Most businesses don’t know exactly how many apps and systems they pay for. That’s normal: they get added one at a time, often by different people, and the bills arrive on different cards and accounts. Here’s a simple way to get the full picture. You don’t need any technical knowledge.
1. Look at your bank and card statements
Go through the last three months of business bank and card statements. Note every regular payment that looks like software, an app, a website, phones, internet or IT support. Don’t forget annual payments: look back a full year for those.
Check any personal cards too. It’s common for staff to put a work app on their own card and claim it back.
2. Write them all in one list
A simple table is enough. For each one, write down:
- what it’s called and what it does, in your own words;
- what it costs, and whether that’s monthly or yearly;
- how many people or devices it’s charged for;
- who in the business uses it;
- when it renews, if you know.
3. Ask your team what they actually use
Show the list to the people who use these tools. Ask two questions: “Do you use this every week?” and “Is there anything here that does the same job as something else?” You’ll often find tools nobody has opened in months.
4. Mark anything that looks like a saving
Go back through the list and mark:
- Doubles: two or more things doing the same job, like two ways to share files.
- Empty seats: paying for more users than you have.
- Forgotten extras: add-ons or upgrades you no longer need.
- Old contracts: anything you haven’t compared in a few years.
5. Check before you cancel
Before you cancel anything, check three things: whether there’s a notice period or exit fee, whether any information inside it needs saving first, and whether something else relies on it. Cancelling the wrong thing can cost more than it saves.
Want someone to do it for you?
That’s what our free savings check is for. We go through it with you, tell you honestly what we’d change, and show you the real saving after any costs. It’s up to you what happens next.
