What is an intranet and why does your company need one? An intranet is similar to a website but is completely internal. It can be designed countless ways but frequently companies mirror them to their external websites, creating a sense of connection within the company. 

While there are perceived downsides such as the initial investment of time and resources to build out an intranet, they are far outweighed by the benefits. Here are four reasons you should create an intranet for your small business.

1.  Get the (same) word out quickly.
No more water cooler gossip. Posting to the intranet allows you to get one uniform message out to all of your employees at the same time. Everyone gets the same information, avoiding miscommunications and misunderstandings. There is also no risk of the dangerous “reply-all” with intranet posts.

2.  Save time and save space in your inbox and on your server.
With an intranet, you can keep your email reserved for truly business-related matters. It will cut down on the number of emails people receive and save time they spend sifting through their inboxes. Plus it provides a common place to link to shared documents, saving space on your server. This also saves time by making those documents easily available to everyone, meaning you no longer have to hunt through a dozen folders looking for a specific HR form. It is right there on the HR section on the intranet.

3.  Enjoy an increased sense of community and boosted morale.
Having an internal site where employees can go to get company information increases the sense of community within the workplace. Knowing that everyone has the same information generates a sense of unity. The opportunity to post “comments” or collaborate on an employee message board is also an option with an intranet, creating a safe form of social networking you can easily control and monitor. This appeals to the younger generation, keeping them engaged with the company and their work, while also bringing the older generation into the fold through an easy to understand format.

4.  Cut costs.
By putting items like company-wide forms and benefit information on the intranet, you not only make it easily accessible, you save money by not having to constantly print out fresh copies for new hires. Plus, once it is built out, an intranet is easy to maintain and update, making it a low-cost, high-payoff investment.