Households and businesses alike are experiencing a level of financial strain that hasn't been seen since the Second World War. But for businesses in particular, the combined impact of rising operational costs and reduced customer spending is causing them to cut back wherever possible.

Communication technology is a crucial part of all businesses that can't be simply cut out. Keeping colleagues connected, enabling client relationship building and maintaining contact with partners, a business’s comms set up is the beating heart of effective operations. But there are ways to reduce the cost of your comms.

Check your contract

It's absolutely crucial to keep your eye on when your contracts are ending and ensure you’re always in a contract. This goes for business mobiles, broadband or any other communication technology.

With costs rising, committing to a longer contract might save you money in the long run, but only if you’re certain on the stability of your needs. You don’t want to commit for 24 months and your requirements change, as you might end up paying for more than you need.

Once your contract expires, the provider will switch your account to a standard tariff, which is usually considerably more expensive. So, if you're coming to the end of your contract or you're already out of contract, it's time to shop around for a deal. It’s not always best to stick with the same provider, and if a competitor is offering a better deal, then definitely consider making the switch.

Bag a bundle

Bundled products and services are a common way to boost cost savings – but consider how to get the most from those offers. For example, if you’re a UK business that only operates nationally, a bundle with free international calls isn’t best suited to your needs. It's worth reviewing which of the benefits of your contract you're actually using as there is a chance that you could tweak your options so they suit your business.

But bundles don't have to be specific to a mobile phone contract or broadband deal. Another way to save money is to bundle your entire comms package by implementing a unified communications (UC) strategy. UC combines all comms channels into one application, which can be accessed from a range of devices. It eliminates the need for separate office landlines and mobiles — allowing businesses to be contactable from just one number.

How does this reduce costs? Businesses have just one provider to deal with for all their communication queries, so there’s just one bill each month. UC solutions like Vodafone One Net or NFON Cloudya allow businesses to make calls using the internet, rather than over the telephone network. This means there's no need to work with several service providers for office, mobile and data services. There's also a reduced need for hardware and installation costs, as new devices can be added by just downloading the application.

Think outside the box

It's not just about how you can reduce the cost of your technology setup. Businesses should also ensure they have the right policies in place to reduce any additional costs that may arise.

For example, allowing employees to use their own devices for work through a bring your own device (BYOD) policy is becoming more and more popular, allowing employees to benefit from using their preferred tech. But there are still concerns around the security of business data when it leaves business devices. Adopting a mobile device management (MDM) software secures employees’ personal devices and is considerably cheaper than purchasing a fleet of business handsets, without sacrificing data security.

While getting rid of your business broadband contract is simply not an option, there are things that businesses can do to make their set up as cost-effective as possible. Reviewing your comms choices to ensure that it isn’t surplus to requirements could help to alleviate some of the financial pressure, while keeping business operational.