When you run a business there are sure to be a great many expenses involved, and some of them can be extremely costly. One of the biggest costs to a business can be your IT solutions, especially in an office-based environment. These are absolutely necessary for most businesses, but they can also be one of the biggest outlays. It can lead to business owners worrying how they will afford it, what they can do to reduce this and how it will impact on their growth.
It is estimated that as much as 80% of business IT budgeting is spent simply keeping things going, which leaves very little room for innovation and other IT strategies that could drive your business and help it to grow. It might not seem like it initially, but there are ways to cut your business IT costs without cutting corners.
Here, Luke Watts, Managing Director of RoundWorks IT shares six effective tips to reduce IT expenses whilst still giving your business everything that it needs.
1. Opt for some modern software solutions
Every IT system will need a range of software in order for your equipment to run in the way that you want it to and for your business to be able to function. You may be used to some traditional solutions, but as software is a field which is developing incredibly quickly, it can be worth hunting around for some new options. These might not only offer you some more modern options and techniques but could also be cheaper as well thanks to the vast amount of competition that is now out there.
You should make sure that you manage your software subscriptions with Managed Service Provider and license costs to ensure that you are only paying for the programs that you need and that the right number of devices are registered on it - you don’t want to be paying for machines that you no longer use.
You should also keep a close eye on the renewal dates of your software. Many will be set to renew automatically, but this is not necessarily the best option. Knowing when your contract or licence expires gives you time to shop around and see if there are any better deals to be had.
2. Energy use
We are all aware that energy prices are now soaring upwards, and computing power requires a constant source of power to keep it running. This can lead to some extremely expensive energy bills, particularly in a large office which has a number of machines working at any one time. Start by ensuring that no equipment is left running when it doesn’t need to be, and try to ensure that you invest in low energy cooling systems which can help to reduce the energy that you consume.
Don’t forget to shop around for the best energy deal that you can find, just like you would at home. Using a comparison site can help you to find competitive deals for business energy providers. Doing this every year can help to ensure your costs are as low as they can be. Alternatively, you could look at ways of using sustainable energy in your business, such as fitting solar panels, which should reduce the amount of electricity that you actually have to pay for.
3. Cloud computing
Once upon a time, every business needed to invest in expensive servers and storage, but the advent of the cloud has meant that this is no longer necessary. Whilst this might have a monthly or annual fee attached to it, this can be far less than you would pay for hardware and gives you the option to cheaply and easily expand at any time that you need it. It can often be seen as more reliable and is more easily accessible for those who work out of the office or at home.
4. Outsourcing
Outsourcing your IT solutions can save you a lot of money. Whilst this might seem like another cost, they can free you up to do more important things in your business. IT businesses are experts in their field, and will therefore know exactly what you need, where to get it from and how to set it up, which means that they can save you a fortune. In addition to this, they can help you out in the event of an issue of failure, to get you back up and running much quicker, therefore reducing any downtime.
By outsourcing your IT solutions, you can pay for the services that you need, and not find yourself paying to have a full time IT professional in your business who ends up being underutilised.
5. Keep up to date
Technology moves quickly, so it is important that you go through any updates that are available. This might be with your software or hardware, and these updates can be crucial when it comes to making sure that everything is working as quickly and efficiently as it possibly can.
Many updates also include security patches, which can help reduce your vulnerability to viruses and cyber-attacks, which can be incredibly costly to fix once they have taken control.
Updating your hardware on a regular basis can help prevent employees working on machines which are rapidly becoming obsolete and are slowing them down. You should also keep an eye out for plug-in extras which can give your hardware a new lease of life without the need to replace it completely.
6. Buy in bulk
Whether you are looking at hardware or software, it often pays to buy in bulk. Many providers will offer discounts for purchasing multiple machines or licences, so timing your buying correctly to encompass a number of different things can be beneficial.
It can be critical to get your IT expenses under control if you are looking to do more that simply maintain the status quo. By reducing any unnecessary spending, you can focus on developing your business, helping you to become faster, more efficient and to give you an edge over the competition.
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