On May 22, 2013, I earned my Bachelor’s Degree.

Yet, I’m not your average college graduate. I spent a good ten years immersed in many facets of the business world before coming to the realization that my future had to include higher education if I was to attain all of my life goals. During the last four years, I’ve attended school full-time at community college and later a university all while working full-time as Customer Success Manager at InfoStreet, Inc. During this time, I’ve had the unique opportunity to engage with undergraduate students as well as CEOs on a daily basis, and the time that I have spent in this unorthodox situation has clearly demonstrated to me that there is one very important thing that most college graduates know that many small business owners do not: college graduates know the cloud.

Now, my statement may shock you. Or, perhaps you’re not surprised – after all, today’s graduates are learning about the latest and greatest in business, technology, and communications in their coursework. But this is the plain truth: college graduates have experience with the cloud in a way that many small business owners do not. And this experience gives college graduates an edge that small business owners may miss out on. Today’s college students interact with the cloud on a daily basis. As an example from my personal experience, both the community college that I attended as well as the state university that I am graduating from use a cloud program called Moodle as a staple of the learning experience. Moodle is a system that allows professors to calculate and report grades, administer and score tests, and collect and track assignments, among other uses. Just ten years ago, when I began dabbling in community college courses, all of this happened on paper, or on personal computers. Communication was slow and inefficient. Today, Moodle lets me contact any of my classmates and my professor with one click. I can begin an online discussion relevant to the course on a message board that reaches the entire class, and I can check my grades and get a clear snapshot of my standing at any time of the day. Beyond Moodle, students at my university also have access to a cloud system that is used to register for courses, pay fees, track degree progress, print unofficial transcripts, and even purchase textbooks. This inherent cloud proficiency means that many of today’s college graduates are entering the workforce with a skill that many small business owners do not have. Like those of our generation who grew up with computers in our classrooms, today’s college graduates have an ability that no generation before has had the opportunity to learn.

The cloud offers small business owners this same variety of functions and flexibility, which increases company productivity. In my professional life, I interact with CEOs of small businesses every day. I keep track of my contacts in a basic cloud CRM system called InfoStreet CRM, one of many cloud CRM options available. I schedule my meetings via the InfoStreet Calendar. I compose, proofread, and share documents using Google Drive. I host online webinars via Meeting Burner. Nearly 90% of my day is spent working in the cloud and using the cloud to my benefit and the benefit of my company. I am able to communicate with clients and partners, track information that is pertinent to my position, and save time while using the cloud. The same is true for my company’s CEO, as well as our employees. The cloud is not only our product, the cloud is what gets us through every day.

Why aren’t more small business owners taking advantage of the benefits that the cloud offers? Although I certainly can’t speak on behalf of all small business owners, I can tell you that the ones that I speak with often come to one conclusion: they aren’t familiar with the cloud and are therefore reluctant to make the move. This is certainly a valid concern. Luckily, companies such as InfoStreet exist (shameless plug – I happen to think we’re pretty fantastic). At InfoStreet, not only do we offer small business owners a multitude of cloud apps to choose from to get them started, but we also invest in our customers’ and partners’ time. We offer full support, if you need it, and plenty of written online support if you don’t. Cloud apps exist for any business need you could imagine: accounting, employee scheduling, customer appointment setting, file sharing, calendaring, email, project management, customer relationship management, e-signatures, online meetings, and the list goes on. The first step a small business owner needs to take is to get out there and research, either on their own or with a partner. With any reputable cloud service provider, a small business owner can explore the cloud at no financial risk to their company. Learning about the cloud and then putting the cloud to work will allow small business owners to keep up with recent college graduates – and the business world – and will help companies increase their growth while saving time.

With so many options available to simplify your life and increase your company’s productivity, why would you wait any longer to explore the cloud? If you’d like to see what InfoStreet has to offer, visit www.infostreet.com.

2013 is turning out to be the year of the cloud and as such, InfoStreet, creator of SkyDesktop, is giving cloud users a chance to win a $200 gift card from Amazon!

The rules are simple and all you need is a Twitter account. To enter, make sure to follow @InfoStreet on Twitter and then send us a tweet starting with “@InfoStreet, I use the cloud to....” to be entered for a chance to win. In your tweet, let us know what you use your cloud for. Do you use the cloud to check mail? Schedule appointments? Manage projects? The opportunities are endless with the cloud.

The Prize: $200 Amazon Gift Card

Deadline: The contest ends at 5PM PST Friday, May 10.

Good luck!

This contest is being hosted with the help of Interactwive, a social contest app that makes hosting Twitter contests a breeze. Check out how you can host your own Twitter contests at www.interactwive.com.

These Official Rules and Guidelines govern your participation in “@InfoStreet-I use the cloud to…”(Promotion), sponsored by InfoStreeet, Inc. (Sponsor).

NO ENTRY FEE. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO PLAY OR WIN. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

Promotion ends: Friday, May 10, 2013 at 5:00 PM PST

1. Promotion Dates

The Promotion starts on Monday May 6, 2013 and runs through May 10, 2013 at 5:00 PM Pacific Standard Time. (Promotion Period).

