What small businesses need in a telecommunications provider

Internet is a modern business necessity, with most businesses relying on it for daily operations. That was made clear a few years ago, when a widespread outage ground business to a standstill across Canada. From major airlines all the way to independent entrepreneurs, businesses of all sizes and in every industry couldn’t function without connectivity.

This kind of event can be especially damaging to small businesses, which typically have less of a financial cushion to absorb outage-related losses. That makes choosing a telecommunications provider a critical decision for these businesses. The right provider can support small businesses with the communications solutions and advice that will help them grow, says Melissa Morison, Vice President of Wireline Marketing and Business Intelligence at Bell. Key characteristics to look for in a provider include reliability, a future focus, financial value and partnership.

“For the right provider, connectivity is table stakes,” says Morison. “At Bell, we start with great connectivity and then layer on a lot more, so we become a true partner that enables success.”

Start with a stable foundation

For individuals, an Internet outage is inconvenient but not catastrophic. For businesses, it’s a different story. If the Internet goes down, it can bring operations to a halt, costing real money. Morison’s favourite coffee shop is a great example.

“When they first opened, they used a cheap and cheerful solution for Wi-Fi, and they ran into problems constantly,” she explains. Three or four times a month, Morison would stop in for her coffee and find that the shop was only able to take cash because the connectivity enabling the point-of-sale system wasn’t working. “Sometimes they’d even have to resort to taking IOUs. Other times, they’d just close for the day because they simply couldn’t run.”

When the coffee shop switched to a provider that understood the needs of a small business and had the capacity to deliver, the difference was immediately noticeable. Not only did outages become a thing of the past, but the shop was even able to provide a better customer experience by offering guest Wi-Fi without disrupting their business-critical connectivity.

Look to the future

Morison notes that while it’s important for a telecommunications provider to be able to meet a business’s current needs, it shouldn’t end there.

“With the pace of change in markets and technology increasing every year, the importance of future-proofing cannot be overstated,” she says.

She advises small business owners to carefully assess their business needs for not only today but also five and 10 years down the line, and choose a provider that can support those needs. That way, growth can be planned for and businesses won’t be caught scrambling for a new provider that can keep up. In particular, Morison says businesses should consider fibre-based Internet because it’s the only current technology that truly supports future-readiness. As an example, just a few years ago, Bell’s fibre Internet service for small businesses was limited to 1 Gbps. Now, we can offer up to 8 Gbps in some areas. That means businesses can easily scale up their service over time as their operations grow and evolve, without needing to have any new cables installed.

Get the most from every dollar

Many small businesses operate on thin margins and lack access to specialized IT expertise. This makes it all the more vital for them to maximize the value of their services and solutions. One way they can do that, Morison says, is by periodically reviewing their services and looking into options for bundling and consolidating.

“There’s a huge opportunity here that a lot of small businesses are not taking advantage of,” says Morison. “Time is a precious asset, and there are always other priorities demanding attention. But taking the time to really look at what you’re using and what you need can open the door to substantial savings.”

Some providers offer multiple services – like Internet, voice calling, mobility and TV – and they often apply discounts for bundling them. Businesses with multiple locations can also look into volume discounts. On top of that, by consolidating as many services as possible to a single provider, businesses can streamline their administrative processes to save even more.

Find a partner, not just a service provider

All these considerations underscore the importance of choosing a provider who collaborates to identify the services and solutions that will best help their small business customers grow and thrive. By acting as a partner who understands the business and its needs, the right provider can go beyond just delivering connectivity.

For example, a provider might offer value-added services tailored for small business needs, like apps that support productivity and security that owners can deploy easily, without the need for dedicated in-house IT support. A well-connected provider can also use their own partner networks to offer access to complementary solutions, such as website-building tools, point-of-sale systems and digital customer experience solutions.

How Bell helps small businesses thrive

Businesses looking for all these qualities can find them in Bell. We operate the largest fibre network in Canada, delivering exceptional fibre Internet speeds that are getting faster all the time, along with the reliability and security small businesses need. Along with our own innovative solutions like the Bell Business Wi-Fi App, our advanced partner ecosystem lets us offer services that enhance telecommunications and optimize business operations. And we have always been committed to serving as a partner to our small business customers, working closely with them to maximize their potential and achieve their business goals.

“That all comes together to create a big business experience with a price tag small businesses can afford,” says Morison.

To find out more about how Bell can support your small business ambitions, contact a Bell representative.