How to Reduce Technology Costs for Your Business

One of the most costly facets of your business is technology. Thereâs really no way to get around it. Technology makes the world go âround. Without it, it would be nearly impossible to generate enough revenue to break even, let alone turn a profit. That said, there are ways you can cut down on your technology costs. Letâs examine a few.

Identify the Cost

Your technology needs are multifaceted. In order to cut costs, you need to know how much you are spending to satisfy each of your technology needs. Review them line by line for things you may be paying for more than once. Are you spending twice the amount that you should be on something that would provide twice the services for half the price? Are you currently using more than one platform through which to communicate with clients? If so, can you upgrade your primary platform to accommodate all of your business needs for less than the licensing fee of your secondary platform?

Use Cloud Software

Your internal systems can be easily overwhelmed by too much information. Such is the nature of running a small business. As your business continues to grow, so will your need for data storage. Instead of funneling CRM data into an onsite database, use a cloud system to free up some bandwidth. Many people in the business intelligence online community compare using the cloud system to renting out a storage unit. Youâre not giving the information to someone else. Youâre just cleaning out the attic to make room for more junk. The less information your internal servers need to squeeze through, the faster theyâll be. This amounts to more productivity during the typical workday, ultimately increasing your revenue.

Another advantage to the cloud is that it can be accessed remotely through any device with an internet connection. As most cell phones these days come standard with internet access, most, if not all of your employees would be able to access the cloud remotely using their own devices instead of company issued cell phones. In the event that you provide your employees with cell phones and plans that charge for use by the minute, know that your employees will use less air time with remote access to important information than they would if they needed to call the office information that you may not have at the ready.

Invest in Tech Support

Sometimes reducing costs means taking precautions. Many of us choose to ignore this philosophy as we run our personal computers into the ground. We load up on free antivirus software chock full of malware that slows down our computerâs performance. We run free trial versions of popular antivirus software and never buy into it, ignoring those annoying pop-ups that warn us when we go to download a dangerous file...and why not? It's convenient, right? Instead of sending it off for repairs or cleaning, taking the hit on our credit card statement to keep our computers running at full speed, we blow the hard-drive repeatedly until eventually it wonât start, and we pay full price for something new.

You cannot afford to apply this approach to your business. Communication with customers and colleagues is extremely important. Even minor glitches in the system could wind up costing you thousands of dollars in missed opportunity. The good thing about glitches, however, is that they usually predict future crashes. Glitches are like âcheck engineâ lights. If you let them go, you will eventually break down. Consider having a tech support team on standby to keep your system up and running. You may dish out a monthly check that you would sooner see allocated to your advertising campaign than a problem you donât have yet, but waiting for a complete crash will cost you a lot more in the long run.