Business

Five things to consider when choosing your Internet Service Provider for a startup or small business

Guest Jul 21 2022

For most start-ups and small businesses, deciding on the right Internet Service Provider (ISP) is essential to keep communications with customers and suppliers running smoothly, as well as maintaining the day-to-day activity of the business itself. Over the lockdown periods, there was a huge rise in social media as essential online marketing channels for small businesses. The reliance on these online platforms is yet another reason why getting the right ISP is more important than ever for small businesses. We’ve pulled out five things startups or small business owners should consider when choosing their ISP.

1) Reliability

Having unreliable internet can be stressful and counterproductive. If the internet is disrupted often, this can have a detrimental impact on small businesses who rely on it.

Startups or small businesses should look for not only an efficient service, but also excellent customer service should they face any technical issues. Should repairs be needed or if you upgrade any equipment which may affect your bandwidth, you’ll want the experts at hand to be able to guide you through.

Research the quality of customer support the ISPs provide by checking reviews, and take time to check their statistics for how long the internet line operates without fault, which is referred to as uptime.

2) Speed requirements

One consideration small businesses need to make when considering an ISP is speed. It’s crucial you understand your needs and ensure that your broadband is fast enough to not disrupt daily use, even when the usage and demand is at its peak.

Bandwidth simply refers to how much information the system can handle. If your company often sends large files or more commonly needs to make calls over video conferencing platforms, this will require larger bandwidth and higher speeds than if you use your connection only for email comms and social media.

3) Availability and efficiency

Depending on your location, many areas and cities have access to a range of fibre connections which vary in speed up to full fibre. It is important to consider your options if your small business or startup is located in a rural area, as there may be a limited number of ISPs in the area.

When comparing plans, focus on the bandwidth and find the speed you will receive in your location as many ISPs will advertise speeds which will not be accurate to your location.

When you find an available ISP, understand that availability of speed and efficiency can be impacted due to shared circuits, which prevents you from receiving the speed you thought was on offer. To avoid further surprises, research your options, look at different plans and check if your business will require additional equipment and check the availability within your area.

4) Security

Choosing an ISP which is devoted to security and protecting sensitive information should be a strong consideration, especially when dealing with confidential client and consumer data.

If you are planning on adopting the hybrid model of working, choose an ISP provider that will keep your data secure with options of remote access VPNs (Virtual Private Network) which establish a protected network connection when using public networks, this will allow remote employees access to the business network with convenience and ease.

5) Pricing

The ideal ISP should offer the value of speed for the price you pay, which will be based on what your business demands are. Most ISPs provide various packages for home internet services for those remote working, which can be cost effective for your startup or small business depending on your needs.

When looking at features, extras including VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) will sometimes result in increased fees. Be sure to look through the terms and conditions of your contract in order to review data limits and what is included in your deal, to help you avoid being charged extra.

Conclusion

Choosing the right ISP for your startup or small business broadband is considered the most important decision related to the connectivity of your business. As with most aspects of businesses, you’ll need to weigh the pros and cons depending on these essential five factors. At Zen, we provide a range of broadband options which suit a variety of business needs.