Put Your Business on the Map
When it comes to running a small business, every dollar counts. You can’t afford to pay for things that don’t provide you or your clients with real value. Most expenses need to earn back their cost (and more) or they risk being wasteful.
Sometimes these costs are hidden. Sometimes they accumulate over the years without you noticing. Sometimes you’re building things at such a break-neck speed that you just buy the thing that fixes the issue there and then and then forget about it.
Sometimes you just don’t know you’re paying for something at all.
My neighbour John and the $5,400 internet bill
That’s what happened to my neighbour. Let’s call him John for the sake of the story. John is in his mid-70s and has lived a fruitful, productive life in the construction industry. He’s an old-school character and can turn his hand to anything except technology.
He’s helped me out on numerous DIY projects at my own home over the past couple of years and has even fabricated custom nuts and bolts for me on one occasion.
So imagine my delight when he presented me with an opportunity to help him for a change.
He only recently got a cellphone and has never had a laptop, desktop or even an internet connection (more on that later).
He’d been on a trip to see his sister across the country and, to help him join and participate in his local classic car club, she bought him a tablet. She set him up with an email account to get it up and running and even walked him into the airport to connect it to the Wi-Fi before sending him back to BC. Once he returned home, he was on his own.
That’s where I come in.
“Chris, can you help me get this thing connected? I don’t have the internet or WiFi and I’m not sure what I need to do.”
During our chat, I discovered that he had a mobile data plan. I realised that the cheapest thing to do would be to set him up with an automatic hotspot from his cell phone. I knew this would save him about $100 a month versus a separate internet service provider and for his use case, it seemed like a good solution.
After about 10 minutes I had set up the hotspot and everything was working fine. I explained that he should see how that goes and, if the performance wasn’t great, we might need to look at getting him an actual internet connection.
Then I saw his TV with a box from a well-known internet service provider which prompted me to investigate further. I asked to check his most recent bill for the TV service.
Here’s what I saw:
• Landline telephone services – $20
• TV service – $65
• Fibre internet service – $90
“Wait, WHAT?”
John had been paying for fibre internet for over five years at $90 a month and hasn’t even owned a device capable of using it in that time.
That’s more than $5,400 wasted.
After we stopped shouting at the piece of paper and cursing the “big corporate internet company” for their shrewdness; I poked around behind his TV, found a dusty WiFi router and connected his new tablet.
If it can happen to John, it can happen to someone in your family or someone in our community
John’s story caused me real concern. How many older neighbors do we have in Chilliwack or in our own families that are blindly paying for things they don’t need or use?
It’s worth checking in on the people closest to you and doing a quick review with them just to make sure they aren’t being taken for a ride.
After all, the cash is better in your family’s pocket than in some big corporation’s whose name rhymes with Dodgers (cough cough).
What’s this got to do with your business?
The example above is just the household of an elderly gentleman where things are relatively simple. But let’s apply the same principle to your complex business.
• What software are you paying for that you don’t use?
• That thing you subscribed to, to see if it was a good fit… Are you still paying for that?
• Did you really cancel that old backup Telus connection?
• Are your Microsoft or Google business licences sized appropriately for what you actually use?
It’s time to take stock. Take a detailed look at your outgoings and ask yourself:
“Why are we paying for this, and how does it provide value to our business?”
How to find hidden technology costs in your business
If you want to make sure you are not wasting money like John was, here are some simple and practical checks you can do. You do not need to be technical to run through these. They are straightforward and can highlight a surprising amount of hidden waste.
1. Review your bank statements and credit card charges
Look for small recurring charges that you cannot immediately identify. These are often old trials, forgotten subscriptions or tools you only meant to test temporarily. If you see something you do not recognise, search the name and confirm whether your business still uses it.
2. Check your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace licences
Inactive or unused accounts are one of the biggest sources of unnecessary spending. Log in to your admin portal and look for users who have not signed in for months. If an account is not being used, you can often remove the licence or downgrade it to a cheaper tier.
3. Match every tool to a clear business purpose
Take a simple inventory of all the software you use. Ask yourself what each tool does and who uses it. If two tools overlap, or if you cannot clearly explain why a subscription exists, it may be an unnecessary cost.
4. Look for old devices that still have active licences
Many businesses pay for antivirus, backup or remote access licences that are still tied to machines that were replaced years ago. If a laptop was retired, make sure its licence was deactivated at the same time.
5. Ask your team what tools they have signed up for
Shadow IT is real. Employees sometimes create their own accounts for PDF tools, note apps, storage apps or task managers. They mean well, but the result is duplicated costs and multiple tools doing the same job. A quick check-in often uncovers subscriptions nobody realised the business was paying for.
6. Confirm whether you still need your backup and security products
Security is important, but setups can become messy over time. You may find multiple backup products, overlapping security tools, or older plans that were never cancelled. Make sure everything you pay for directly contributes to your day-to-day protection.
7. Create a simple spreadsheet of every subscription
One page is enough. List the tool name, purpose, cost per month, renewal date and whether it is still providing value. This is one of the easiest ways to get clarity and spot waste immediately.
Why getting expert help can actually save you money
It might seem counter-intuitive to pay a third party like us to do this for you but, just like hiring a good accountant or lawyer, hiring someone with the technical experience to navigate the complicated world of technology can pay dividends in the long run.
Think about it. If you’re trying to navigate Microsoft’s licensing model with little or no experience, you could be throwing thousands of dollars per year down the drain. That’s just one application!
With a few conversations and a little discovery, we can help you claw back real savings and give you peace of mind that your technology dollars are being used wisely.
We believe the technology in your business should exist solely to contribute to your “Why” and not be wasting your time, money or causing any unnecessary frustration.
At WHY IT Solutions, we’ve been helping businesses across Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley get the most out of their technology and ditch anything that isn’t pulling its weight. We help businesses get their technology to do the job it was meant to do in the first place.
Whether you need day-to-day IT support, proactive protection or help when you’re making big technology buying decisions, Why IT Solutions can help.
If you’re interested in streamlining your software licence costs, exploring outside help with your technology or just need support with IT in general, reach out to us at WHY IT Solutions.