Top 10 Things Companies Forget to Renew (And How to Fix It)

Running a business is chaotic. Between growth targets, hiring, operations, and customer needs, it's easy to overlook small details — until they become big problems. One of the most common and costly mistakes? Forgetting to renew critical assets, services, and certifications.

In this article, we'll cover the Top 10 things companies often forget to renew and share actionable tips on how to avoid missing renewal deadlines.

1. Software Licenses Many essential business tools (like CRMs, design software, and project management platforms) have annual or monthly licenses. Missing a renewal can halt operations or lead to hefty penalties.

Fix it: Set automated reminders 30, 60, and 90 days before license expiration dates to manage software renewals proactively.

2. Domain Names and Hosting Your company's entire online presence relies on your domain and hosting. Forgetting to renew can cause your website and emails to go offline — or worse, someone else could buy your domain.

Fix it: Enable auto-renew for domains and hosting plans, and track renewal dates separately to avoid website downtime.

3. Business Insurance Policies Insurance coverages (like liability, cyber insurance, or workers' comp) often require yearly renewals. Gaps in coverage can expose you to massive risks and unexpected expenses.

Fix it: Track insurance policy expiry dates and engage your broker at least 45 days before renewal to stay protected.

4. Vendor and Supplier Contracts Key vendors — from IT support to raw material suppliers — usually work on contractual terms that expire. Letting them lapse can impact your supply chain and business operations.

Fix it: Maintain a contract management system with automated renewal triggers to monitor supplier agreements.

5. Professional Certifications and Licenses Many industries require certifications (ISO, HIPAA compliance, PCI-DSS) that need periodic renewal to stay compliant and legally operational.

Fix it: Centralize certificate management in a compliance tracker and assign a responsible owner for each certification.

6. Employee Certifications Individual employees often have critical certifications (security clearances, technical certifications, health & safety training) that can expire unnoticed.

Fix it: Track employee certifications in your HR system or a dedicated renewal tracking platform.

7. Equipment Leases and Maintenance Contracts Leased servers, vehicles, office equipment — all have lease or maintenance contracts that require timely renewals to avoid service interruptions.

Fix it: Add all equipment leases to your asset management system and set up review schedules.

8. Intellectual Property (IP) Protections Trademarks, patents, and copyrights require periodic renewal to maintain your company's intellectual property rights.

Fix it: Work with your legal team to calendar IP-related expiries well in advance and secure your assets.

9. Subscriptions to Industry Tools and Research Access to key databases, journals, and market research tools often comes with renewable subscriptions vital for competitive insights.

Fix it: Audit all business subscriptions quarterly and track renewal dates to ensure uninterrupted access.

10. SLA Agreements and IT Services Critical cloud services, managed service providers (MSPs), and hosting providers have service-level agreements (SLAs) that expire.

Fix it: Track SLAs alongside your IT asset inventories to manage renewals efficiently.

How to Never Miss a Renewal Again

Instead of relying on spreadsheets, sticky notes, or last-minute emails, use a smart renewal tracking tool like ExpiryEdge. With ExpiryEdge, you can:

• Centralize all your expiry dates in one secure platform
• Set multi-stage reminders (emails, Slack, Microsoft Teams, etc.)
• Assign task owners and escalate overdue renewals automatically
• Integrate renewal workflows with your existing systems for seamless management

Stay ahead of renewals. Stay compliant. Stay in control.
Get Started with ExpiryEdge Today

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