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2 min read

How Businesses can Reduce IT Costs

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If you own a small to medium-sized business, you’ll know how difficult it can be to reduce operational costs and maximize profits. IT budgets can be particularly troublesome, especially if your organization requires sophisticated technologies to function.

Fortunately, there are many ways to reduce IT costs you may not have considered. To help you slash your monthly expenditures and help you on your way to business growth, we’ve listed a few below:

1. Shift from traditional to virtual infrastructure

Replacing expensive physical hardware with virtual solutions is a great way to save money and modernize your IT operations. Physical servers are very costly to run as they consume vast amounts of energy and require regular maintenance.

Fortunately, switching to a centralized virtual environment will address this issue. It could also mitigate the risk of downtime caused by damaged on-site servers.

If you’re reluctant to undergo a comprehensive migration, you could compromise by storing sensitive data in a private environment while placing applications and less critical data in cloud storage.

2. Personalize your software solutions

Subscription services such as Adobe Photoshop can be great for businesses in need of a comprehensive suite of design, project management, or collaboration tools. However, as your company grows and you discover new products, you may find that certain services get used less often. Remember to clear out redundant platforms regularly or, if possible, switch to a reduced plan that only includes the most popular applications. It is also worth scouring the web for open-source alternatives but beware of security risks.

3. Invest in a managed service provider

Many business owners are put off by the idea of a managed service provider (MSP), believing them to be costly and suitable only for big companies. This notion couldn’t be further from the truth. Many small to medium-sized businesses use MSPs to reduce the need for on-site IT support, thereby making significant savings and freeing up in-house staff to get on with more creative and productive tasks.

Depending on the provider and plan you opt for, you will benefit from a range of features such as help desk support, data storage, security services, and backup provisions. Not having a cybersecurity team that is up to par as well as security awareness training for your employees could end up costing you far more than a managed service provider.  

4. Assess your internet provider

Business owners often invest in internet plans that are more powerful than necessary, effectively pouring money down the drain. Consider whether you could downgrade to a more cost-efficient plan while still meeting business needs.

If your internet speeds are slow, on the other hand, it may be worth upgrading your plan, as disruptions caused by buffering and sluggish download speeds could be costing you money, wasting employee time, and even cause customer frustration.

5. Start with a technology audit

Thinking of switching to IT managed services? Wondering how to cut costs but unsure about the practicalities of migrating data and enlisting new providers? We’re here to help.

Our IT experts in Columbus, OH, are ready and waiting to audit your software and service use. We offer bespoke advice about your business’s IT and how to streamline services for your needs. Get in touch today to find out more. 

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