Every decision you make carries weight when you're a business owner or IT Director. Whether procuring new software, recruiting personnel, or something as seemingly mundane as choosing an internet service provider, you're always considering the bottom line. Yet, there's one strategy that only sometimes gets the attention it deserves in the name of cost-efficiency: securing a backup internet connection. This might sound counterintuitive—how can adding another service save money? This article explores the savings available to your business.
Your internet goes down. It's more than an inconvenience: lost productivity, missed opportunities, and the chaotic scramble to get back online. A backup internet for business is not just a safety net; it's your action plan, contingency, and peace of mind.
For many businesses, not having internet even for a few hours could translate into considerable losses. The hourly cost of downtime can shoot up into the thousands, depending on the size and nature of your business. A backup internet connection protects against this, ensuring seamless operations even when your primary relationship falters.
If your business loses its connection to the internet without a backup - you're losing revenue. With a backup internet connection, you automatically switch to the secondary network, making it almost invisible to anyone doing business with you.
The seamless switch means your staff remains productive without wasting time and stalling projects. They continue their tasks, taking customer orders, processing data, and communicating with vendors. Bottom line? You're still making money.
Anyone who's been through a business crisis knows that a solid Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is worth its weight in gold. A backup internet connection can be an integral part of your BCP. It's not just about recovering from massive incidents like natural disasters but also more minor, yet still damaging, issues like internet outages.
With a backup in place, you can maintain essential functions without interruption. This ensures you can meet your contractual obligations and bolster your reputation in the market. A backup internet connection adds another layer of resilience to your BCP, making your business less susceptible to loss and more appealing to clients and investors.
Downtime is only sometimes about technical glitches or natural calamities. Sometimes, a cyberattack can hinder your primary internet connection. A backup internet connection provides an additional layer of security by allowing you to switch networks and isolate the compromised system. This facilitates quicker recovery and minimizes potential data loss or breaches, which could otherwise cost you dearly in compliance penalties or lawsuits.
In a cyberattack, your team can quickly shift to the backup connection, conduct the necessary audits, and deploy countermeasures without affecting ongoing business operations. This could be a game-changer when mitigating cyber risks and preserving your reputation.
Planning for growth is essential for any business. As your company expands, so will your need for reliable and fast internet. A backup internet connection provides the flexibility and scalability to adapt to changing requirements. Some backup solutions are easily upgradeable, meaning you can ramp up speed or bandwidth as you grow.
Imagine launching a new online service or product that suddenly makes your website traffic skyrocket. Your primary connection might struggle, but the backup can support the increased load, ensuring a smooth customer experience. When clients and customers find you reliable, they're more likely to stick around.
Quantifying the benefits of any investment is always wise, and backup internet is no exception. How many times did you face downtime last year? What was the cost regarding lost sales, employee productivity, or customer dissatisfaction? Now, compare that to the cost of a backup internet service. More often than not, you'll find that the cost of having a backup is far less than the price of not having one.
Even if you haven't experienced significant downtime, take into account the comfort and assurance a backup connection provides. It's an intangible yet invaluable benefit that allows you and your team to focus on what truly matters—growing your business.
Having a backup internet connection is an added expense at first glance. However, the numbers make much more sense when you weigh them against the potential costs of an outage—lost productivity, customer dissatisfaction, and dents to your reputation.
Investing in a backup internet connection is a strategic move that safeguards operational continuity and saves you money in the long run.
