There’s that old adage of “you have to spend money to make money,” but does anyone really believe that anymore? Because let’s face it, there’s also the old adage of “you cannot drink margaritas for breakfast,” but we’ve proven them wrong on that one, right?
All jokes aside, the concept of needless extravagant spending to build business seems ludicrous—in fact, I’m here to say it absolutely is.
In today’s technology-driven world, we have been socialized to think of everything as disposable. After all, when the newest of consumer gadgets gets released, what was once our favorite mobile device gets quickly replaced by the new and shiny, and left for dead in a recycle bin if it’s lucky. It’s this practice that plays into our collective consciousness and bleeds into the work setting—rip and replace with the new cool, because that’s what’s expected.
However, the need for something brand new every time we need new IT gear doesn’t have to be the case. But when our social forays focus on the “used is bad,” or at the very least substandard, companies can go down a rabbit hole of expenses not realizing the true consequences.
So firstly, let’s discuss the concept of why “used” equals “bad.” When it comes to IT equipment, the majority of used gear is very much used to say the least. This isn’t a used sports car where someone has driven it into the ground, has waxed it, and then has sold it as “only driven to church on Sundays.” This is IT gear that gets gently unpacked, placed in a rack in a climate-controlled room, configured, and used as directed. A far cry from hard corners and revved engines.
Therefore, if this is the case why the issue? Many believe that it’s just a case of life expectancy and performance. But what if that was taken away? What if the IT gear was securely cleaned (both physically and data-wise), given a lifetime warranty that guarantees replacement if ever needed, and was a fraction of the price of new? Now, the concept of “used” equals “bad” becomes: used equals prudent business practice. All the fear gone, leaving nothing but performance guarantees and a healthier wallet.
Further to the challenge of “used” versus “new,” is that of “need” versus “want.” As someone who has spent his adult life working in IT, I can tell you that very few companies I have known use IT gear to its full potential. After all, top-of-the-line switches, servers, the list goes on, often come with so much performance that they are far beyond the scope of usage in normal business settings—merely a badge of honor amongst IT teams that love the cool new stuff.
And I think we are all like that. I can guarantee that someone reading this just bought the newest and coolest 4K 90-inch TV and will inevitably end up doing nothing but watching football and reruns of Walker, Texas Ranger—please tell me I’m not alone here.
It’s okay, it’s called being human, but when used IT equipment is still cutting edge, is still out-performing the best laid plans, is hand delivered with a lifetime warranty, and is costing a fraction of the price—think of the business benefits. Way more money saved than spent means even more gear, more business-building projects, more revenue, and more everything else.
To put it bluntly, you can save money and still conquer the world of business. And with that saved money, you can afford that margarita machine you always wanted.