What is your budget for IT?

In running a small business, the management, operations and budgets may be the responsibly of a few individuals. The wearing of many hats and being the “Jack of all trades” can be much the norm, and such a structure puts the decision for IT into the hands of someone with limited experience, expertise and resources. Technology continues to change at an incredible pace and no slowing down is in sight. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending how you look at things, technology is an absolute necessity today and the small business owner is faced with decisions on what is the best technological investment to maximize efficiency, effectiveness, productivity and security.

When considering how best to budget for technology, three areas should be a part of the thought process: Run Budget, Grow Budget and Transform Budget.

Run Budget

How much is it going to cost to run the IT process for your business on a day-to-day basis? Factors such as key software upgrades and support, essential infrastructure – servers, routers, switches, etc., workstations, IT service and support. Run budget is not the area to make cost reductions, because such cuts could introduce operational risk from failures and/or lost productivity. Properly maintaining the IT infrastructure on a daily basis is the life blood of ANY company large or small.

Grow Budget

Budgetary items in this category help a business improve existing capabilities, and introduce new ones, such as implementation of new software for better customer service or more efficient operations, new firewall protection to guard against cyber threats, or an upgrade of the company’s website to improve sales and customer interaction. Grow budget items should be in line with the company’s strategic initiatives.

Transform Budget

This involves searching out better technologies to improve operations, changes to business processes, or adding new products or services. Transform budget items are research and development type activities that are in line with strategic planning.

As with any business, budgeting and spending is a challenging task. Technology is more than ever an important aspect within the overall budget. Unfortunately, many try to cut corners with less than adequate equipment infrastructure, and they take a DIY approach to keeping the computers and network secure and operating at optimal efficiency. As the saying goes… “you get what you pay for”. Compromising on quality and professional service can lead to lots of frustration and losses in productivity and service.

At ZBx Technology, the IT team is looking out for your best interest when it comes to daily operations and strategic planning. Our motto… “Technology Simplified”. Contact us at 616-594-7100 or [email protected] to discuss your current pain points and vision for the future.