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Small Business IT Spend Check

Find out where your business is likely overpaying for technology, and whether anyone is really in control of IT spending. 13 everyday questions, about 3 minutes, no technical knowledge needed.

  • Free, no email required to see your results
  • Want more precision? Each area has optional deeper questions (10 in all) with tips on how to find the answers
  • Your answers stay in your browser unless you choose to send them
  • Covers licenses, duplicate tools, contract renewals, phones and internet, hardware and your IT provider

Answer from what you know. In the scored questions, “Not sure” is fine: it counts the same as “Partly” and goes on a short list of things worth finding out.

Where you are likely overpaying

These questions are not scored. They show where small businesses most often overpay.

Has it been more than a year since anyone checked which software licenses are actually being used?
Do you pay for more than one tool that does the same job, such as two file sharing, video meeting or password tools?
Do internet, phone, copier or software contracts renew automatically without anyone getting new quotes?
Is everyone on the same top tier plan (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, CRM) whether or not they use its features?
Have you been on the same phone and internet plans for more than three years?
Are computers and equipment bought one at a time at retail, when something breaks?
Is your IT support bill hard to understand, or has it grown without a clear reason?

About your business

How many people work in your business?

Budget and ownership

Is one person responsible for the IT budget and for approving new technology purchases?
Do you have a yearly IT budget, even a rough one, that you compare actual spending against?
Go deeper: 3 technical questions (optional)

Answer any you can; skip the rest. Here “Not sure” counts as a gap and goes on your list of questions for your IT provider.

You know roughly what you spend on IT per employee per year.

How to find out: Take last year's total IT spend from your accounting system and divide by the number of staff.

There is a 12 month plan of IT projects and purchases, so big costs are expected rather than surprises.

How to find out: Ask whether anyone could list the technology purchases and projects expected in the next year.

IT spending is reviewed at least every quarter, line by line.

How to find out: Check when someone last went through the IT and software charges on the business accounts.

Contracts and renewals

Do you have a list of your technology contracts and subscriptions with their renewal dates?
Are software subscriptions paid through company accounts, rather than on employees' personal cards or scattered company cards?
Go deeper: 4 technical questions (optional)

Answer any you can; skip the rest. Here “Not sure” counts as a gap and goes on your list of questions for your IT provider.

You know each contract's notice period and get a reminder 60 to 90 days before it renews.

How to find out: Read the renewal and termination section of your biggest contracts (internet, phones, copier, IT support).

Your major technology contracts (internet, phones, copiers, IT support) have been re-quoted in the last three years.

How to find out: Check the start date of each major contract and when you last compared prices.

Contracts and invoices for technology are kept together in one place someone else could find.

How to find out: Try to find the signed contract for your internet service or copier in under five minutes.

You know what your IT provider's agreement actually covers and promises, such as response times and what costs extra.

How to find out: Read the scope and service levels in your IT support agreement and compare them with recent invoices.

Licenses and equipment

Do you know how many software licenses you pay for and who each one is assigned to?
Do you replace computers on a plan (for example every four to five years), rather than when they break?
Go deeper: 3 technical questions (optional)

Answer any you can; skip the rest. Here “Not sure” counts as a gap and goes on your list of questions for your IT provider.

When someone leaves, their software licenses are removed or reassigned the same week.

How to find out: Look for accounts of former staff in your Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace admin console.

You keep a list of computers and equipment with purchase dates and warranty end dates.

How to find out: Ask whether anyone could say how old each computer is and which are still under warranty.

License tiers (basic, standard, premium) are reviewed at least once a year against what each person needs.

How to find out: Check which plan each person is on in your Microsoft 365, Google Workspace or CRM admin console.