5 Reasons to Use a VPN as a Small Business Owner

The Internet is a core aspect of almost every company’s business model these days. This is hardly surprising, really, as the digital world offers such scope for growth through e-commerce and digital marketing. At the same time, having an active online presence comes with its own set of risks. 

Digital security and data protection have become major priorities for everyone. As a result, businesses around the world are increasingly using virtual private networks, or VPNs, to protect themselves while they’re online. As a result, the value of the global VPN market is now estimated at around $44.6 billion US.

However, VPNs are not just for large global companies, contrary to what one might be inclined to think. Quite the opposite, in fact. They offer a variety of significant benefits for smaller enterprises. There is an extensive selection to choose from, too, such as those offered by well-known providers like Private Internet Access, for instance.

 Here are 5 reasons to Use a VPN as a small business owner:

1. A VPN Protects You

All companies have a lot to lose should their data be compromised, but it’s especially true in the case of small businesses because the stakes are much higher. The unfortunate truth is that most small businesses simply don’t have the financial resilience to bounce back from a cybersecurity breach. In fact, according to Forbes, as much as 83% of small and medium-sized businesses are not prepared to recover from a cyberattack. That issue is made more worrying still by the fact that around 43% of cyberattacks are directed specifically at small businesses. 

All things considered, small businesses are actually exposing themselves to a considerable level of risk when they choose to operate online. However, a VPN helps to alleviate this problem because it provides an extra level of security to insulate your business from cybersecurity threats. By encrypting all data coming from your device, a VPN makes it impossible for third parties to read, and this helps protect you from potential cyberattacks so that you can focus on achieving your goals.

2. It Protects Your Customers and Improves CX

The data you’ve collected from sales and client interactions is invaluable, and protecting it is an important part of maintaining a strong relationship with your customer base. In the same way that a VPN protects your business, it also protects your customers, as exchanged data is routed through a secure tunnel which prevents it from being intercepted.

What’s more, installing a VPN can also improve service performance by enabling you to evade bandwidth throttling from your ISP, which benefits your interactions with customers, and by extension the broader customer experience. Simply put, by utilizing a VPN, you set up your business to better serve the needs of your customers, and this can only improve customer relationships in the long term.

3. It Enables Safe Remote Access

These days, since so many companies operate online, a lot of small businesses are choosing to have their employees work remotely. There are plenty of advantages to this, to be sure, but there are legitimate risks to consider, too. 

If you and your staff are working on the go, there is an increased likelihood that your business will need to rely on unsecured public networks at times, and this heightens the risks of your files and data being intercepted by hackers when attempting to access them remotely.

A VPN solves this issue, however, and is extremely easy to use as well. Installing one on your device takes just a couple of minutes, but it enables you to make public Wi-Fi connections secure so that you can access the files you need without putting yourself at risk. This empowers you and your employees to work anywhere, any time, reducing potential downtime and increasing overall productivity.

4. It Helps You to Grow Your Business

If you’ve ever browsed the Internet without a VPN, you’ve almost certainly encountered blocked media content with an accompanying message telling you that you can’t view it from your location. This commonly occurs in places like social media sites, and it works in both directions, meaning that content you upload from your location might not be seen elsewhere. 

Of course, if you’re running a small business online, odds are you’re going to want to reach out to the broadest audience possible so as to gain as much traction as you can, and A VPN can help you with this. Since VPNs redirect your connection through a remote server, it allows you to conceal your location, giving you the geographic independence you need to build a successful business for yourself.

5. It Won’t Break the Bank

When you’re trying to build up a small business from scratch, margins can be tight, making every expenditure you make a big decision. As a result, you probably aren’t too keen on the idea of investing a sizable chunk of your budget into an extensive IT department. Thankfully, that’s not your only option, because a VPN offers a more cost-effective way of handling digital security and data privacy. 

VPN subscriptions are very inexpensive and often allow multiple people to share a single account. This makes installing a VPN a great option if you own a business with a small number of employees, providing secure browsing and high-level encryption while saving you a considerable amount of money. What’s more, you can even install a VPN router, which will allow you to provide secure Wi-Fi across your place of business if you have your own premises.

Summing Up

When you combine the ease of use of VPNs with the security and flexibility they offer, it’s easy to see why they have become a must-have for businesses looking to operate online. With such an array of free and paid options available, you can even explore the possibility without any commitment whatsoever. As a small business owner in the digital age, there’s really no reason not to try one out.