I was onsite at a client site last week, and I was asked to sign a guest log for access to the server room. This is always a good idea so you can keep track of the non-employees who go in and out.

There are limits to how much you can negotiate, though. “Generally, hotel room block rates are anywhere from 5- to 20 percent less” than the standard nightly rate, Ms. Strauss-Goldman said.

The task of setting up a server room isn’t a popular one these days, especially for small businesses that just want to focus on what they do best: Growing their business.