Q: I’ve just set up a business and want to invest in some new IT but I’m concerned about price. How can I keep my IT costs down?
Sep 27 2011
Answered by: Phil Birbeck Ask a question
IT is one most important outlays for small businesses when starting up. There are endless types of hardware and software that a business owner can purchase, but the first factor to consider is why you need IT and what you will use it for as this will ultimately keep costs down.
Consider the type of business you have and where you tend to do most of your work. If it is in an office, a desktop PC might be best, however if you work from home or travel a lot, a tablet or laptop could work well.
If you do work from home a lot or want someone on hand to help you with any IT issues that arise, Remote IT Management (RITM) is another option. This typically involves providing a business with remote monitoring, trouble shooting, and support of an IT network to ensure computer systems are always running efficiently.
It is always worth investing in back-up devices. Use two, such as external hard drives, and always keep one offsite. These don’t have to be expensive, but are vital to protect your business in case the worst happens. A lost laptop is bad enough, but it can be even worse if it contains confidential business information, so make sure everything is password protected.
If you are looking to market your business online take advantage of social media, create LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook profiles for your business and keep them updated with latest news and relevant issues as this will help improve your search engine ranking for free.
IT is an essential part of running a business, but it need not be expensive. With a bit of forward planning and some expert advice, start-up costs can be kept down and the flexibility to scale up as the business grows can easily be built in.
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