Most business owners see their internet bill as a fixed monthly cost. Pay the provider, get connected, job done. But the real cost of your internet connection goes far beyond that monthly direct debit.
A slow or unreliable connection doesn’t just frustrate your team – it hits your bottom line in ways you might not have considered.
The Hidden Costs of Poor Internet
When your internet crawls to a halt, productivity stops with it. Staff spend time waiting for files to upload, video calls drop out mid-conversation, and cloud applications become unusable. Those minutes add up quickly across your entire team.
Consider what happens when your connection fails completely. Orders can’t be processed, emails don’t send, and customers can’t reach you. For many businesses, even an hour of downtime costs more than upgrading to a better connection would cost in a year.
The Real Cost of Lost Productivity
With the median UK salary at £37,430, the average employee costs a business around £30 per hour when you include employer national insurance, pension contributions, and overheads. That might not sound like much, but let’s do the maths.
If poor internet wastes just 30 minutes per day per employee (and that’s conservative), here’s what it costs you:
- One employee: £15 per day, £75 per week, £3,900 per year
- Five employees: £75 per day, £375 per week, £19,500 per year
- Ten employees: £150 per day, £750 per week, £39,000 per year
Suddenly that monthly saving on a cheaper internet package doesn’t look so attractive when it’s costing you thousands in lost productivity.
The Downside of “Cheap” Internet
That budget broadband package might look attractive on paper, but it often comes with limitations that expensive for growing businesses. Shared bandwidth means your speeds drop when others in your area are online. No service level agreement means no guarantee when things go wrong.
Business-grade connections cost more upfront but include guaranteed speeds, priority support, and service level agreements. When problems occur, you get fixed quickly rather than waiting in a residential support queue.
What Your Internet Connection Should Actually Do
Your internet isn’t just about browsing websites anymore. It’s the foundation that supports your entire business operation. Cloud software, video conferencing, file sharing, VoIP phones, and security systems all depend on a stable, fast connection.
A proper business internet connection should handle your current needs with room to grow. It should come with support that understands business urgency. And it should include backup options for when things go wrong.
Making the Right Choice
The cheapest option rarely turns out to be the most economical. When evaluating internet providers, look beyond the monthly price. Consider the true cost of downtime, the value of guaranteed speeds, and the importance of business-grade support.
Your internet connection is infrastructure, not an expense. Like any infrastructure, investing properly upfront saves money and headaches later.
Ready to make the change? Book a call with Nick:
