In today’s world, the Internet is a prerequisite for any business to thrive. California is a hub of businesses, both small and large. Around 140,000 of them are in the technical service and science industry, with 122,291 in healthcare, 105,805 in retail, 90,848 in food services and accommodation, and 82,744 in construction.
These businesses use the Internet for most, if not all, of their day-to-day operations. From communication to marketing, sales to research and development to inventory management, the Internet is essential for businesses to stay connected and relevant. Here’s a detailed look at the importance of reliable Internet for businesses.
Which California Enterprises Need Reliable Business Internet?
All of them. Businesses can’t afford to not have a reliable Internet connection.
However, some industries do depend more on a reliable Internet connection than others. Here are a few:
- Technology-based Businesses: SaaS companies, software development firms, game studios, app developers, etc.
- Healthcare Businesses: Hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, and other health-related businesses that rely on telemedicine and digital record-keeping.
- Education Sector: Schools, colleges, online education providers, universities, and vocational centers.
- Legal Sector: Law firms, legal advisors, and attorneys.
- Retail: Online and offline retail stores that need a reliable connection for transactions, inventory management, marketing, and communication.
Reasons California Businesses Need Reliable Business Internet
All businesses have different use cases for the Internet. One might need it for research and development, while another may use it to process orders. Either way, the Internet is the fuel that keeps the engine of a business running.
Let’s look at some comprehensive reasons California businesses require reliable business Internet connections.
1. Efficient Business Operations
Let’s say you’re a multinational audit firm. You handle all sorts of clients, from Fortune 500 companies to small and medium businesses. Even a slight hiccup in your Internet connection can translate to hours of lost productivity and thousands of dollars in potential revenue.
In 2015, Apple had a storage outage. As a result, the company faced a loss of $25 million, not to mention the backlash from customers. That was just a storage outage. Imagine the financial impact of a full-blown Internet outage.
What’s the solution? A reliable business Internet connection like GeoLinks, which won the Central Coast Innovation Award for ”Most Disruptive Technology.” It’s that good.
2. Undisrupted Cloud Access
Be it Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Salesforce, California businesses rely on cloud storage for their day-to-day operations.
It makes sense that businesses need a robust Internet connection to access their cloud storage and applications. As businesses transition toward remote work, cloud access has become even more crucial.
A reliable business Internet connection ensures 24/7 access to the cloud. Plus, employees can stay in touch and collaborate in real-time, regardless of their location.
3. Business Continuity
Have you ever wondered how much it would cost your business if your Internet connection went out for an entire day? The bigger the business, the higher the loss. In 2016, Delta Airlines had a five-hour power outage. It caused $150 million in monetary loss and 2,000 flight cancellations.
Facebook had a similar issue in 2019. In a 14-hour outage in 2019, the social media site estimated its loss to be up to $90 million.
As evident, businesses need a reliable Internet connection for seamless operations. Even an hour-long outage could cause issues like:
- Poor customer service
- Loss of transactions
- Loss of revenue
- Inefficient business processes
Forget an hour; even a minute is precious. A Ponemon Institute report found that some organizations lose $9,000 per minute. Where your business falls on this scale depends on the industry, business model, organization size, and other factors.
Better Data Management
Data forms the crux of businesses today. Whether it’s customer data, product data, transaction data, SEO analysis, or any other data type, organizations rely on data to make informed decisions and drive growth.
All this data has to be stored somewhere. Depending on the size and type of data, companies may opt for on-premise servers or cloud storage solutions. In both cases, businesses need a good Internet connection to ensure seamless access to data.
Business Automation
Most of the business automation market takes place in the ”process” segment, where repetitive tasks are automated to boost efficiency.
Here are some things businesses automate:
- Healthcare: Schedule appointments, billing, and prescription refills.
- Retail: Order tracking, inventory management, invoicing, billing, marketing, warehouse management, and personalization.
- Marketing: Customer segmentation, email automation, lead management, and social media scheduling.
- Manufacturing: Inventory management, production planning and scheduling, and quality control.
- SaaS: Customer service, workflow management, and project management.
- Education: Customer relationship management, assessments, grading, progress tracking, and reporting.
All of these automation-heavy tasks absolutely require Internet — reliable, fast Internet.
Better Internal Communication
Businesses don’t only need to communicate externally with customers or stakeholders. They also have to communicate internally. For instance, employees have to collaborate on projects, share documents, and hold virtual meetings.
A reliable business Internet facilitates:
- Video conferencing
- Virtual whiteboards
- File sharing
- Project management
Slow Internet speeds are not merely a nightmare for streaming movies and scrolling social media; they can cause severe headaches for businesses. Imagine trying to conduct a video call with a potential client and experiencing lag, frozen screens, and audio delay. These issues can damage the business’s reputation and result in lost opportunities.
Thanks to a reliable connection like GeoLinks, you can enjoy speeds up to 10 Gbps with unlimited bandwidth. Even better, you get 99.999% uptime, meaning you can count on your Internet connection when you need it most.
Business Scalability and Flexibility
Businesses that don’t scale tend to get left behind. You need to grow with the times. For instance, you may have to expand your team, open new offices, or onboard remote employees.
In one way or another, all these operations need an Internet connection. Let’s say you want to onboard remote employees. You have a resource-intensive training video that all new hires must watch on their first day. A poor Internet connection means a poor onboarding experience.
Or maybe you want to expand into a new market. You need to research the area, conduct virtual meetings with potential partners, do consumer sentiment analysis, research your competitors, and conduct market research. Again, you need the Internet for all these things.
What to Look For in a Business Internet Provider
A reliable Internet provider can do wonders for your business, especially a startup. But you can’t just choose any Internet provider. Some things to look for are:
- Speeds: Different businesses have different speed needs. A small business may not need 10 Gbps speeds, but a growing company with remote employees does. Choose an Internet provider that can offer the right speeds for your business needs.
- Uptime: Downtime is costly. We’ve already mentioned the statistics above. Make sure you work with an Internet provider with high uptime guarantees. Anything up to 99.999% is acceptable.
- Serviceability: If your business is in a remote or unconnected area, you may have limited options regarding Internet providers. Look for one that can service your location. GeoLinks is an excellent option, providing service in places like California, Nevada and Arizona at a fraction of the cost of traditional providers.
- Cost: Business Internet can be expensive. Find a provider that offers affordable plans without compromising on speed and reliability. Again, GeoLinks comes to mind. The good news is you also get free and rapid installation.
Get a Reliable Business Internet Connection in Just One Week
Now that you know what to look for in an Internet provider, let’s talk about getting connected. With GeoLinks, you can get a reliable and high-speed business Internet connection delivered and installed in as little as one week— that too is free.
Request a quote to get started.
