Few people get excited about the company budget, but when it comes to technology, effective budgeting for IT needs may be one of the most important undertakings businesses face when it comes to accomplishing their goals and protecting their data, resources and assets. As businesses begin budgeting for a new year, it’s important to take a few important steps to ensure your business is prepared for the future. These include:
- Assessing your current IT infrastructure and other aspects of technology that impact your day-to-day operations, including identifying any outdated equipment or systems that require updating;
- Defining your future business goals, determining how well your IT supports your aspirations for growth and outlining future IT needs;
- Prioritizing your needs by considering ROI, security, efficiency and productivity;
- Reviewing all upcoming technology renewals to assess whether to maintain them or access newer, more advanced tools and services;
- Factoring in hidden or recurring costs such as software licensing, subscriptions, maintenance or potential downtime;
- Consulting with IT experts or managed service providers (MSPs) who can help identify cost-saving opportunities, recommend scalable solutions and optimize your budget; and
- Evaluating the most cost-effective and efficient way to manage your IT, whether in-house or with an MSP.
Aspects to consider when budgeting are seemingly endless: hardware, software, IT staff, cybersecurity and disaster recovery, infrastructure, maintenance and support, compliance, staff training, and costs associated with new or specific projects. Do you need new computers and servers? Is it time to upgrade software? Do your cybersecurity platform and practices keep your business secure? Is there a software or application that can improve efficiency or enhance customer service? Are your technology systems aligned with your business or holding you back? All these and more are important considerations to take into account when budgeting for a new year.
Perhaps one of the biggest considerations for your budget is whether your business has the means and ability to handle the wide scope of technology needs in-house or if it makes more sense to engage a trusted partner to support your IT planning and implementation. MSPs like ATB Technologies can help optimize your IT budget by reducing overall IT expenses, ensuring predictability in your monthly IT costs, and alleviating the expense of an in-house IT team.
For an affordable, fixed monthly cost, MSPs can help businesses avoid the high overhead costs of handling IT in-house while accessing expert support and cutting-edge technologies. In the case of ATB, we tailor our services to each client’s needs, whether that’s on-site support, around-the-clock monitoring, network design and deployment, problem-solving a particular need and more. Our IT experts can also offer strategic IT consulting services that lead to a proactive approach to technology and align your systems with your business goals.
Interested in learning more about how you can budget for IT in ways that save costs and help your business grow and thrive? Reach out to ATB Technologies today for a free consultation at atb-tech.com/contact-us.