I just set up a Zoom meeting with a former colleague who might start her own business. She hasn’t yet invested in the paid version of Zoom, so I set the meeting up on my account, which got me thinking about all the infrastructure it takes to run even a small business.
I pay for website hosting, various software subscriptions, memberships, directory listings, and more on an annual basis, plus ad hoc expenditures like video editing, website design, and publishing. To run this business effectively, I need to invest in some infrastructure. There’s the perfect balance of infrastructure per staff member for every organization. Too little and staff wastes time on manual workarounds that could be automated.
Organizations can also have too much infrastructure. The addition of every time-saving, high-efficiency program doesn’t necessarily deliver what is promised. Each new software adds costs in money, time, and brain space. Sometimes I wonder if I’m managing my infrastructure or is it managing me?
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