How to Squeeze Every Drop of Value from Your Business Technology

Keeping a business running is no easy feat, with dozens of moving parts and considerations to maintain at any given time. Arguably, this has never been more true than it is now, when you combine current inflation and labor shortages with the technological options businesses now have. In short, it can be exceptionally confusing…and challenging in terms of budgeting it out.

Let’s consider a few ways to make your business capital go that much further.

Cost is Not Value

The first thing that needs to be addressed is how much of a gulf separates “cost” from “value,” as it concerns your business’ environment. Naturally, big purchases need to more expressly offer value in order to justify the expense of the cost—and therefore, businesses need to seek out this value in each and every investment they consider. This helps ensure short term return on investment as well as the impact they’ll have over time. As a result, it’s important to evaluate and adjust the investments you make in order to optimize the value your business gets.

The Cloud is Something to Consider

The cloud may be an option to help your business squeeze as much value as possible from its available budget. Many cloud-based services are out there that can assist businesses in expanding their infrastructures and capabilities by effectively renting out the resources these businesses need. Whether you need data storage space, a customer relationship management platform, communication systems, or really any other business requirement, there’s almost certainly going to be a cloud-hosted option available.

There’s also a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) option out there for effectively any need a business may have, which means that you can use the cloud to subscribe to essential business services and applications—often on a per-user basis—which allows you to scale your use of these apps to your specific business needs. These applications cover the gamut in terms of utility, from productivity to network security to industry-specific tools, and are generally always available.

Don’t Be Afraid to Invest in Communications

Communications are a good investment for any business to focus on to some degree. After all, your staff needs to communicate with each other and your clientele to help drive your operations forward. This means they’ll need the tools to do so, from email to the various other collaboration programs available.

One standout example is VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol. This alternative to traditional telephone services is the very definition of cost efficiency, as it eliminates the need for dedicated telephone services while simultaneously providing far greater functionality through the various third-party integrations that are available.

There’s no denying that money can be pretty tight right now, making budgetary concerns the top line item for millions of small and medium-sized businesses. However, we here at Preferred don’t believe that this means that Chicagoland businesses should be forced to compromise their capabilities completely. Give us a call today at 708-781-7110 to find out how we can help you adjust your business’ IT to get the greatest ROI you can from your technology.