Increasingly, IT budgets are becoming a central part of a business’s plan for the year ahead. Many people are turning to look at their IT infrastructure as an investment, rather than an overhead, and this change of perspective often prompts a more efficient, smoother working experience across the business as a whole. If this is your first time planning an IT budget however, or if you’re considering rethinking the priorities of your IT plan, read on for our top tips for planning your IT budget.
Think about what you’ve experienced over the last year or two
First, it’s helpful to take a cursory glance over your experiences from the past two years or so. Especially for small or medium sized enterprises, the many changes and events that can come up are important learning opportunities for the year ahead. Did your previous budget cover what you needed it to? Or were there particular events that you felt unprepared for? Looking back can be instrumental in feeling more confident moving forward.
What is most important to you?
As with any plan for the year ahead, it’s important to re-evaluate your goals. Are you looking to expand your client base, or expand the services you offer? Have you received any feedback that could lead to adjustments in your operations and services? Your IT infrastructure will be foundational to any and likely all of these things, so you should take them into account.
What are you already spending money on?
Looking at your pre-existing costs can help you reduce those that you may not need as much, orthose that could do with an upgrade or additional investment. This can include:
- In-house vs outsourced IT staff
- Network security and set up
- Hardware
- Software/subscriptions
- Telecoms
- Miscellaneous (printing, keyboards etc)
Safety first
Is your security up to scratch or, perhaps, were you over-enthusiastic on your security budget last year? (However, better to be over than under-protected!) Some of the main security threats can be:
- Hacking – the use of stolen credentials
- Human mistake – a poor choice in password, or the accidental loss or misdirection of data
- Phishing – where fraudsters pose as someone or something familiar, asking for personal details, information, or giving a malicious link.
What about outsourcing?
If you’ve currently got an in-house IT team, it may be worth considering outsourcing for a more flexible and cost-effective IT solution, especially for SME’s. With the ability to scale up or down at a moment’s notice, as well as benefitting from the cumulative expertise of a business dedicated to IT support, managed IT is a cost-effective and efficient alternative to the in-house It model. If you’d like to hear about our managed IT services, Corona IT is the proud Managed IT supplier for multiple businesses, whose testimonials you can access here. If you’re interested in finding out more, you can look at our Managed IT page.
Want to find out more? Why not have a look at our blog for more posts about your IT priorities, questions, and more.
