With the potential for business life to return to something resembling normal, it’s a good idea to take a look at your budget and see where you may need to shift some of your priorities. Pay attention to how your spending over the past few years affected your business and either helped you achieve, or took you away from, your overall goals.

Considering how your business and your employees functioned in recent years can help you predict upcoming trends–which will enable you to plan for adjustments.

Here are some key areas to evaluate in your budget, so you can determine whether you need to spend more in these areas.

1. Technology

This is possibly the business area with the most room for growth–and the most evidence that adoption is needed. Technology has made it possible for employees to work remotely, for you to provide goods and services virtually, and for you to stay connected with your team while working from home.

If your business is enabling remote work, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got the proper systems and equipment in place, such as document storage, redundancies, cybersecurity and anything else the law might require of you.

Make sure everyone on your team has access to the equipment they’ll need, and knows how to use it.

2. Human resources

With virtual work comes access to employees from across the globe. Geography is no longer a barrier when it comes to hiring skilled employees, at least not in companies that use remote work.

Having teams from across your country and around the globe is an incredible opportunity. Make sure you’ve invested resources in understanding the various rules and regulations that they’re governed by. They likely have different laws regarding payroll requirements and benefits plans. There may even be rules about how you can hire and fire employees.

Make sure you understand whose employment laws govern the work they’re doing for you, and then be certain you take the necessary steps to follow those laws.

3. Automated systems

There are many activities involved in running your own business. Some need your time and attention. Others can be shifted to automated systems, freeing you up for more vital tasks.

Take a look at the activities you regularly carry out. Even those that only take a few minutes a day add up over the course of a year, and chances are they can be automated.

Online invoicing systems make it easy to send invoices and follow up with people who haven’t paid you, all with the click of a button. Customer Relationship Management software (CRM) enables you to track leads as they move through your sales funnel and become your customers. Project management software lets you manage your projects from your smartphone, no matter where the jobsite is.

Most of these automated systems also produce comprehensive reports so you can gain valuable insights into your business processes.

4. Consultants

You don’t have to be an expert in every aspect of your business. If there are areas you aren’t certain of, or want to learn more about, you can hire outside parties to guide your decision-making. Consultants can help you with managing your business, evolving your career, building your relationships, and even marketing your goods and services.

Consultants provide an external and unbiased perspective on your business. Because they’re experts in their field, they have insights into what other companies are doing–and what has and hasn’t worked. They can also help you anticipate and plan for upcoming challenges.

Final thoughts

Examine these four key areas in your business to determine whether it’s worth spending more on them in 2022, as you grow your business.