Originally written by Anna Jordan on Small Business
In many people’s minds, upgrading your business technology comes down to one trade-off: cost vs reliability. This could be the deciding factor of going new or opting for refurbished.
The choice spans way beyond computers: it applies when replacing tablets, phones, POS systems, TVs, routers and much more.
Find out which option is best for your business, whether you even need to upgrade in the first place and how to dispose of your old tech if you do.
Do I need to replace my tech?
Though you think your machine might be knackered, it could have a good two or three years left in it.
Before you decide to go for a different model, ask:
Does it impact on the productivity of my business?
Is it almost as costly to repair as it is to run?
If the machine could work well with less software and fewer capabilities, your third option is to shift the functions that your old tech used to perform onto another machine, using the older one for basic tasks.
Once it’s time to upgrade, take the costs of the tech itself and the time/expense to train employees into account. You should also factor in how the new tech