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Tips to Save Small Businesses Money on Hardware, Devices

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Small business owners and managers know that an itemized, efficient budget is essential to their bottom line. Office equipment and supply expenses can be a drain on a budget that could otherwise be allocated to other operational costs.

You could save costs on office equipment by following these tips.

  1. Get an IT assessment. A third-party IT provider could conduct a network assessment and inventory your current IT systems. This process can identify system risks and provide a list of updates and projects your business should prioritize. A proactive approach can save your business countless dollars in cyberattacks or system failures.
  2. Use eco-friendly equipment. Offices that have switched to energy-efficient appliances and hardware have seen a decrease in monthly utility bills. Many printing manufacturers offer a line of energy-efficient devices.
  3. Lease your hardware. Leasing allows you to obtain new office equipment immediately and gather funds as you use it. Budgeting also becomes easier as businesses can plan on the same monthly payments for a year or two instead of guessing as to what their budget should be for a new piece of equipment paid in full. Businesses also are able to switch out hardware when they need equipment with updated technology.
  4. Find hardware with multiple purposes. Multifunction printers — printers with scanner and copier functions — make sense for small businesses who have to stretch their resources in many directions. Multifunction printers are a solid investment and prevent you from wasting spaces and resources on a variety of devices.
  5. Consider using refurbished equipment. Many manufacturers or dealers offer refurbished options at a discount. Your provider can provide a thorough examination of every machine. They can repair or replace worn parts to make sure that your refurbished machine runs like new so you get maximum value.
  6. Receive regular maintenance. Similar to an IT assessment, receiving regular repairs on office equipment can stave off larger issues that upend workflow, costing you money in both expensive repairs and business operations. Managed IT services are the best model to save your resources and receive a return on your hardware investments. Instead of paying large fees each time you need assistance, your IT needs are covered in one monthly payment to one vendor.
  7. Scale your services. Most businesses need a variety of channels with which to communicate with staff and with customers. A managed IT provider can set your business up with a hosted communication system, which encompasses phones, audio and video conferencing, instant messaging and VoIP — voice over internet protocol. A hosted communication system is run through the cloud, and services are scalable so you can add channels as your business grows, paying for the exact amount of services you need.

How to Avoid an IT Wreck

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Before heading out on a road trip, most people make sure their car’s oil is changed and sufficiently filled, their brake pads are functioning properly and their tires aren’t bald. However, it’s just as important to perform regular maintenance on your car when you’re driving close to home. Starting the workday with a dead car battery is extremely inconvenient. Driving with warped brake rotors on the interstate during rush hour can be downright dangerous.

Most people understand the responsibilities and dangers that can come with driving a vehicle, but daily stress makes it easy to put off regular servicing. Your IT systems can suffer from the same negligence.

Small and medium-sized businesses likely have hundreds of devices that require regular maintenance — everything from computers, tablets, desk and mobile phones, servers, routers, printers, scanners, copiers and other machines.

Your office may perform full-scale system checks or data backups once a year or before beginning an ambitious project, but what do you do to ensure your equipment is functioning properly and securely on a regular basis? Can you or your employees recognize the signs of a breached or failing system?

We’ve got answers to your questions to keep irksome issues from turning into a complete wreck.

How do IT issues occur?

IT flareups are often the product of long-term issues that employees may not have recognized or that the company has not prioritized. It’s easy to see how more pressing work or more exciting projects can get in the way of fixing a system or device. If your office has only one or two IT employees on staff, small issues may fall through the cracks.

How can you keep an eye on your IT Services?

First, you need to set terms of reference for all employees. Make sure they understand how the systems and devices they use on a daily basis should work. Train employees to recognize common problems and provide a procedure to follow when issues occur. That way your employees aren’t driving around with the check engine light on for days without popping the hood of the vehicle or calling a mechanic.

Regular meetings are a great way to stay on top of your IT systems. Depending on your operations, a monthly meeting might be sufficient with all departments represented. The meetings should be streamlined, focusing on a plan of action to take care of the parts of your IT system that need regular maintenance — or ones that need special attention — until the next meeting.

How does managed IT help?

Third-party IT services providers, such as Infomax, supplement your existing IT team and allow your organization access to experts in various facets of IT. With Infomax’s iGuard Managed IT, clients know that more than 40 professionals with expert-level experience work for their business. Most importantly, managed IT provides business owners and employees peace of mind knowing that they have a team of professionals who are working proactively — not reactively — to keep your business safe from cyberthreats.

Managed IT providers work with businesses before breaches occur, periodically going over IT priorities. At Infomax, our iGuard Managed IT team even provides our clients with security awareness training to ensure employees are up to date on how to keep company data safe. iGuard Managed IT Services also entails regular data backups, ensuring that systems can be restored in the event of cyberattack, natural disaster or user error.

How does complete cloud computing keep your IT in line?

Infomax’s Complete Cloud Services — powered by Avatara — are similar to our managed IT services. However, our complete cloud services allow your company to completely hand your IT needs over to a team of experts.

It makes the most sense for businesses that don’t have full-time IT employees and want to staff to focus on their initiatives instead of pesky IT tasks. For instance, your mechanic wouldn’t expect you to rotate the tires on your vehicle while they change the oil.

With complete cloud services, our IT experts work even more proactively to protect and maintain your devices and IT systems. Additionally, all servers, storage and other infrastructure are moved to the cloud, represented as multiple secure data centers across the country. All computers and technological systems are hosted in the secured cloud, taking away the clutter of hardware your organization previously stored. Your business will never again need to buy new hardware, manage device upgrades or download new programs.

To learn more about how Infomax can help keep your IT systems running smoothly, contact us at 1-800-727-4629 or visit infomaxoffice.com/support/contact-us/.

When Service Is More Important than Technology

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Technology drives your business, and you depend on your technology equipment to function on a daily basis. Between computers, servers, printers, scanners, and all the elements of your IT network, your company needs its equipment in optimum working condition at all times. And that’s where service comes in. In an ideal world printers would never jam, laptops would never fry, and servers would never crash. But when those things happen, you need a reliable business solutions partner to get you back on track.

Here are a few telltale signs that your technology solutions partner prioritizes service—and your business—above all else.

  • Proactive service and maintenance. In the world of business, you only want the best. A good solutions partner will ensure that your equipment is secure, up to date, and working efficiently. You work hard to make your business the best it can be. Shouldn’t your service partner do the same?
  • Rapid response times. When your equipment needs help, it needs help immediately. A solutions partner that prioritizes response prioritizes your business. Having someone you can call quickly and who will respond immediately is invaluable to long-term business success.
  • Strong local presence. Word of mouth is paramount when it comes to whether a solutions partner will be a good fit. Take time to get referrals for potential service partners, and gain the opinions of trusted colleagues and other local businesses before making your decision. Also remember that a solutions partner’s local presence will equal enhanced flexibility and responsiveness.
  • Expert technicians. A great solutions partner will have the expertise to back up their work. Furthermore, expert, certified technicians will be up to date on all of the latest innovations and advancements, helping keep your business on the cutting edge. This way, your company’s workflow is consistently smooth, efficient, and ahead of the competition.

For a solutions partner that prioritizes your business above all else, contact Infomax today.