The technology your small business uses is supposed to save you money, either by automating processes so you don’t have to pay an employee to do tasks or by helping your employees get things done more efficiently – right? Technology is a big expense, and it’s easy to overlook places where technology costs your business more than it should. Are your technology expenditures higher than they need to be?
Buy Refurbished Equipment
Your office will always need new hardware. Phones break, computers go out of date, or your payroll expands and you need equipment for more people. Instead of buying everything new, consider refurbished office equipment. Refurbished equipment is cheaper than new equipment, but it’s not like buying something used either. Refurbished equipment undergoes cleaning, repairs, and inspections. Another benefit? It’s more environmentally conscious to buy refurbished equipment.
Cut Back on Software Licenses
Software is designed to save you money by automating processes and giving you business insights. It can easily become a big expense if you pay for more software than you use. Assess the subscription software your business currently uses. Do you need every feature that comes with the software? Can you add an extra package to another software bundle instead of using two separate softwares? Does the software meet your business’s needs? Better software solutions may exist, and you’ll find them with a little research.
Optimize Telecom Expenses
Your telecom expenses (like phone and internet) could be costing you more than you realize. Anything from customer service calls that are overlong to employees who use their work phones for personal use can up your telecom expenses without you realizing. Asentinal Telecom Expense Management automates your telecom processes, from your carrier bills to your telecom hardware. If you’re overpaying for something or you have an inefficient system in place, telecom expense management software will find it and help you fix it, saving you money on those telecom bills.
Nix Paper
Paying for ink, toner, paper, and postage is expensive enough. The technology you need to print, fax, shred, and copy is expensive too. Most companies can’t buy a copy machine outright, which means you’re left leasing it – paying a monthly bill plus interest. If you do buy it, repairing it when it breaks can be costly. When printers break, buying a new one is often more cost-effective than fixing the old one, but new printers that can handle the demands of a small business aren’t cheap. Make your office a paperless office, and save on technology costs related to paper communication.
Technology helps you reduce overhead and increase earnings when you use it right. But paying too much for technology that you don’t use (or that you could be using differently) undermines all the benefits your business gleans from using it in the first place. It’s time to take a hard look at those technology expenses and start cutting back when they appear too high. Ultimately, your office technology should be helping you make money, not costing you money.
