Thursday 22 November 2012

Your Choice Of Internet Providers Can Affect Your Business

By Carol Dominguez


The dream for many today is to open a small business, be their own boss and have total control over their future. This is a dream that more and more people are realizing and having success with thanks to the internet and social networking. If you don't think internet providers play a role in this too, think again!

Starting a business could mean you don't have much cash flow to work with. But that doesn't mean you are stuck with painfully slow internet like dial-up or the cheapest DSL provider around. Simply by conducting a search for DSL providers by zip code, you will see that you have a few options for speeds and packages.

You may be quite surprised to discover that DSL providers like Verizon and Att may be even less expensive than a company you were going to use that no one has ever heard of. Doesn't it make sense to put your business in the hands of an established provider?

The type of your small business will play a role in how important the internet is to you. You might use it to send and receive shipments, keep employee or delivery schedules or promote your business online with social media sites or your own web presence.

An internet connection that isn't reliable could translate into a direct loss of sales. For example, if you offer online chat to your customers via your web site, an unreliable connection could cause frequent disconnections during chats, causing customers to go elsewhere. A more reliable internet type like cable may help you to avoid this.

While DSL may be quite practical for some small businesses and certainly the most affordable option, it may not be the best choice for a business that relies on online connection to thrive. You may expect cable internet to be out of your price range but that may not necessarily be true.

If you shop for cable internet providers by zip code, you can also compare their pricing and services. You will notice that most companies have bundle packages so if you are a new spa and you intended on hooking up cable for the waiting area as well a phone service, you may save yourself money by purchasing a bundle package that includes all three.

Even if all you plan to do is market your business online and not run it on the internet, you will most likely need internet service. Advertising online is far cheaper than doing so in physical publications and radio ads, because now you can use sites like Facebook to promote yourself.




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