It’s easy to take your internet connection for granted. But your business depends on it for productivity, sales, and customer service. Just about every part of your business requires an internet connection, even more so if your systems are cloud-based.
Your corporate internet plan isn’t something that you should take lightly. The cost of internet downtime can cost small businesses about $10,000 an hour. You need to make sure that you get it right.
Read on to learn more about corporate internet plans and how you can save on your bill.
Types of Corporate Internet Connections
One way to figure out how to cut costs is to look at the different types of providers in your area. Each provider has its own type of corporate internet service.
DSL
DSL was supposed to be the wave of the future a while back. In the early days of the internet, connections ran through phone lines. That was dial-up internet, which is slow.
DSL uses phone lines, too, but the connection is much faster. It’s still not a great option because we process more information online and phone lines can only handle so much.
Fibre-Optic Internet
Fibre-optic lines are still being built at great speeds. Fibre lines are made out of glass, which can handle much more data.
If you have all of your business needs, including phone lines, hooked up to the internet, this may be a good option. Fibre plans have come down in recent years, though they’re primarily available in urban areas.
Cable Internet
Cable internet is one of the popular forms of internet connectivity because of its speed and availability. Cable uses coaxial copper cables to transfer information.
Cable lines can handle more information than phone lines, but not as much as fibre lines. However, cable can usually provide the bandwidth needed for most small offices.
Wireless Internet
Rural areas can take advantage of wireless internet plans. Most private internet companies don’t serve rural areas, and a small percentage have more than one provider. That doesn’t leave much of a choice.
Wireless internet can provide a choice to businesses that they wouldn’t ordinarily have. Check this out for more information.
Is Your Connection Slow?
Do you suffer from a painfully slow internet connection? There could be a few things at work. It could be your provider, your device, you have too many people online at once, or the sites you’re trying to access. You want to troubleshoot your connection before you call your provider.
You want to make sure that you check if the connection is just on one site or on multiple sites. If you’re having issues getting to multiple sites, check on other devices.
See if those devices are connected to your network and try to access several websites. If it’s still slow, then it’s likely that your connection issues are on your end.
Your next step is to reset your connections. Unplug the modem and router for about a minute and plug them back in. That’s usually enough to do the trick.
If that still doesn’t work, then your business may be using too much bandwidth and you need to upgrade your services.
One way to test is to disconnect all devices from your network. Add one device at a time, testing the connection for each one. You may find that the first few devices work fine, but as you add more devices, the speeds slow down.
You can run speed tests on your devices that test the quality of your internet connection.
Save Money on Your Internet Bill
You need to make sure that your books are balanced each month. When you look at your expenses, it’s easy to feel like you’re spending too much on some things, and other things should be cut altogether.
You can’t cut your internet connection altogether, but you can save money. Here are some tips to do just that.
Compare Costs
Hopefully, you’re in an area that has a fair amount of choices available. If you do, compare the costs of the different providers and see if there’s a price advantage.
If there is, contact your cable company and ask for a price match. They may oblige to keep you as a customer.
Buy Your Own Equipment
Take a look at your bill and see how much you’re paying to rent equipment. You’re probably paying too much for it.
Instead, buy your own modems and routers for your business. That will pay off in a few months as that equipment usually isn’t expensive.
Buying your own equipment also gives your IT team greater control over the configuration and security of those devices. You are usually unable to configure the devices provided by your internet provider.
Should You Sign a Long Contract?
When corporate internet companies sign you up to their services, they ask for a long contract of 24 months or more.
What they’ll do is make an attractive offer at the beginning of the contract for the first 6-12 months. They’ll then jack up the prices for the remainder of the contract. There’s also a hefty termination fee of several hundred dollars if you try to get out of the contract.
Ideally, you want to find a plan that has a good incentive without a long commitment.
Corporate Internet Solutions for Your Business
Your business needs to have a functioning internet connection. You simply can’t afford any delays or other issues.
You need to understand the different corporate internet options you have available. That requires a basic understanding of cable, fibre, DSL and wireless plans.
With that knowledge, you can then make a point to try to get a better plan or save money on your current plan. In the end, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’re saving money while having a stable internet connection.
Do you want more tips to help you grow your business? Take a look at this site often for more great articles.