Awful April… Rising Costs and Business Resilience

This April, many UK households and businesses are bracing themselves for what has been dubbed "Awful April" - a period marked by rising bills, increased taxes, and growing financial pressures. From higher energy costs to council tax hikes, the start of the new financial year often brings an unwelcome squeeze on finances, forcing individuals and organisations alike to reassess their spending habits.

This year is no exception, with inflationary pressures and economic uncertainties continuing to impact businesses of all sizes. With the cost of living crisis persisting, companies are facing tough decisions about where to cut costs and how to maintain operational efficiency without compromising on quality or security. While the outlook may seem daunting, it also presents an opportunity for businesses to reassess their expenditures and implement smarter, more cost-effective strategies.

At IT Document Solutions, we believe that businesses can take proactive steps to navigate these challenges effectively. Rather than simply absorbing rising costs, now is the perfect time to optimise spending and future-proof operations. Here are a few key areas to focus on:

1. Connectivity

Review existing contracts and seek an alternative more cost-effective option. With so much competition in the market this is an ideal time to challenge your status quo. The majority of service providors are all managed by the Openreach network, so this is an easy way to reduce costs without a disruption in services. Another thing to consider is the speed and reliability of Satellite and leased line technology. With a reliance on cloud technology, the resilience and speed of service is business critical.

2. Review Your Business Phone Contracts

Many businesses are locked into outdated phone contracts that no longer serve their business requirements. Assessing your current agreements and exploring more competitive options can lead to significant savings. With advances in VoIP and cloud-based solutions, there are often more cost-effective alternatives that provide greater flexibility and scalability. Have you considered the advances in contact centre cloud, and how these new platforms can save time and money, as well as improve client engagement

3. Franking Machines

Yes that’s still a thing. After starting ITDS mailroom solutions back in 2020 we have learned a lot about the advances in technology and the growing need for customers to send physical documents. Our inboxes are full of noise, and our junk folders are full of mail captured by advanced spam filters, and phishing tools. So, the old-fashioned letter, parcel, and personalised marketing campaigns, have seen a resurgence in popularity. Franking machines save money on postal charges, personalise envelopes, save time, and reduce travel expenses. So, believe it or not, this cost-effective digital device makes perfect commercial sense for most offices.

4. Electronic Documentation Management

Why in 2025 do we still throw all our documents into a shared drive without intelligence, version control and meta data. For many years tech companies have been talking about BIG Data, yet most companies do nothing to reduce the storage of documents and their information, and pay over the odds for the privilege. Electronic Document Management or Content Management saves time money and effort. Find the latest version of a document within seconds, process documents quickly, accurately, and efficiently, using digital workflows. Now is the ideal time to get control of your data, the technology has come a long way and is affordable and scalable. The question shouldn’t be why, its why haven’t we done this already… did the pandemic teach us nothing about managing information safely and securely!

5. Audio Visual

Since the pandemic executives can have on average 8-12 meetings per week, spending almost 23 hours talking to a camera and looking at a screen or attendees. Then effectiveness of online line meetings relies on a new way of making a first impression, the technology being used, the ability to have more than one person in a room, the furniture, the backdrop, it all helps make your company look more professional. With a wide range of commercial and enterprise Audio Visual technologies on the market, its important to give your staff the right tools to hold professional and effective online meetings. This will help reduce travel times, increase employee efficiency, and reduce environmental impact…saving time and money.

6. Stay Up to Date with IT Security

Cyber threats are an ever-present risk, and outdated systems can leave businesses vulnerable to costly security breaches. Investing in up-to-date software, regular security audits, and employee training can save money in the long run by preventing data loss, downtime, and compliance penalties. Cyber Essentials is the bare minimum in 2025. Talk to your service provider and see how they can save you thousands by mitigating the risks. Contact your insurance company and make sure you have cyber cover, the threat is real and becoming more and more expensive to manage.

IT Document Solutions is independent of manufacturer and has access to the entire world of technology products and services, we can act as your procurement department offering a best of bread approach at a price that is competitive and makes sense. Our proactive account management includes continuous improvement, we will continue you make recommendations throughout your contract period to deliver against business requirements and budget.

For more information regarding IT Document Solutions and to book in your FREE technology audit, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

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