One of the biggest costs of running a small business can often come from the technology that you use. IT is a fantastic benefit for businesses around the world. But, equipment can be expensive to buy and maintain, and the same can be said for the software that you use for your business. However, there are a few things that you can do to reduce some of those costs. Read on to find out what you can do to cut your company’s IT expenditure.
BYOD
‘Bring Your Own Device’ – or BOYD – is popular with many small businesses, and employees. All it means is giving staff members the opportunity to bring their own laptops or devices into work and use them on a daily basis. The practice is popular with business owners because they don’t need to invest in as much equipment. Employees enjoy it because they are often happier using their own devices and are used to the way that they work. It’s also worth thinking about the fact that many businesses these days are more flexible than they have been in the past. More people work from home, and if that is something that you encourage, BOYD is something for you to consider.
Change your database management
The business world relies on a vast amount of data these days, but that can come at a cost. There are many types of database that you can use to manage your business website. However, according to industry experts Altibase, many can cause your business to lose time – and money. Older systems such as on-disk management systems are less able to handle the sheer volume of transactions that occur in modern sites. So, you may find a more cost-effective option by looking into in-memory databases instead.
Investigate open source software
Software packages – particular those used commercially – are expensive when you are a small business. However, for every piece of software that costs money, there are open source alternatives you can pick up for free. For example, instead of spending four figure sums on using Windows for business, you could look into using Linux. Microsoft Word is another expensive tool that many companies use, but you could replace it with the open source Openoffice.
Use VoIP for your communications
Voice over Internet Protocol – or VoIP – is incredibly popular with many businesses. It gives you a lot of flexibility in your communications, and can be a cost-effective alternative to traditional phone lines. There are plenty of options out there – Nextiva and Skype to name but two. You can set up an account for free and either pay for calls as and when you need them or pay into a monthly plan. VoIP communications are great for a business that needs to be adaptable, and as you increase in size, you can improve your plan to suit.
There are many different ways that you can cut your small business’s IT costs. These are just four of them – but as ever, we would love to hear from you. How have you slashed the costs of technology in your business, and how much has it saved you?Let us know in the comments section below.
