As the New Year rolls around, many SMEs and sole traders are taking stock and planning for the financial year ahead. This includes considering their technology set-up and whether investments should be made now or later in the year.
Whilst it’s hard to prioritise when you’re making plans and lists of changes for the next 12 months, your technology should be at the forefront of your planning.
Before committing to a new Apple computer, it’s important to consider what you want, what you need, why you need it and whether it’s the best purchase for you in 2023.
There are a lot of questions in this blog – and you’ll need to discover the answers to get the best tech for your business.
How to discover what you need – not what you want!
A brand new device or devices, may seem like an essential need for your business. However, they’re not always the right choice long term. As we often tell our customers, buying refurbished Apple devices can save you a great deal of money, without sacrificing any of the quality you’d expect from your newly purchased product.
The easiest way to discover if something is necessary is to do a thorough assessment of your current equipment and your current needs. If something feels unnecessary, it probably is. But you’ll also need to consider how those needs may change within the year to come. For example, if your team is expanding, it may make sense to plan ahead and purchase a new set-up or move devices around the office so that you replace computers at the entry level and not necessarily at the management level within the current financial year.
Desktop or laptop?
Are you a laptop user? Or do you find yourself sitting at home with a desktop more often than not? For businesses that run on the road, you may feel like laptops are the only way to go. However, with integrations between iPhone and all levels of Mac equipment, you may find that you can do everything you need to do on the road directly from your mobile phone.
But if you’re looking for true versatility, Apple’s range of MacBooks offers some of the best features available in the laptop market – and you can work from almost anywhere by using mobile broadband connections, etc. Investing in a Macbook can feel like a big moment – but our team can help assess your needs and find the best deal for your needs, today and in the future.
Business or pleasure?
Whilst you may want a device that can do it all, you’ll likely want to prioritise how your new devices will help your business. Take time to understand the everyday necessities for your new tech and don’t forget all the things you currently take for granted.
Do your devices need to all connect up together? If so, you should choose to use exclusively Apple or Microsoft products to make that easier. Screens and printers? There are plenty of options, some of which will be better optimised for certain product ranges.
Does it need to be part of a business IT network? This can impact the efficiency of your device and also means that you could be spending out on unnecessary upgrades.
How long do you want your investment in new tech to last? Apple devices generally far outlive HMRC depreciation rules – so do you buy a lower spec and upgrade more often or buy with longevity in mind? This is important advice that only an Apple expert can offer.
Other important factors to consider…
Do you have desk space for external additions to your set-up? If you travel a lot, you might prefer to invest in a higher-spec MacBook with all the bells and whistles. However, a cost-saving method for home users could be to invest in an external SSD rather than Apple’s upgraded internal SSD.
Backups. How will you do them? Where will you store them? Whether you’re using Apple’s Time Machine or saving to an SSD, you should prioritise backups – even if that means you have to invest in a new bit of tech to do so. After all, can your business afford a freak loss of all your data resulting from either deliberate malicious attack or something as straightforward as a power outage or circuit-breaker switch tripping.
What kind of user are you? Some users may be well-versed in how Apple products work, whereas some may be brand new to the Mac OS ecosystem. Investing in training is a great way to help upskill your staff and help them make the most of your new equipment.
iPhone user? You should consider whether your devices are all synching together correctly. This is often an issue with older tech, but updating your devices to more modern hardware can help unlock higher levels of productivity for yourself and your team. This can be as simple as purchasing the next level of storage in your device which will allow more apps and data to be retained on your device throughout its working life whilst improving the value and and usability for future users if you plan to sell on the products.
Get expert advice on your next Apple purchase
Talking to an Apple expert such as XMAC can give you tailored, specific buying advice that suits your needs or those of your business.
Or if you’d like to enquire about purchasing refurbished or surplus stock via XMAC, our team will be happy to explain the considerable savings you can make.