by Scott Jack
Content Contributor, E-N Computers
More than a decade of experience in technical support including end user support, mobile device management, application deployment, and documentation.
As a managed service provider (MSP) supporting small and medium businesses, we’re often asked about purchasing computers. Before you buy, you should weigh some important factors. Your purchasing decision will affect your budget, productivity, and security.
QUICK ANSWER:
What should I consider when buying computers for my small business?
Buy business-grade hardware with extended warranties, assess your needs for processing power and storage, standardize hardware models, and plan ahead for hardware replacement. Avoid consumer-grade computers from retail stores due to build quality, licensing limitations, bloatware, and inconsistent hardware. Nonprofits should explore discounts from manufacturers, Microsoft, TechSoup, and distributors. Working with an MSP gives you access to expertise, strategic planning, volume pricing, lifecycle management, and support.
Why you should avoid buying business computers at retail
Even though retail stores like Best Buy and Staples have computers in stock and offer promotions, buying computers from them is terrible when it comes to IT maturity and total cost of ownership. There are several drawbacks that can have long-term effects on security, compliance, and support costs.
- Consumer-grade, not made for business. The build quality and repairability are worse.
- Licensing and feature limitations. Home editions of Windows and Office have licensing terms that prohibit commercial use. Windows Home also lacks critical business features like joining a company network, centralized management, and security controls like full-disk encryption. Upgrading from Home to Pro adds $99 onto your cost—and you’re still stuck with the other problems listed here.
- Bloatware. Consumer PCs come pre-loaded with unnecessary software that can slow performance and create security vulnerabilities.
- Inconsistent hardware. Retail stock is always changing. Buying whatever’s available the day you walk in leads to having a different model of computer at every desk, which makes managing them more difficult.
If you’re a very small team (1–2 people) and just getting started, buying a decent-quality consumer laptop might be okay temporarily—especially if you need something right away. But even then, we recommend choosing a device that supports Windows Pro and business-grade security features, and budgeting for a replacement within 2–3 years.
Can I just buy business-grade computers myself?
So, you’re convinced of the value of business-grade computers, but can you just buy those yourself? You can. For example, you can browse and purchase Dell business workstations online. Optiplex is their standard business line, while Precision is the high-performance business line. Recently, Dell introduced Pro and Pro Max business lines, which are billed as AI PCs, meaning they have special processors to enable AI features.
However, buying computers yourself shifts the burden of research, procurement, configuration, support, and lifecycle management entirely to you. The process can become a time-consuming headache, especially since it’s not something you do as often. Working with an MSP can alleviate the frustration of procurement at a reasonable price point.
Can nonprofits get a better deal on business computers?
Yes! Nonprofit organizations often qualify for significant discounts on business-grade computers that go beyond standard business pricing, which can be another reason to forget about trying to save by buying retail:
- Many hardware manufacturers offer nonprofit discount programs (typically 5-15% off business pricing).
- TechSoup and similar organizations offer validated nonprofits access to discounted hardware and software. You can access these offers directly.
- Some resellers offer special nonprofit pricing. When you go through a reseller, including E-N Computers, you get the benefit of our relationships with manufacturers and distributors, which can mean better pricing on hardware. You also get our expertise in selecting and ordering everything you need.
If you run a nonprofit, we can help you achieve significant savings using a combination of these options. Non-profits can also get significant discounts on Microsoft licensing, especially when prepaid annually.
Procurement tips
Whether buying computers on your own or through a technology partner, we recommend that you:
- Assess your needs first. Consider the needs and workload of each role in the company. You need to know how much processing power, memory, and storage is needed, what form factor is most practical, and check hardware/software compatibility requirements.
- Buy business-grade hardware. Business computers are built with better components, are more easily repairable, come with longer extended warranties, and fail less often than consumer-grade computers. They also come with Windows Pro not Home, which has business features like joining a company network, BitLocker full-disk encryption, and support for centralized management.
- Buy the extended warranty. This will reduce headaches if a computer needs to be repaired or replaced during its lifetime. These usually come with a 1–3 day turnaround time.
- Standardize as much as possible. Standardization simplifies IT support, software deployment, and inventory management.
- Determine your hardware lifecycle. We encourage our clients to replace laptops every 3–5 years and desktops every 5–7 years. The idea here is that computers are an essential tool and you want to replace them before the likelihood of failure increases significantly.
An MSP like E-N Computers takes care of all of this for you. There are other benefits to working with us, too.
Benefits of buying computers through an MSP
How do MSPs make computer procurement better? We can help you in at least four key ways:
- Assistance with needs assessment and standardization: We regularly assess the IT needs of our clients. Together, we can make sure your new computers are a good fit and standardize on one or two models from the same brand.
- Volume pricing: MSPs usually have established relationships with vendors, allowing access to volume discounts even for small quantities. E-N Computers partners with Dell for workstations and servers.
- Proper configuration: New computers arrive pre-configured with your business software, security tools, and network settings, reducing downtime during deployment.
- Lifecycle management: We track warranty information, replacement schedules, and can help plan technology refreshes to minimize unexpected expenses.
How E-N Computers can help
E-N Computers’ managed IT clients enjoy a full-service experience. In addition to procurement, we help with strategy and support. We collaborate with you to:
- assess your overall IT needs and select appropriate, standardized hardware
- develop a hardware replacement plan, including timeline and budget
- procure competitively priced business hardware and warranties
- handle inventory management
- manage licensing
- deploy new computers, migrate data, and train users
- provide ongoing support by phone, email, and in-person
Next Steps
When you have the right people working together, you can implement systems and processes that actively help you reach your business goals. We sometimes call this IT maturity. But for many organizations, something is off when it comes to their partnerships, strategy, systems, and settings. How can you know what’s working well and where you have room for improvement? Start by taking our free IT Maturity Self-Assessment. You’ll walk away with some pointers and, if you want, a free appointment to discuss your results.
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