You don't always have to spend money to make money. At least, not a lot of money. Running a small business these days is more expensive than most people realize. Luckily. there are a whole lot of business IT solutions out there that can help you save and thrive at the same time.
Keep reading to find out more about business IT solutions on a budget.
Low-Cost Business IT Solutions For Your Budget
The cost of doing business is rising. Fortunately, at the same time, there are tons of solutions from free apps and software to virtual assistants that can help you cut the right corners in terms of your budget.
There are plenty of small business solutions out there, and these are our top three:
1. Find Your Productivity Suite Spot
If you want to get the most bang for your buck, you'll want to switch to Office 365. Office 365 comes with a variety of robust features that allow for collaboration and applications that integrate seamlessly with all of Microsoft's online applications.
Sure, there are dozens of cloud-based productivity suites, but it's the Microsoft Office applications such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook, Publisher, OneNote, and so on that are widely used among businesses small and large. Furthermore, nearly all other productivity suites allow for word document conversion, making collaboration with your virtual assistants that much more simple.
2. Migrate on Over to the Cloud
Ditch all the hardware you can and move all of your storage and phone system over to the cloud. It's the best way to avoid costly infrastructure, not to mention having to come up with the budget for an in-house IT team or an on-call service.
All you need is the right cloud-hosted service provider, a good internet connection, and some equipment for your in-house employees and you're good to go. Your cloud-based service provider will take care of all the IT issues, management, and upgrades that come along with your service subscription.
Additionally, service providers offer a ton of features for you and your employees to take advantage of. They also provide you with built-in redundancy, so black-outs and power outages won't get in the way of doing business.
3. Hire Based on a Two-Pronged Approach
Believe it or not, hiring qualified employees is costly. Not to mention, technology, in general, is becoming more and more specialized—and it's evolving at a fast pace. Not every potential employee is going to possess the necessary specialized skills all in one.
Your hiring strategy should be a two-pronged approach. First, hire for a specific skill set. Second, hire for talent and fit. The ultimate goal is to have a group of employees that have a variety of skillsets that fit all your needs.
From there, you can revise and refine their skillsets as a whole. This way, you're making sure that everyone is up to date on certifications and that you're upskilling all of your existing employees. Eventually, all of your employees will possess the same skills, creating a well-oiled machine.
Save Money In IT
There are tons of money-saving business IT solutions out there. Lucky for you, we've got them all in one place. Check back with us daily for more new technical solutions that will keep you in business. Visit the Tech section of our Frugal Finance Blog for more advice on business IT solutions, software, fintech news, and much more.