Small Business IT Money Saving Tips

Review your current support model

Most conventional support cost models are pinned to the number of users or endpoints, which means that businesses could be paying over the odds. Unlike our peers who charge on a per-user basis, we calculate premiums based on your actual usage. We use a cost calculator to determine your premium (and we share that with you). The result is you only pay for what you consume. Why should a 50-seat company pay any more for their support if they log the same number of calls as a company that has half as many users? We think thats unfair and unethical. Throughout the year we monitor your call volumes to identify whether we need to make any adjustments (up or down) to next years premium.

Here's an example:

CONVENTIONAL MODEL: 50 users/endpoints @ £ 20.00 per month = £ 12,000.00 per year

OUR MODEL: Average monthly call volume for 50 users @ 18 calls per month = £ 7800.00 per year

Mothball assets that are not in service

Any endpoint that is operational consumes monthly costs for managed security services such as web protection, anti-virus, patch management, and monitoring. Simply by undertaking regular housekeeping, unused assets can be removed, and ongoing savings can be enjoyed. Many small businesses do not have the time or scope to focus on such tasks, and the result is their estate becomes bloated, and they end up paying for redundant assets. Here at FOS.net, we build in regular proactive visits to handle such admin and housekeeping tasks. This means that redundant assets are flagged and removed.

Keep on top of your Microsoft 365 billing

If you are on month-to-month billing, some plans, such as the 365 Business Basic and Premium have risen by 20%. When was the last time that you audited your bill and how can you be sure that you are only paying for what you need? From your 365 admin portal, you have access to several reports that will allow you to identify if users are assigned to incorrect plans as well as highlighting plans that are not required. However, most small businesses do not possess such knowledge and they end up paying for redundant licenses every month. As part of our managed 365 billing service, we regularly audit your 365 estate to ensure that you only pay for what you need.

Check out our dedicated blog article https://www.fos.net/news_details/Microsoft-365-Cost-Saving-Tips

Eliminate Shadow Computing

Many small business owners allow their staff to deploy third-party software solutions without proper scrutiny or oversight. This means that your business could be expending monthly costs for solutions that might not be required. In most cases your teams are not practicing shadow IT maliciously, they are simply trying to do their jobs better. Before you seek out and deploy third-party software solutions, the function that you require could be in plain sight.

Here are some simple steps to follow:

• Review whats going on
• Evaluate and prioritise risk
• Lockdown
• Create policies
• Educate staff and monitor

Following these steps will go a long way to reducing risk and identifying cost savings. Shadow IT is a symptom that occurs when users arent satisfied with the existing IT solutions. If your company is fighting Shadow IT, don try to fight it head-on. You must first identify the root of the problem. Why do users feel like they have to bypass IT in the first place? Only then can you hope to address the issue.