How To Buy

So now you have an idea of what you should buy, but how exactly are you going to obtain it? We're in a recession, credit is hard to get from banks, and smaller businesses can't afford to keep employees.

Rick Moran

Moran notes that small and midsize companies have their own buying style. "They get their information from a variety of places, but mainly the Web," he said. But you won't see a successful small or midsize business buy like a consumer, he added -- a lot of their decision is based on whether a product is practical for the company. "If you're buying technology to buy technology, it's probably not a good choice," he said. "It's figuring out how it can be leveraged to earn more dollars for your business."

Believe it or not, there are quite a number of financing options for smaller companies -- just not always through traditional banks. "There's a point of ignorance in that small and midsize businesses don't realize they don't have to go near their bank," said Maryann Von Seggern, senior director at Cisco Capital. "They have other, alternate sources of capital that are available to them."

In addition to Cisco, IBM has its own financing program, too. Meanwhile, Dell and Hewlett-Packard are gunning for the small- and midsize-business market by offering special programs -- some of which offer 0% financing. The financing deals and bargain prices are out there, if you have the need and patience to look for them.

Don't Miss: How To Take Your Business Green

There are even financial rewards for going green. Here are a few ways the government can help:

• Loans, Grants, And Incentives For Energy-Efficient Projects. Find information about the various programs here.
• Tax Credits For Energy Efficiency. Home builders, manufacturers, and commercial building owners are among the small businesses that can benefit from federal tax credits available for making energy-efficiency upgrades. Find out more here.
• Get Help From Your State Government. State, local, and regional programs help small businesses become more energy efficient through financial assistance and assistance programs that aid small-business owners in conducting energy audits and implementing energy-efficient technology. Find out more here.

Conclusion

The financial crisis has changed the way businesses spend money. They're much less inclined to just try out a new product and are hesitant about replacing gear that isn't broken. But with business now being conducted in a global, interconnected environment, companies need to find a way to stay competitive -- and therefore stay alive. And that means being smart about making hardware investments.

"There are two ways to approach this," said Kline. "Hunker down and wait out the recession, or try to adjust and make sure you're embracing what this new world looks like. You'll emerge stronger and better able to compete."

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Jennifer Moline is associate editor of bMighty.com.