Let's face it. South African news headlines have not been telling stories of growth and prosperity thus far in 2016. And if you're a small business owner, you'll be forgiven for breaking into a cold sweat every time you read about SA's impending 'junk status', another fuel hike or the rand taking a dive against foreign currencies.
So, at a time when South African business seems to be taking hit after hit, it was a refreshing relief to hear Robert Scoble, futurist and tech evangelist, present one technology innovation after the other at a recent technology conference in South Africa.
As he flicked through slides of computers growing farm crops, gloves that allow you to type on virtual keyboards, ski goggles that could tell you where you are on a mountain and allowed you to talk to your children no matter where they are on the slopes, one thing became abundantly clear: technology is getting cheaper and the days of forking over your life savings for a decent IT solution is fast coming to an end. In fact, most of the futuristic tech he presented cost under $10 000 to develop and didn't require any additional funding.
"In tight economic times where small businesses are trying to negotiate one financial hurdle after the other, you're no longer forced to partner with expensive IT providers that promise the best at premium prices, with very little return," said Justin Trent, CEO of Alto Africa.
It's with this in mind that our IT humans put together a list of five ways in which IT can help you cut costs in every aspect of your business.
1. Cut down on supplier and maintenance costs
Printing, support, networks, server, security... the list of IT suppliers goes on and on. As well as being a drain on time, the management of multiple suppliers means you're missing out on potential savings by not building a partnership with one single IT expert. Partnering with a cloud IT business like Cloudbox not only gives you access to the IT essentials your business needs, but you also have the option to add support, networking and even hardware to your service.
2. Telecommunicate
Nowadays, it's not only startups that see great value in working from home. Enterprise businesses are opting to have employees work from home, reducing the need to rent large office spaces. With features like shared calendars and e-mail continuity, ie, 'always on' access to e-mail, standard in every Cloudbox package, collaborating from multiple locations is easier and more affordable than ever before.
3. Curb travel expenses
Having multiple branches across South Africa can do wonders for frequent flyer miles, but could have quite the opposite effect on your business' bank balance. Cloudbox Online Conferencing seamlessly connects all your locations and employees in a few simple clicks. Mobile Control Locate and Wipe gives you ultimate control of your IT assets no matter where they are in the world.
4. Clear away any assets that you don't need
If not audited regularly, IT assets end up in a cupboard gathering dust, incurring forgotten costs such as insurance and licensing. A cloud IT solution guarantees that you'll only use what you need, while also being able to scale as the business grows.
5. Reduce energy usage
Out of sight, out of mind. The real energy gobbler most businesses forget about is the on-site server. Moving your on-site server to a cloud hosted solution like Cloudbox means not only will your company see savings on the electricity bill, but you will also save money on server maintenance, hardware, downtime and outsourcing.
There is a whole world of IT options out there, and choosing the right company to partner with can help your business loosen those ever-tightening budgets. Cloudbox packages start at R195 per user per month. Let's discuss how we can help your business save money. Get in touch with our IT humans at sales@cloudbox.co.za or call 021 201 1351.
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