ANTenna Blog -- Business & E-Business

A recent InformationWeek survey shows that almost 60% of business and IT pros see the economy as in a recession or headed toward one. Yikes! But they share some tips on how to cope.

Even as the enterprise CIO's surveyed in early March move into a "hunker down" mentality, they're working on clever ways to cope with ever tightening belts - many of which also hold for smaller companies:

1. Put pressure on vendors for better deals, even if contracts aren't up for renewal.

2. Do zero-base budgeting reviews to justify every dollar you spend

3. Check software licenses for duplicate copies, older software no longer used, more seats than you really need, or maintenance for off-the-shelf software.

4. Don't pay to maintain hardware you don't need.

5. Consider on-demand services to save money up front on software and hardware.

6. Explore using consumer services instead of paid ones for non-mission-critical purposes.

7. Web faxing is cheaper and greener than traditional faxes.

8. But don't mess with infrastructure unless it's broken.

9. Finally, don't "push the panic button." Be mindful of staff morale and the tone you set.

On a brighter note, Cisco VP Rick Moran told me last week that while SMBs are typically the first to stop spending in a recession, they are also typically the first to start up again -- often before observers realize that the recession in ending. Just as important, SMBs typically spend very aggressively as we come out of a recession. Moran also noted that the economic stimulus plan won't have much effect on spending at large companies, but is aimed directly at small business. So look to small and midsize companies to lead the charge out of recession and back to growth! Let's just hope it happens sooner rather than later.

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