When it comes to choosing broadband for your business, it can be far more important than the process of choosing a provider for your home. While we all find it very convenient to have broadband at home, the quality and costs can often be far more significant when selecting a service for your business.
A business is only as strong as its weakest link, and it doesn’t do much good to have a great product and a good workforce only be held back by a sub-par Internet connection. This is especially important for small businesses, as they often don’t have in-house IT experts who can advise and address any problems that may arise.
So here are our top four things to consider when choosing broadband for your small business.
Technical Support
It is very important when choosing your provider to give this some thought and to choose carefully. Don’t just read and believe what the business broadband provider says on their website. Read forums where people discuss the standard of the support and their actual experiences. Some support lines can be expensive so look at the costs.
Connection Speed
Speed is everything, and a slow Internet connection can not only be frustrating, but it can also harm your business over time. Just a few extra seconds every time you try to change pages, send files or connect can add up over the course of a year and the amount of profit you could lose can be substantial. Again, don’t rely on the Internet providers’ websites. Check forums to see the speeds other businesses are receiving in your area before buying.
Download Limits
If you think you are going to need a lot of bandwidth and downloading is indeed a factor, make sure you get a package with unlimited downloads. However, if you are a very small business and you don’t think you need the extra bandwidth, consider a cheaper package with a limit. There’s no need to get an unlimited package if you’re just not going to use it.
Cost
It sounds obvious but shopping around can make a real difference. Look at the packages that are available and how much you’ll be paying over the entire contract and not just the introductory offer. It’s easy to see a great price and then to jump in head first, only to find that it is more costly over the long term. A little extra time shopping around can make all the difference when it comes to your final bill.
Check all of these things and ensure you are happy before committing to a lengthy contract that could be costly and not tailor-made for your own business. Times are tough for small businesses and with everything you do, it makes sense to get it right and as affordable as possible. It’s also important to weigh which of these considerations are the most important to you before making your final decision, as you won’t want to sacrifice quality to save a few bucks.
How did you select the broadband provider for your small business?
