How an agency could cut five subscriptions
An example of how a small agency can find overlapping subscriptions and cut them without losing a capability.
Nikolas Gannon · · 1 min read · Example setups
Here is an example. Picture a four-person agency paying for eleven subscriptions. A review will often turn up a few that overlap, sit unused or do a job another tool already does. In this example, it is five. This is the method.
The audit
Every subscription is listed with three questions:
- Who actually uses it?
- What would break without it?
- Does another tool we already pay for do this?
In this example, five fail at least one question. A social scheduler duplicates a free tool. A proposal app duplicates the document suite. A “productivity” subscription has not been opened in three months.
For a deeper look, see Automation ROI: how to calculate it.
The consolidation
Five tools become two. The capabilities stay: social posts scheduled, proposals assembled, data tracked. The work moves onto tools the agency already owns.
What it would save
In this example, about $900 a month comes off the bill, with the same work getting done. The team also switches between fewer apps, which is harder to put a number on.
The point
Most bills are not bloated by bad decisions. They are bloated by unexamined ones. The review is the fix, and it takes about an hour.
What this means for you
List your subscriptions and run the three questions. You will find at least one. If you want the review done properly, the software bill checklist is free, and the free systems audit covers the same ground.
Free resource: Workflow automation audit workbook
Read next: How to cut your software bill without losing capability · One source of truth: why your systems should agree · Before and after: cutting lead response from hours to minutes
Questions
How does an agency find the overlaps?
By listing every subscription and asking who uses it, what would break, and what else already does the same job.
Does it mean losing capability?
It should not. The capabilities are consolidated, not lost. In this example, five tools become two.
How much can it save?
It depends on the tools. In this example, the five subscriptions add up to about $900 a month.