During this coronavirus-caused economic stall, many businesses are looking for ways to keep running while taking major financial hits. Companies are in need of ways to cut costs while supporting their employees and, when staying open is possible, continuing to provide excellent service to their clients.
Finding ways to save will take a real evaluation of your expenses and where your money’s really going. One of the first things you can look at is how you spend money on your IT services.
While you and your employees must have access to reliable technology now more than ever, it is also essential that you are getting the best value for money. There might be ways that you could be saving on your IT costs not just now, but in the long term.
1. Evaluate Your Hardware and Software
Take a look at where you are spending money on your IT. Are you leasing equipment? Are you paying for subscriptions? Are you getting the most out of these subscriptions, and are your employees really using them?
Evaluate software you’re subscribing to and whether it is essential to your company. If so, then check if there is a free or less expensive product that offers the same thing. See if there are any solutions that bundle multiple features together for a lower price than you’re paying separately. Check that all your accounts are up to date and that you’re not continuing to pay for ex-employees’ accounts unnecessarily even after they’re working for you.
If you are leasing hardware, then you’re likely to be better off if you buy it outright. While it might seem expensive upfront, it will always save you money in the long run.
2. Check How Much You’re Spending on Phone Costs
If you’re paying for a landline phone service or for employees’ cell phone costs, you’re most likely overpaying. There’s no need a fortune on telephone services when you could be using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. These systems will not only save you money, but they usually offer more features and a much more flexible service.
By creating a phone connection over the internet, a VoIP system allows you to take and make calls through an app on any device, as long as you have WiFi. As one Orange County IT company points out, with VoIP, you don’t have to call a telephone company every time you want to move a phone extension or add a new employee to the company directory. And, best of all, they can cost two to three times less than other phone plans.
3. Review Your Current IT Contract
If you’ve been with your current IT service provider for a while, think about the last time you looked at your contract and reviewed which services you’re paying for.
Some stipulations are commonly forgotten. For example, are you paying per user? If so, are your expenses up to date with the correct number of employees? Are you still getting, and using, all the services you are paying for? If not, then it’s important to review your contract together with your provider to determine you’re paying the appropriate amount moving forward.
4. Outsource Your IT to a Managed Service Provider
While it might seem like a significant expense to outsource your IT to a Managed Service Provider (MSP), in the long run, it will likely save you money. Outsourcing is often cheaper than hiring in-house, especially for smaller businesses who do not need a full-time IT manager in the office but would like to be able to access help as and when they need it. If this sounds like you, then a Managed Service Provider is the perfect way to go.
An MSP can replace or supplement your IT department with no overhead costs and all the support and expertise.