it’seeze, Newbold Verdon
it’seeze Leicester is a web design and marketing company based in Newbold Verdon, producing bespoke,
professionally designed, mobile-friendly and easy to manage websites for SMEs. We spoke to consultant and business owner John Cooper to understand what impact a move to Superfast Broadband has had on his business.
What were the challenges?
Prior to the Desford exchange being upgraded in July 2015, our internet speeds were averaging at 1.5 Mbps. Uploading or downloading files could take hours, and that really affected productivity.
We are a new business and full access to efficient technology is particularly crucial. Indeed, anyone who
has an online presence needs sufficient bandwidth; otherwise productivity suffers, which in turn incurs
additional costs for business in terms of resourcing. The slow speeds were causing me such problems that I was seriously considering finding new premises. Had it not been for the upgrade (I now get 55Mbps), to effectively run my business, I would have had to look at acquiring offices in an area with adequate speeds.
How did you hear about superfast fibre broadband?
I am a Parish Councillor in Newbold Verdon, and I have been receiving regular updates on what’s happening from Leicestershire County Council. Because of that, I knew where to find out about when my area might be upgraded and was able to plan ahead knowing that speeds in my area were to improve.
What difference has it made?
Thanks to the upgrade, I haven’t had to acquire new premises, which has saved a lot of money. I now work from my home office, with multiple devices online. Uploading and downloading of files is seamless, and overall productivity has gone up. One major difference is the removal of the frustration of not being able to work quickly due to low internet speeds.
I had not appreciated before just how much that was affecting how I worked.
What other improvements have you seen?
All of the activities in my business rely on a good internet connection. All of my accounting is now done
online, which saves both time and money. I can now use online software for certain tasks that previously I would have needed the software to be installed on my equipment.
I’ll be expanding my services to include photography, as now I will be able to share files online, something I couldn’t even consider with a speed of just 1.5Mbps.