2. Eligibility and How to Enter

The Promotion is open to any person that follows InfoStreet on twitter and tweets “@InfoStreet, I use the cloud to [describing their cloud use] within the promotional period, and is 18 years or older. This Promotion is subject to all applicable federal, provincial, state and municipal laws and regulations and is void where prohibited.

Employees of Sponsor and its parent companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies, their immediate family members and persons living in their same household, are not eligible to participate in the Promotion. By entering, participants acknowledge compliance with these Official Rules and Guidelines (Official Rules), including eligibility requirements, and the decisions of the Sponsor and/or its agents as final. The Promotion may be entered as follows: On twitter, follow @InfoStreet and then send a tweet describing how you use the cloud, starting with the words, “@InfoStreet, I use the cloud to “

3. Prizes and Drawing

All Promotion entries meeting the requirements of these Official Rules will be entered into a random drawing to be held on or about May 13th, 2013.

The winner will be notified by the contact information on twitter.

If, any winner fails to claim a prize or, where applicable, an affidavit of eligibility and publicity/liability release is not timely received, is incomplete or modified, the prize may be forfeited and no alternate winner will be selected from remaining valid eligible entries. Winners meeting all the eligibility requirements can expect to receive their prize within 4 weeks of the end of the promotion.

In the event of a dispute as to the identity of a winner based on an e-mail or twitter address, the winning entry will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the e-mail or twitter address submitted at time of entry. "Authorized account holder" is defined as the first natural person who is assigned a twitter account by Twitter or to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, on-line service provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address.

Total value of Grand Prize is $200 (U.S.)

The odds of winning a prize depend on the total number of eligible entries. No substitution, transfer or return of prizes is permitted. Sponsor may, at its sole discretion, substitute a prize for cash or a prize of equal or greater value.

4. Legal

Sponsor may require winners to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility, a liability release, and (where lawful) a publicity release as a condition of receiving the prize. This Promotion is subject to all applicable federal, provincial, state and municipal laws and regulations. Each winner acknowledges and agrees that it will be the winner’s sole obligation to report all federal, provincial, state and municipal income, and to pay all taxes related thereto, for all prizes received from Sponsor pursuant to this Promotion, if applicable. These rules govern all aspects of the Promotion and are binding on all participants. Each winner agrees to indemnify Sponsor and hold it harmless to the extent any obligations are imposed by law on Sponsor to pay any applicable federal, provincial, state and municipal taxes or similar items in connection with any cash award made to the winner by Sponsor.

Sponsor and its agencies will not be responsible for: (a) any failure, error or interruption in any communication, transmission, network, or computer, or for any other errors of any kind, whether human, mechanical or electronic; (b) illegible, incomplete, late, lost, damaged, destroyed, delayed, postage due, or misdirected entries, responses, claim forms, or other correspondence, (c) any losses, liabilities, or damages of any kind, including but not limited to bodily injury and death, arising in connection with or as a result of any prize or any person’s acceptance, possession, or use thereof, or from participation in the Promotion or for any condition caused by or events beyond Sponsor’s control that may cause the Promotion to be disrupted or corrupted; or (d) any printing or typographical errors in any materials associated with the Promotion. Once submitted, entries become the sole property of Sponsor and will not be returned. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Promotion in the event of fraud, technical or other difficulties or if the integrity of the Promotion is compromised without liability to the Participants. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify anyone suspected of falsifying any submitted information, acting in a fraudulent or deceptive manner or violating these Official Rules in any respect. Participants may not make any warranty or representation on behalf of Sponsor, nor make any representation or statement whatsoever regarding the Promotion that is inconsistent with the information published by Sponsor.

IN NO EVENT WILL SPONSOR AND ITS PARENT COMPANIES, AFFILIATES, SUBSIDIARIES, ADVERTISING, PROMOTION AND FULFILLMENT AGENCIES OR THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, REPRESENTATIVES AND AGENTS BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES, LIABILITIES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, ARISING OUT OF YOUR ENTRY IN, AND PARTICIPATION, IN THE PROMOTION OR THE DOWNLOADING AND/OR PRINTING OF MATERIAL ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROMOTION. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, EVERYTHING ON THE PROMOTION WEB SITE AND IN THIS PROMOTION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

By participating in the Promotion, each Participant agrees to be bound by the Promotion Official Rules. Participants also agree to release and hold Sponsor and the employees, officers, directors, shareholders, agents, representatives of Sponsor, its parent companies, affiliates and subsidiaries harmless from any and all losses, damages, rights, claims and actions of any kind in connection with the Promotion or resulting from acceptance, possession, or use of any prize, including without limitation, personal injury, death, and property damage, and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, or invasion of privacy.

5. Additional Terms

Except where prohibited, by accepting any prize, winner consents to the use of his/her name, photo and/or likeness, biographical information, winning entry and statements attributed to winner (if true) for advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation.

6. Winner’s List, Official Rules

For a list of prize winners or a copy of these Official Rules, send your request and a stamped, self-addressed envelope to , “@InfoStreet, I use the cloud to” Promotion to InfoStreet, Inc. or (for winner’s list only) send an e-mail to suppor@infostreet.com with “Winner’s List” as the e-mail subject and contest name specified in the body of the e-mail.

The ‘@InfoStreet, I use the cloud to” Promotion is sponsored by InfoStreet, Inc., U.S.A.