It all started with a discussion with the CEO of a niche services company.
I asked him, “What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced in adapting to remote work?”
His response took me by surprise.
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses had to pivot overnight to keep operations running. His company was no exception.
Here’s how he adapted quickly to the sudden shift:
- Ordered 20 laptops overnight to enable remote work.
- Solved VPN issues by adjusting security permissions.
- Stayed in constant communication with all 100+ employees via Zoom.
- Actively listened to employees’ concerns and ensured quick resolutions.
While discussing these challenges, he shared a powerful insight about business decision-making:
“Sometimes we make the wrong decisions or delay taking action just to save money, but in the end, it costs us much more.”
That statement made me pause. I asked him for an example.
He gave me one that made perfect sense.
The Cost of a Wrong Decision
Two years ago, when purchasing laptops for his employees, he opted for i3 processors instead of i5 or i7.
At the time, it seemed like a cost-saving move, choosing laptops with “just enough” power.
But it turned out to be a wrong business decision that led to a chain reaction of inefficiencies.
Many SaaS businesses face a similar dilemma. Is cutting costs on content marketing a smart decision? Here’s how top SaaS companies balance growth and ROI.
Breaking It Down: The Math Behind the Cost
Let’s compare two laptops (based on past Amazon pricing):
- i3 Processor Laptop: $699
- i7 Processor Laptop: $1,149 ($450 more than i3)
The average lifespan of a laptop is around 2.5 years (30 months or 912 days).
If you divide the extra $450 cost over 912 days, the daily difference is just 50 cents per day.
That’s half a dollar per day. But here’s what he lost by choosing the i3.
The Domino Effect of a Poor Decision
Choosing a weaker processor led to:
- Slower performance as applications evolved and demanded more processing power.
- Frequent technical glitches, leading to productivity loss.
- Employees losing 30 minutes to 2 hours daily troubleshooting issues.
- Extended work hours to compensate for system delays.
- Increased IT support costs to manage recurring complaints.
- Delayed project deliveries, causing client dissatisfaction.
- Employee frustration and burnout, leading to resignations.
- The need to recruit and train new hires, adding to operational costs.
As a CEO or decision-maker, can you afford to lose so much time and money just to save 50 cents per day?
How He Discovered the Problem
His company was struggling with bandwidth issues, even though the number of projects and employees matched.
To identify the cause, he conducted an internal survey within the operations team.
The results?
50–60% of employees reported laptop performance issues as a major obstacle to their productivity.
That was the moment of realization.
Many business inefficiencies stem from poor decisions. The same applies to marketing strategies, see how businesses avoid mistakes in content creation.
#OntheFlipSide: If laptop sellers can explain this logic to their clients. They can definitely up-sell. What do you think?
Smart Business Decisions vs. Short-Term Cost Savings
If laptop sellers could explain this logic, they could upsell better configurations to their customers.
But more importantly, as a business owner, wisdom lies in making decisions that drive long-term value.
Some Examples of Smart Spending:
- Spending $5,000 on a high-converting sales page is worth it if it generates 10x revenue.
- Investing $10,000 a year in HubSpot is worth it if it helps increase revenue by $1 million.
- Paying $3,000 a month for Concurate’s services is worth it if it leads to double-digit business growth.
The takeaway?
Making smart investments pays off in the long run.
Have You Ever Made a Costly Business Decision?
We all have at some point. What’s one wrong decision that cost you more than you expected?
Share your experience! We always learn best from each other’s mistakes.
Pro tip: If you need 30 standout SaaS growth hacks to attain double the growth for your SaaS business, fill out the form below!
Are You Delaying a Wise Business Decision?
Think again. Speed up!
By the way, what do you sell?
More importantly, do you know why people buy your product?
Want to Make the Right Business Decisions for Growth?
At Concurate, we help businesses make smarter, data-driven decisions through strategic content marketing and consulting.
If you’re looking for a content strategy that delivers tangible business results, let’s talk.
