoft 365 for Small Businesses: What Do You Actually Need?

The challenge is deciding which Microsoft 365 services and licences your business actually needs.

It is easy to end up paying for features you never use. It is equally easy to choose a cheaper plan and later discover that important security, device management or business functionality is missing.

At Networkwise, we help businesses understand Microsoft 365 and configure it around the way they actually work.

Microsoft 365 is more than Word and Outlook

Many businesses still think of Microsoft 365 primarily as a subscription for Word, Excel and Outlook.

In reality, Microsoft 365 can provide a much broader business platform.

Depending on the plan you choose, Microsoft’s business offering can include tools and services such as Outlook, Exchange, Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Intune, Defender and Microsoft Entra ID. [microsoft.com]

That means businesses can potentially use Microsoft 365 for far more than simply creating documents and sending email.

Which Microsoft 365 plan does a small business need?

Microsoft offers several Microsoft 365 plans for business, including Business Basic, Business Standard and Business Premium. Microsoft positions these plans for organisations with up to 300 users. [learn.microsoft.com], [adoption.m…rosoft.com]

The right choice depends on what your users actually need.

Rather than automatically selecting the same licence for every employee, consider questions such as:

• Does the employee need the desktop versions of Microsoft Office applications?
• Does the employee need business email?
• Where are company files stored and shared?
• Does the business need stronger identity and access controls?
• Are employees using company-owned or personal devices?
• How important are additional cybersecurity and device-management capabilities?

For many organisations, licensing should be reviewed as part of the wider IT and cybersecurity strategy rather than treated simply as an Office subscription.

Microsoft 365 Business Premium and security

For businesses where security is a priority, Microsoft 365 Business Premium is particularly worth considering.

Microsoft lists identity and access management, device security and management, email and threat protection, sensitive-data protection and Microsoft Defender among the capabilities associated with Business Premium. [microsoft.com]

This is particularly relevant as businesses increasingly work across laptops, mobile devices, remote locations and cloud services.

The important point is that buying a security-capable licence is not the same as having a properly secured Microsoft 365 environment.

Configuration matters.

Businesses should understand which protections they have available, which are enabled and how those controls fit into their wider cybersecurity strategy.

What about Microsoft Copilot?

Artificial intelligence is becoming another important consideration when businesses review Microsoft 365.

Microsoft Copilot can work with Microsoft 365 applications including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Teams under eligible offerings. Microsoft’s current business options also include Copilot offerings aimed specifically at small and medium-sized organisations. [microsoft.com], [learn.microsoft.com]

However, businesses should think about security and information access before simply enabling AI across the organisation.

Copilot works within the permissions and information-access environment of Microsoft 365, so existing access to company information matters. Microsoft specifically provides guidance around safeguarding company data and resources when small businesses adopt Copilot. [learn.microsoft.com]

For this reason, adopting Copilot is a good opportunity to review Microsoft 365 security, permissions and data access at the same time.

OneDrive and SharePoint are often misunderstood

Another common area of confusion is the relationship between OneDrive and SharePoint.

Microsoft describes OneDrive as a service for saving, accessing, editing and sharing files, while SharePoint provides team sites for sharing information, files and resources. [microsoft.com]

For a business, simply putting files into Microsoft 365 is not enough.

You need a sensible structure for where information belongs, who should have access to it and how employees collaborate with it.

A properly organised Microsoft 365 environment can make information easier to find and manage. A poorly planned environment can quickly become confusing.

Don’t forget backup

Microsoft 365 provides powerful cloud services, but businesses should still consider how backup and recovery fit into their overall data-protection strategy.

Ask some straightforward questions:

• What business information would hurt most to lose?
• How quickly would you need to recover it?
• Who is responsible for checking that backups are working?
• What happens if an employee accidentally deletes important information?
• What is your recovery plan following a cybersecurity incident?

Microsoft 365 should form part of a wider business continuity and cybersecurity plan rather than being considered in isolation.

Microsoft 365 should fit your business

There is no single Microsoft 365 configuration that is right for every small business.

A ten-person professional services company may have completely different requirements from a retailer, school, manufacturer or hospitality business.

The goal should be relatively simple:

Give each person the tools they need, protect the organisation’s information and avoid unnecessary complexity and cost.

That starts with understanding what you already have.

Need help with Microsoft 365?

Networkwise provides Microsoft 365 support, managed IT services, cybersecurity, cloud and backup solutions to businesses in Knysna, Plettenberg Bay, across the Garden Route and beyond.

Whether you’re considering Microsoft 365 for the first time or want to review an existing environment, we can help you understand your licensing, identify opportunities to improve security and make sure Microsoft 365 is configured around the way your business actually operates.

Contact Networkwise to discuss your Microsoft 365 requirements.