The Importance of Business Broadband for Small Businesses

Although many small businesses rely on home broadband, the long-term effects can be detrimental to the company’s success. Business broadband, albeit it comes at a higher price, is one of the core parts of a business’s digital connectivity. With more businesses relying on the internet to generate leads, retain customers and market their products – there is no better time than now to consider the importance of business broadband. This article shares some of the crucial elements of business broadband and how it can transform any small business in the UK today. 

What Is Business Broadband?

Unlike home/residential broadband which is used for personal use, business broadband is used for the everyday operations of a business. The main reason being that business broadband is specifically designed for professional workplaces – it comes with faster speeds and specific features for business connectivity. 

As dedicated connections, business broadband packages tend to come with wider features for business users. More reliable, secure and faster connections are a few of the main components to business broadband. Though business broadband is more expensive than home broadband, it is still widely accessible in the UK today for all types of businesses. In fact, according to Uswitch only 2% of residential properties only have access to 10Mbps (mega bytes per second) broadband services. In other words, the most basic speed. 

Why Is Business Broadband Important?

Home broadband – it is fundamentally used for personal communication and entertainment purposes. In contrast, business broadband is used by an array of businesses and industries. Whether you’re a freelance who works fully remote at home or a small startup in London, business broadband can cater to all types and sizes of businesses. 

But, why exactly is business broadband crucial for small businesses? Below, find some of the main reasons why switching to business broadband could transform a small business. 

Faster Speeds

The majority of business broadband services provide average speeds of 76Mbps, others are as fast as 1Gbps. Meanwhile, home broadband tends to be around 40-60 Mbps. As a result of using business broadband, small businesses can download, share and upload work quicker. Likewise, video calling clients or customers will be faster too. Not only will this save your small business time, but it will also present it more professionally. 

Better Productivity

Faster internet speeds means faster work. Faster work means more output. As a result, small businesses could save themselves not only time but money when it comes to business broadband. Business broadband has a lower contention ratio. In other terms, it limits the amount of people using the same server so internet connection speeds tend to be faster. 

Employees will be able to produce work more efficiently – which, we all know better productivity leads to success. 

Improved Customer Support

A business broadband connection can enable small businesses to improve their customer care. Being able to answer customer online queries, responding to orders or checking your online reviews are all part of improving customer support.

Reduced Downtime

Business broadband is a priority when connections are lost. Because of this, small businesses would need not worry about downtime and the consequences that come with this. With dedicated engineer support and guaranteed fix times, business broadband can give small businesses peace of mind that they can stay online. 

Increased Security

Business broadband offers static IP addresses. As a result, businesses IP addresses do not change and can host servers – whether that be CCTV or emails, for example.  This is also great for remote workers who need to access files on their computers, businesses that use VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems and other video communications. 

Which Business Broadband Is Best for Small Businesses?

The business broadband a small business requires will depend on their budget and needs in terms of features. Using online comparison sites to find the best deals is always recommended. Alternatively, read TechRound’s Top 5 Small Business Broadband Providers – which ranks bOnline, Zen and xln as its top three.