5 Ways to Seize More Tech Savings

How many times have you felt like it’s impossible to keep up with today’s rapidly evolving business technology? You’re not alone; small businesses all over are finding it to be expansive and fast-moving, making it hard to stay ahead. If you’re sick of underutilizing your resources, maintaining broken systems, and overspending on your IT, then it’s time to start looking for savings.

Thankfully, it’s not as difficult as it sounds, especially if your business suffers from any of the above-mentioned problems. Here are five ways to get your IT spending back on track.

Audit Your Subscriptions

First, reconsider the tools your business pays for, but doesn’t actually use. This is the biggest problem for today’s businesses; they’ll invest in new tools, only to find they actually don’t need them at all. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up paying for the same tools twice, which is downright wasteful.

Fixing this should be a priority, as these ghost subscriptions can spiral out of control and cost you even more money in the long run. Start by conducting an audit to see who actually uses your specific cloud resources and determine if any of your subscriptions overlap with one-another. If you have different departments using different systems for the same task, that’s an opportunity to consolidate.

Get Your Cloud Under Control

With cloud computing, you can achieve the flexibility you want and need for your business… IF you can correctly forecast the costs. This means having the right oversight to ensure you aren’t paying for solutions that run, but don’t functionally do anything for your business (think servers that are on, but aren’t actually used for hosting solutions or performing work). Here are two ways to ensure you’re managing your cloud investments properly:

• Right-sizing - Ensure you aren't paying for a large server when a medium can handle the workload.
• Reserved instances - If you know you’ll need a server for a year, pay upfront or commit to a term. This can save you a lot, especially compared to on-demand pricing.

Refurbish Where Possible

Many businesses don’t like buying refurbished, but it can be helpful when trying to save money. Buying certified pre-owned laptops, monitors, or networking gear from vendors you can trust will save you thousands of dollars that you might otherwise spend. Plus, open-box or manufacturer-certified gear often comes with the same warranties as brand-new equipment, making them just as useful for a fraction of the cost.

Consider Open-Source Solutions

Businesses often think they need premium business tools for every task, but this is just not true. Sometimes, depending on the task, you can get away with using open-source software. These solutions have grown significantly in just the past decade alone, and they can often replace expensive proprietary tools that keep businesses running. Just be careful with how you implement them, and make sure you know how your data is being used (but that goes for literally any software tool).

Automate Whenever Possible

Instead of spending less on tools, consider how you can spend less on time. For example, manual data entry and repetitive tasks can eat into your budget through the sheer time cost alone. With smart implementation of low-code or no-code automation tools, you can bridge the gaps between apps so they can interact with each other, reducing human error and keeping your team from trudging through rote work that doesn’t value their time or expertise.

Suffolk Computer Consultants specializes in helping businesses like yours save money through smart implementation of the right technology solutions. Learn more today by calling us at 631-905-9617 today.