5 hidden costs of downtime for your business

In our recent report ‘Navigating Internet Challenges for Business Resilience’, we recently conducted a survey that uncovers the hidden costs of poor connectivity. 

1. Revenue 

It’s no surprise that internet downtime affects revenue, but the number of businesses that rely on consistent connectivity might surprise you. 

92% of businesses say their revenue would take a hit if the internet went down, with 53% of those businesses believing downtime would significantly impact their earnings, and just 8% believing that their revenue would weather the storm. 

2. Card payments 

When we talk about connectivity, we often think about computer networks. But what about card machines? Chip card readers and contactless readers require the internet, and a whopping 39% of businesses in the UK would struggle to take card payments if their internet went down. 

For many shoppers in the UK, card payments are an essential part of their purchasing habits. 2022 marked the first time half of all payments in the UK were made using debit cards.

What’s more, a recent survey from Forbes found that 52% of people are more likely to make an impulse purchase when paying with a card compared to just 24% with cash. When card readers are down, businesses lose their edge. To capture visitors and convert them to customers, businesses need working card machines. 

3. Outbound calls 

Although 96% of companies with 50 - 249 employees worry about outbound calls during downtime, different-sized companies face different problems. Companies with 1 - 49 employees are 7% less worried about this dilemma, probably because companies with 101 - 249 employees are more likely to struggle with outbound calls during internet glitches. 

Having a back-up solution in place in the event of an outage can protect your business. 

4. Productivity 

Almost every successful business has some form of online presence, from public-facing strategies such as websites to internal communications essentials like Slack, Google Meet, and CMS platforms. 

When the internet goes down, real-time communication becomes difficult. Teams can’t collaborate, pushing deadlines further and further into the future. Almost half (48%) of the businesses we surveyed agree that unreliable internet can negatively impact productivity. 

53% of larger companies (50 - 249 employees) agree with this statement, which is another example of different-sized companies requiring personalised connectivity support. 

5. Stress 

65% of respondents feel stressed when the internet goes down, with 19% finding it very stressful and 46% finding it quite stressful.

In the short term, stress can lead to conflict, overwhelm, and illness. In the long term, stress can create toxic work environments and force employees to take long-term sick leave. According to research from Unum, 78% of UK workers would leave their jobs if it caused them a high level of stress. 

Zen: A reliable internet provider

Downtime is inevitable, but at Zen we have a reputation for being able to reconnect the dots effectively. Your dedicated account manager can outline personalised services, preventative measures, and robust backup plans to safeguard your business when downtime strikes. 

The only Which? Recommended Provider for Broadband for four consecutive years, our customers can expect personalised support from industry experts. Small, medium, and large companies are all welcome. 

For a range of cloud, connectivity, voice, networking, and security solutions, contact us.