Small businesses’ technology costs continue to rise, mainly due to increased cybercrimes. Small companies spend about 12% more on cybersecurity than in previous years.
The technology cost line item in your budget becomes harder and harder to predict. At the same time, a security flaw could destroy your business.
Plus, there are other technology costs in your business beyond security. Keep reading if you’re looking for a way to keep those costs in line.
This guide shows you what to consider when managing IT budgets.
What Every Entrepreneur Should Know About IT Cost in Business
The Cost of Technology in Your Business
- Technology costs fluctuate from one month to the next for small businesses. You have standard software costs. You must also consider time to maintain computers, fix printers, and update software.
- Your business likely has a website that needs regular maintenance. IT costs include domain names, website hosting plans, and plugin subscriptions.
- Do you have IT employees on staff? You know that they command high salaries, plus benefits. Add up these costs, and you’ll be spending hundreds or thousands of dollars monthly.
- That doesn’t include times when you have to replace and upgrade hardware. These replacements are expensive and cause your IT spending to explode.
- Add these unexpected expenses over the last few years and create an average. Then, you can set aside funds each month for these technology costs.
Should You Outsource IT?
- How can you lower those costs? Outsourcing can help. You can control costs and save time.
- It doesn’t mean outsourcing the IT department or every part of your infrastructure. You can hire an outside IT company to handle one aspect of your IT needs.
- For instance, you can outsource IT security. You might also need a help desk for your employees to solve tech issues quickly. Small businesses have the option to outsource the entire IT department.
- Take the time to analyze your business needs and decide what’s best for you.
- What does outsourcing add to your technology cost? IT management companies have a few different pricing models.
- Many charge a flat monthly rate for a specified set of services. Be sure to know what those services are because anything outside of the contract carries an additional fee.
- Companies also charge based on the number of people or devices in your company. This is an essential distinction because your small business may only have three people, but there are 15 devices to manage.
- If you only need someone on standby to help with occasional needs, get a retainer contract. You pay for a set number of hours each month.
- Control the Technology Cost Budget
How can you control the technology cost in your budget? The best way is to figure out your business needs and budget for the regular expenses. By the end of the process, you’ll have a clear path to save money and control your costs.
For more helpful tech tips, click on the Technology tab at the top of this page.