When COVID hit, the owner of a small bookkeeping company decided that the best way to keep his business alive was to buy everyone laptops so that they could work from home. He found a closeout deal on some consumer-grade laptops online that looked like a perfect fit. They seemed like a bargain, but it wasn’t long before complaints began to emerge about the computers being slow and crashing at the wrong time. Most of the issues were chalked up to the new remote work environment, which was only part of the problem, but funds have been tight so the team has had to live with these slow, unreliable machines. But now, some recent changes in their software platforms have finally made things unworkable. The only option is to go through another full round of computer purchases, only this time with a better understanding of the long-term cost of cheap tech.
Top Three IT Cost Savings Opportunities
Technology costs can represent a significant slice of a small business budget and need to be managed carefully. The trick is working out how to trim the fat from your tech budget while still giving your team the systems they need to stay secure and productive.
While every business is a little different, here are three areas where you may be able to find savings in your tech spend, along with the risks involved with underinvesting in your business.
- Buy Business-Class Hardware: Please don’t hate me for starting my cost-cutting advice by asking you to invest more money, hear me out. I won’t get into the tech weeds here, but there is no doubt that business-class computers offer a better lifetime value than consumer-grade equipment. The cybersecurity, hardware quality, warranty, and upgradability (is that a word?) are all much better on the business-class equipment. Making the investment will make your team more secure and productive, and you will get a much longer lifespan from your equipment.
- Review Your Subscriptions: How many tech-related subscriptions does your business pay for? It is very common for companies to end up paying for legacy subscriptions that are no longer in use, or for an expensively priced service tier when a lower-cost service plan would do just fine. You do have to take the time to understand the value proposition of each subscription, but the cost savings can really add up.
- Consider A Move To The Cloud: If your team runs a lot of applications natively on their workstations or you have a server on-site, it makes sense to investigate whether there are cloud-equivalent options available. Cloud solutions can seem expensive on the surface, but moving applications off of the workstations can improve reliability and costs under the right circumstances.
Bonus Tip: Consider Managed IT Services
Yes, this is a shameless, self-serving plug, but I wouldn’t be in this business if I did not believe in the value proposition that Fractional IT Support can provide. If you are in an office of less than 50 people, an IT support team like ours can give you access to expert support and security at a fraction of the cost of a full-time IT professional. We also tend to be better equipped to find those tech cost-saving and productivity improvement opportunities that can contribute to your bottom line.
Getting the right mix of infrastructure, hardware, and software deployed into your operations can keep your staff from becoming frustrated, non-productive, and unmotivated about their work and your company. If you need some help getting your IT systems up to scratch, feel free to schedule a free consultation with me, and I’ll be happy to help you get on the right path.