Investing in a networking system for your business can be expensive. And your budget may not be in alignment with your needs. This presents a problem. How can you put in place the system and hardware your business needs to be productive and grow, and still not break the bank doing it?
Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company with hundreds of thousands at your disposal, or a small, independent business, you’d be wise to develop an Investment Recapture Strategy. Elements of this strategy include ways to recoup costs spent on old or outdated equipment and also to liquidate equipment you no longer need. A good Investment Recapture program will include a discount on new or refurbished equipment that you want to buy along with a trade-in credit for selling the same company your used equipment. Some of the better companies even offer to sell your old equipment on consignment for a nominal fee even if you don’t take advantage of the discounts by purchasing new or refurbished equipment from them.
In addition, a company that offers an investment recapture program can provide benefits that a manufacturer or retailer can’t. If your system, or a component of your system is no longer being manufactured, for example the Cisco 803 router, a retailer or manufacturer will force you to purchase an entirely new system, requiring you to buy all new components along with the new router. An alternate provider that also accepts trade-ins and consignments may have a refurbished Cisco 803 router in stock and ready to ship to you, saving you thousands of dollars.
The key is to be sure to find a company that offers a warranty on refurbished products. Reliable companies will not only guarantee a refurbished product, but because they have access to so many more products than the manufacturer, they can show you the difference in price between buying the same part new or used, and you can decide where your dollars are best invested.
Upgrading your I.T. system shouldn’t be something you hold off on due to price when upgrading would benefit your business. And it’s good to know that all the money you spend on purchasing a system isn’t gone forever.