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PowerBuy is the new, fast & easy way to save on I.T.

During my last role as marketing director for a well known I.T. manufacturer I saw an opportunity to help small businesses like yours cut IT costs. I started PowerBuy to negotiate significant discounts with I.T. manufacturers using the combined buying power of our growing community.

PowerBuy can help you save thousands of dollars every year on your I.T. purchases, on top of the best prices you can negotiate. The PowerBuy cash-back program is different to any other program you have seen before, because:

• You can buy your IT products ANYWHERE you choose (e.g. Harvey Norman, online or your local supplier), or from one of our recommended stores, then
• You simply upload your receipt online at www.powerbuy.com.au and we deposit the cash-back rebate into your bank account. It’s fast and easy.

PowerBuy coupons are even easier to use but they are only available on selected brands. We give you a coupon (e.g. Dell or Computer Troubleshooters) so you can present it at the store to receive a discount before you hand over your credit card.

Below, I’m going to talk to you about cost-cutting your I.T. but first, PowerBuy have an exclusive offer for Anthill Readers:

** SPECIAL OFFER FOR ANTHILL READERS **

As an Anthill reader we want to make it fast & easy for you to save. Register here for immediate, free access to up to 20% discount coupons for servers, laptops, computers, wireless, repair services & more. And check out our I.T. cost cutting tips below to save even more!

Happy saving!

Joel Montgomery
Director
PowerBuy

I.T. Cost-cutting Tips

There are three essential steps to saving money on your I.T.

1. Research – understand your needs and know which solution will work best for you.

2. Know where to buy – understand the options and again, make sure your choice suits your needs.

3. Negotiate! Organise the best deal you can.

Before You Buy

• Do you have a good understanding of which products or services have the biggest impact on your IT budget? If you don’t know you can use a free calculator to figure it out.

• Use web robots as a benchmark for pricing. Robots such as Shopbot, Staticice and Pricespy take feeds from online stores across Australia. You just type in the product you’re looking for and you will get a list of available prices (from the cheapest to most expensive) from participating web stores.

Where to Buy

• If you want to buy online then make sure you buy from a reputable supplier. There are hundreds of online stores but only a handful are well established with fast delivery and good post-sales support. I think it’s worth paying a small premium for peace of mind and I personally recommend TechBuy or Harris Technology for your online IT purchasing.

• If you prefer to buy from a retail store then I suggest you get three quotes first. The big retailers typically charge higher prices because they have higher costs. I generally visit a retail store to trial certain products and once I’ve decided on my preferred product I buy online.

• If you buy from the local IT supplier/consultant who services your computer network then my two pieces of advice are:
  • Make sure any product quote is priced separately to the service quote (installation, support). Sometimes the product price is hidden because it is bundled with services.
  • Compare their price regularly with the market. TechBuy is a good benchmark. Some suppliers start out by pricing aggressively to get your business and over time they will hold or lift prices when costs are in decline. Keep them honest.

• You can save by buying at auction (e.g. eBay and GraysOnline) but there are trade-offs. You can find deals of more than 50% off RRP but be wary of the reputation of the seller, the quality of the second hand goods, the warranty period (most second-hand items have no warranty) and support conditions (most are not supported). GraysOnline are good because they test and rate the quality of all products before listing.

Once you negotiate your best price, then it’s really time to save!

Once you’ve decided which product you want and where you’re going to buy it, we challenge you to save another 20% on top of your best purchase price. Below are some simple best practises you can employ to cut your costs significantly.

• Combine your purchasing power and join a buyers group. PowerBuy uses the combined buying power of our small business community to negotiate cash-back deals on popular brands. You can buy your product from any supplier at the best possible price and then upload your tax invoice online at www.powerbuy.com.au for an additional cash-back saving.
• If you’re buying online you should search for coupons (also known as promotional codes) at Google. PowerBuy also offers coupons on major brands like Dell.
• Leasing your IT products or paying a monthly subscription fee can free up your cash flow and save you money. Flexirent and Rentsmart are two reputable leasing companies. Both sites provide an online quote so you can calculate your monthly payment and total saving. Salesforce.com offers a very popular online service that lets you pay for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software on a per-user, per-month basis. And if you’re really looking for ways to cut costs, check out Google aps – it’s free! For more advice on how to cut your I.T. costs please check out our blog.