![](\"https:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/snd-store\/a\/104439477\/01_08_25_2447443839_bb_560x292.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Most small to midsize businesses today are constantly under pressure to upgrade their information technology (IT). Whether it\u2019s new software, a better way to use the cloud or a means to strengthen cybersecurity, there\u2019s always something to spend more money\u00a0on.<\/p>\n
If your company keeps blowing its IT budget, rest assured \u2014 you\u2019re not alone. The good news is that you and your leadership team may be able to control these costs better through various proactive measures.<\/p>\n
Set a philosophy and exercise governance<\/strong><\/p>\n Assuming your company hasn\u2019t already, establish a coherent IT philosophy. Depending on its industry and mission, your business may need to spend relatively aggressively on technology to keep up with competitors. Or maybe it doesn\u2019t. You could decide to follow a more cautious spending approach until these costs are under control.<\/p>\n Once you\u2019ve set your philosophy, develop clear IT governance policies and procedures for purchases, upgrades and usage. These should, for example, mandate and establish approval workflows and budgetary oversight. You want to ensure that every dollar spent aligns with current strategic objectives and will likely result in a positive return on investment\u00a0(ROI).<\/p>\n Beware of shiny new toys! Many businesses exceed their IT budgets when one or two decision-makers can\u2019t control their enthusiasm for the latest and greatest solutions. Grant final approval for major purchases, or even a series of minor ones, only after carefully analyzing the technology you have in place and identifying legitimate gaps or shortcomings.<\/p>\n Also, remember that overspending on technology is often driven by undertrained employees. Teach and remind your users to adhere to your IT policies and follow procedures. Doing so can help prevent costly operational mistakes and cybersecurity breaches.<\/p>\n Conduct regular audits<\/strong><\/p>\n You can\u2019t control costs in any business area unless you know precisely what they are. To get the information you need, regularly conduct IT audits. These are formal, systematic reviews of your IT infrastructure, policies, procedures and usage. IT audits often reveal budget drainers such\u00a0as:<\/p>\n You may discover, for instance, that you\u2019re paying for several different software products with overlapping functionalities. Choosing one and discarding the others could generate substantial savings.<\/p>\n As you search for overspending, also look for examples of IT expenditures delivering a good ROI. You want to be able to refine and repeat whatever decision-making process led you to those\u00a0wins.<\/p>\n Keep an eye on the cloud<\/strong><\/p>\n One specific type of IT expense that plagues many businesses relates to cloud services. Like many companies, yours probably uses a \u201cpay as you go\u201d subscription model that includes discounts or rate reductions for lower usage. However, if you don\u2019t monitor your actual cloud usage and claim those discounts or cheaper rates, you can wind up overpaying for months or even years without realizing\u00a0it.<\/p>\n To avoid this sad fate, ensure that at least one person within your business is well-acquainted with your cloud services contract. Assign this individual (usually a technology executive) the responsibility of making sure the company claims all discounts or rate adjustments it\u2019s entitled\u00a0to.<\/p>\n One best practice to strongly consider is setting up weekly cloud cost reports that go to the leadership team. Also, be prepared to occasionally renegotiate your cloud services contract so it\u2019s as straightforward as possible and optimally suited to your business\u2019s needs.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t give up<\/strong><\/p>\n To be clear, controlling IT costs should never mean cutting corners or scrimping on mission-critical technology expenses \u2014 particularly those related to cybersecurity. That said, you also should never give up on managing your IT budget. We can help you develop a tailored cost-control strategy that keeps your technology current and supports your business objectives.<\/p>\n \u00a9 2025<\/em><\/p>\n <\/body> Most small to midsize businesses today are constantly under pressure to upgrade their information technology (IT). Whether it\u2019s new software, a better way to use the cloud or a means to strengthen cybersecurity, there\u2019s always something to spend more money\u00a0on. If your company keeps blowing its IT budget, rest assured \u2014 you\u2019re not alone. The […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,14,10],"tags":[8,11,12],"class_list":["post-17177","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-business","category-news","tag-articles","tag-news","tag-updates"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17177","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17177"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17177\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17178,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17177\/revisions\/17178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17177"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17177"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sfw.cpa\/news-and-guides\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17177"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n<\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"