Connections are essential for any small business owner who wants to be successful. It’s not only about connecting with the right people. Success also depends on the technology you use to connect seamlessly with your customers and suppliers.
What kind of connectivity infrastructure is needed by your business? If you run a small business, a large retail store, or an expanding office, there are four steps that every entrepreneur must follow to create the best connections and give your business the most excellent chance of success.
GET ONLINE
Most small businesses will start by setting up an Internet connection. Christian Nascimento is vice president of Comcast Business’ product management and strategy. He says that internet connectivity has become so commonplace. “A new business can communicate with customers, and order supplies online. They need to ensure that the infrastructure is ready before opening their doors.
Businesses will have different connectivity requirements. For example, bandwidth and mobile solutions. A small office with only a few employees will need additional bandwidth and connectivity from a restaurant with 100 seats and a high-tech point-of-sale (POS) system. It’s essential to determine your core business focus and how you will connect clients, employees, and customers,” Nascimento explains.
ADD MORE LAYERS TO THE TECHNOLOGY
Nascimento explains that once you have determined the bandwidth a business requires, it is time to layer applications and devices onto this. A fast and reliable internet connection is essential for today’s powerful technology tools. These tools can provide companies with valuable insights on how to run their businesses more efficiently.
A retailer, for example, could use Wi-Fi-enabled data analytics tools to understand the foot traffic in their store better. Nascimento explains that as customers connect their smartphones to the Wi-Fi in the store, analytics will provide valuable insights into customer behavior. This can help inform better business decisions. You can use the data to understand customer flow patterns and better understand the most busy times in the store.
SECURE DATA
Small business owners should prioritize data security. Ransomware and phishing are increasingly targeting small businesses, but many are unprepared. Nascimento notes that with so much data in the cloud and on the internet, generally, the environment is ripe for fraudsters.
Small business owners are better protected by an internet service provider who offers security solutions to protect their devices from malware, phishing scams, and ransomware. Don’t forget mobile devices. The smartphones and mobile devices that small business employees use can pose a risk to their security.
LEAVE A ROOM FOR GROWTH
Small businesses need a technology infrastructure to keep up with their growth, expansion, and entry into new markets. Companies must ensure the technology they select is compatible and flexible across multiple locations and can be monitored from a central location. Right connectivity partners can help businesses manage growth, whether they are a company or restaurant with many sites.
The management of technology infrastructure can be a time-consuming but critical task. Small business owners do not have to handle this task alone. A trusted solution provider can assist them in designing the best suite of technologies for their business and provide a single point of contact when problems arise. Nascimento explains that this helps small businesses save their most valuable commodity – time.