Can you run a business on home broadband? (And do you really want to?)

It’s the big pitch meeting. Zoom’s loaded, your slides are ready. This is your moment. And then… the internet cuts out. Why do these things always happen at the worst possible time?

As remote work makes our home connections more and more important, can your home broadband truly support the demands of your business? Or is it time to invest in a dedicated business broadband solution?

This article explores the factors to consider when choosing the right internet connection for your small business, comparing home office broadband with dedicated business-grade solutions. We’ll help you make an informed decision that helps your business to connect, collaborate, and grow.

Understanding your business needs

But before we dive into the world of business broadband, let’s take a step back and consider what your business actually needs. After all, every business is unique, including yours. So asking how to choose business broadband for your home office starts with a bit of self-reflection. Ask yourself:

• How many people are online? Are you working alone, or do you have a whole team relying on your internet connection?
• What are you doing online? Does your online activity consist of basic emails and web browsing, or are video calls, large file transfers, and cloud-based applications a big part of your day-to-day?
• How much bandwidth do you need? If you’re constantly uploading or downloading files, or if those video calls need to be crystal clear, you’ll need a connection that can keep up.
• What happens if the internet goes down? Can your business afford an internet outage? From financial transactions to customer contact, you might be more reliant on your broadband connection than you realise.

Even if home broadband may seem up to the task, it’s worth digging a little deeper before you commit.

Why might businesses use home broadband?

While we strongly recommend dedicated business broadband here at Zen, we also understand that regular home broadband might still seem the obvious choice for many smaller businesses. And for good reason:

• Cost: Home broadband is usually cheaper than a business alternative. For sole traders especially, this might be very tempting. After all, if home broadband gives you everything you need and it costs less, why wouldn’t you?
• Simplicity: No one likes a complicated setup, and it’s often seen as quick and easy to get going with home broadband. If you’re running a business from home, and you already have a decent connection, there’s likely to be zero effort required.
• Basic needs: If your online activity is fairly basic – emails, browsing, the occasional cat video at lunch time - home broadband might seem like enough.

However, before you make the decision to stick with what you’ve got, it’s important to weigh those tempting factors against the potential drawbacks and long-term costs of relying on a less robust solution.

Benefits of business broadband

While cost and simplicity might seem tempting at first, it’s important to remember that they aren’t the only things that matter – at least not if your broadband connection is really important to your business. Investing in dedicated business broadband can make a difference, to your peace of mind and even your bottom line:

• Rock-solid reliability: Reliable business broadband is the backbone of any successful modern business. At Zen, we’re committed to keeping your connection running smoothly, continually monitoring our network to deal with potential issues before they affect you. And when you’re choosing business broadband at home, that kind of reliability is priceless.
• Support when you need it: We understand, sometimes things go wrong. But when they do, you don’t want to be waiting forever for a fix. Our expert support team is here to help, providing all the benefits of dedicated business broadband support. We’re talking fast, efficient solutions to get you back online ASAP.
• Security you can trust: Online security is crucial for businesses of all sizes. You can add a whole a whole range of security features to your business broadband, so you can focus on what you do best.
• 4G backup: Imagine this: your main connection goes down, but your internet keeps on chugging along. With optional 4G backup, you can say goodbye to downtime dramas and keep things moving, no matter what.
• Advanced care: Need things fixed fast? Choose an advanced care package for even faster response times and priority support, so you can get back to business in a flash.
• Flexible installation options: We know that every business is different, so we offer installation options to cater to differing needs and ensure a smooth transition.

Zen’s business broadband solutions

Our range of business broadband at home solutions is designed to meet the diverse needs of businesses, including the best business broadband for small office UK set-ups:

• Full fibre broadband: our full fibre packages deliver ultrafast speeds, perfect for businesses with high bandwidth demands. If full fibre broadband is available at your address, it will always be the option available to you. Enter your postcode here to see if you can benefit from ultrafast full fibre business broadband from Zen.
• SOGEA broadband: Where full fibre isn’t available, our SOGEA (Single Order Generic Ethernet Access) provides a reliable and cost-effective solution for small business internet needs. Check out SOGEA broadband here.

Exploring other options – leased lines

If you need a little more from your business broadband, there’s another option: a leased line (also called Ethernet). It’s the ultimate connection for the best in performance and reliability.

Unlike traditional business broadband connections, a leased line provides a dedicated connection that’s yours and yours alone. It gives you symmetrical bandwidth – which means download speeds and upload speeds are exactly the same. And it’ll never slow down, even during peak hours.

Leased lines are ideal for businesses that:

• Rely heavily on cloud-based applications and data transfer.
• Require high bandwidth for video conferencing, VoIP, and other real-time applications.
• Need to ensure maximum uptime and business continuity.

Zen offers a range of leased line solutions tailored to different business needs.

Making the right choice

Choosing the right broadband can be a crucial decision for your business. When you compare business broadband packages for home use, consider these factors:

Ultimately, the best choice depends on your specific needs and budget. Consider your current requirements, but also think about your future growth and scalability.

Business broadband: make the right choice

In a competitive, online-first world, where cloud services are becoming the home of data storage, productivity, and collaboration, your business needs a connection that can keep up… and keep on keeping up reliably, day after day.

If you’re ready to explore your internet options, enter your postcode here to see what business broadband packages are available in your area.