Call 847-398-5212, Six Ways Businesses Can Save in Troubled Times

As the economy continues to slow and the outlook appears bleak for recovery in the near future, businesses have no choice but to find ways to reduce costs.  One avenue for cutting costs is through expenditures in the Information Technology area.  Whether your company has downsized or is just finding ways to reduce cost, I have come up with ten ways to reduce costs while keeping productivity high:

1. Anti-Virus says it all.  Make sure all of your computers have an active and updated anti-virus installed. The cost of cleaning off the viruses and repairing the damaged caused will often cost more than several years of anti-virus subscriptions.  Even more if you consider that there are some good free solutions out there for non-business computers.

2. Anti-Spyware tools.  Just like Anti-Virus software, Anti-Spyware software protects your computer from malicious software which can ruin your day and your computer. Running Anti-Virus is just not enough; a good Anti-Spyware will round out your protection plan.

3. Outsource your IT needs.  Having a dedicated IT person at your business can have many advantages, but it has many downsides.  Outsourcing your IT needs can:  1) make your IT department more flexible, as an outside vendor has a larger set of resources to augment in times of increased need;  2) with outsourcing you do not have to worry about your IT person being on vacation or sick when you need them;  3) you do not have to worry about hiring the right IT person;  4) you do not have to worry about payroll taxes or benefits and  5) you can have the knowledge that you will always get the best, most up to date information.

4. Replace your copier.  If your copier is under lease and is within a year or two of the lease expiring, contact your copier dealer to see if there is a better model to suit your needs.  Often you can get the vendor to buy out your current lease and replace the unit with a new machine which is color and has many more features for about the same cost or less of what you are currently paying.  The money savings also comes in the decrease energy of the new energy efficient machine..

5. Replace inkjet printers.  The real cost of an inkjet printer is not in purchasing the printer, but in replacing the ink cartridges.  An average inkjet page printed in color will cost you .23, whereas a color laser printer can produce the same page for about .08.  That means for every color page you print on your inkjet printer, it is costing you an extra .15 x 20 pages per week = $3 x 52 weeks equals $156 a year. So replacing an inkjet with a color laser will save you $156 a year on average.  Printer companies do not make their money on the printer, but on the cartridges.

6. Be Proactive, Not Reactive.  When times come where we have to cut back, the first thing people look to cut in preventative maintenance, because it is easy. The problem with ease is that the ramifications of this can be far reaching and expensive.  A good example is changing the oil in your car; you would not go without that because you blow your engine.  The same applies to your technology and other equipment in your office.  As times become tough, there are many ways to tighten the belt without affecting the long term stability of your company.  Pick the right measures and you will help your bottom and keep your company safe in the long run.

Check out our website at http://www.ctcopiers.com/  to make an informed choice.