One of the best ways to reduce IT costs for your business is by breaking down the IT budget for the year and looking for cheaper and effective solutions. There are plenty of small businesses out there paying unnecessary costs to meet EU financial laws on cybersecurity. Many of these companies have not looked at the bigger picture and seen how alternative solutions could help them reduce their IT costs while still being in compliance with EU regulations.
A Short Story on How A Business Saved €730 a Month
There was a sole trader in Germany that I met at the gym that was an accountant. This person was not short of money but was certainly an economist to the letter. He explained that he went all out hiring an IT company to ensure his home business network was secured. The problem was that by outsourcing his IT security, he was basically causing himself immense costs considering there were only 3 computers on his business network.
Only 2 of the computers were being used on a daily basis. One by him and the other by his secretary. A third used twice a week by an accounting assistant. Now his system was super secure, but he was paying over €750 per month for this system because he wanted the best.
He then came across a website advertisement listed in German as was ist ein VPN? Translated to ‘What is a VPN?’. The email kept cropping up so he was intrigued and over a cup of coffee he decided he would have a look after he heard his IT outsourcing company mention the phrase VPN when upgrading his system.
Effectively he found out that he could get exactly the same security via a VPN software company. He spoke with a sales specialist and described his needs. He was then able to sign up to a package paying just 6 months for a 12-month contract. His package was a custom one made by the VPN company and cost him just €120 for the year.
Why Did This Shrewd Businessman Sign Up to A VPN?
He realized that the VPN software would protect all 3 computers in his office from hackers. The software does exactly the same job as the expensive kit he was renting from the IT outsourcing agency. Plus, with the software contract comes a full support team with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd line support teams able to quickly solve any VPN issues.
Can you imagine how many companies are out there paying inflated prices to meet RU regulations on cybersecurity when VPN software can help to achieve this goal at a fraction of the price? For a small 3 to 10-person business, this is the perfect solution for both effectiveness as well as costs. Businesses this small do not need to spend a fortune on outsourcing their IT systems.
As the internet has evolved, so have the IT services available to small businesses. These services offer cost-effective solutions. Even businesses that can afford the high rates charged by IT outsourcing companies should still look into ways in which costs can be reduced. The bigger the profit for the business, the better!