In a digital world, every company in every industry relies heavily on digital technologies, and that includes a fast, secure, and reliable internet connection. When you’re launching a startup, you’re faced with numerous challenges, and finding the right internet provider is one of them. You might think that it’s a pretty straightforward process, but this is actually a complex problem that requires thorough research, plenty of consideration, and sometimes trial and error.
Why, you might ask ? Because an internet provider is your partner, they are there to support your growth and success, and help you achieve your short, mid, and long-term goals. What’s more, your internet provider needs to be able to scale their service with your needs and growth, which is not something that every provider is equipped for.
With that in mind, today we’ll be tackling the problem of choosing the right internet service for your startup to achieve your goals and minimize financial waste in the process.
Research providers and check availability
Location is a big deal when you’re searching for good internet and mobile connectivity plans, as well as reliable providers for your company. Depending on the country and the exact location of your startup, different internet plans might be available and accessible to you for a reasonable price. For example, companies set up in more rural areas might find it difficult to get the coverage and performance they need to ensure business continuity in the online realm.
Some internet service providers might have a difficult time getting certain services over to you reliably, so you might need to settle for different internet plans. On the other hand, you might get amazing internet coverage and mobile plans no matter where you are if your country has excellent connectivity, but it’s important to do your research first and refrain from signing anything if the provider can’t guarantee a certain level of quality.
Check the upload and download speeds
When you start looking at the concrete plans and pricing lists from several providers, you will first take a look at the speeds offered in each plan. Of course, you are now looking to get the highest speeds possible for the most reasonable price point, but keep in mind that higher upload and download speeds will invariably cost more – but that doesn’t mean that you need to splurge.
For a startup, an internet plan with moderate upload and download speeds is usually more than enough, as you can always scale up your plan and coverage as your needs grow with the growth and expansion of your business. For starters you might not need more than 100 Mbps download and 20 Mbps upload speed if you want to do some effective marketing and dazzle your customers, but that might go up or down depending on the type of work you do.
Look for mobile plans for your remote employees
A good internet provider should not only give you a reliable internet connection for your office, they should also offer robust mobile plans for you and your employees who are either working from home or on the go. Nowadays, startups are thriving on remote work and mobile employees, but because people are doing so much of their work via phone, they need a fast 4G internet connection wherever they are in order to stay productive and capitalize on every opportunity. As a business leader, you can’t rely on their private mobile plans, though.
In order to ensure business continuity and empower everyone to keep working no matter where they are, you should get a corporate mobile package for you and your team. Be sure to look for a provider that can give you a mobile plan that’s reliable, fast, and secure.
Opt for reliability and stability
As we’ve mentioned several times before, your internet and mobile plans need to offer reliability and stability, no matter the time of day, no matter the amount of traffic in your network. There is nothing worse than when your employees are unable to deliver the expected results or meet the expected deadlines because of an internet outage.
There’s also rarely something as frustrating as being completely unable to conduct a video meeting with your team because the internet connection is failing or is underperforming for no apparent reason. When you’re starting a business, these problems can make all the difference and jeopardize your operation. Make sure to get a provider that can guarantee constant network reliability and stability throughout the day.
Cost vs benefits and perks
Lastly, your provider might offer everything that we just talked about plus a comprehensive mobile plan and more, but if the cost is just too high, you need to consider other providers. It’s important to weigh the cost against the benefits and perks the provider brings, and see if it’s worth it in the long run.
Many providers will make sure to work with you to create a price point that makes sense for both parties, but encompass most if not all the things you’re looking to get. So, consider the price, and if you think it’s unreasonable, see if the provider is willing to negotiate.
Over to you
Having a good internet and mobile plan is essential for the success of a startup, and you need to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck. Use these tips to find the right provider for your needs, a company that will help you grow and achieve your goals in 2021 and beyond.
