I always imagined that it would be very expensive to run a small business with lots of phones and computers. But in reality, it’s not really that bad.

My sister-in-law runs an insurance agency. My brother was telling me that she only pays a couple hundred dollars or so a year, and all of her computer needs are taken care of. The company she goes through does all of the maintenance, and in most cases just goes ahead and replaces machines that have problems. Not a bad deal at all.

There are also companies that specialize in things such as used Cisco networking equipment for small businesses. They buy old stuff from businesses, refurbish it, and then resell it at great prices. Some even accept trade-ins for new equipment.

My business is not at a stage in which it needs a lot of fancy equipment, so I can’t take advantage of such deals. So I guess I’ll just be saving my pennies in hopes of some day soon being able to replace my old clunker.