New Zealand's small business owners are taking a new approach to work, according to research from 2degrees – with a significant shift to a more mobile workforce.
The 2degrees Shaping Business Study surveyed more than 1000 small and medium-sized (SME) business owners and decision makers, finding that more than half
(58 per cent) have changed their approach to work since the Covid-19 pandemic reached our shores and saw the country move in and out of lockdown in the fight against Covid-19.
While the first lockdown thrust many small businesses into unknown territory, the research shows that, second time around, businesses were much better prepared for the switch to Levels 3 and 2.
Andrew Fairgray, Chief Business Officer at 2degrees, says this year has seen one of the biggest changes to the way we work since the Industrial Revolution – and with it has come to a significant move towards more mobile workforces.
Business owners and decision makers have done a great job in establishing what works best for them and their people, while grappling with the challenges of the current circumstances, he says.
"For some, working from home permanently is a better option; others are offering their employees more mobility around working hours or rotational days to work from home. Either way, it gives Kiwis reassurance and greater confidence, knowing they can work from home when necessary.
"Part of that comes down to having the right tools to do so, like reliable, secure mobile and broadband connections."
With an estimated over 60 per cent of employees in New Zealand now working from home on a regular basis, Kiwi businesses need to be thinking about security more than ever before, says Fairgray.
According to the study, under half of SME decision makers did not have any current data security resource. Sole traders were significantly more likely to state that they had no security resource in place (46 per cent) compared to employing businesses (27 per cent).
While there are a variety of different risks, home broadband security is believed to be the biggest online risk for nearly one quarter of SME decision makers. Nearly one-third stated they didn't know what the biggest online risk was to their business – highlighting the need for businesses to take a good look at security options when it comes to their employees working from home.
So what should business owners do? Start simply: identify your risks and research your options. Some businesses will be more at risk than others – those dealing with sensitive information every day such as financial services for example.
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A great place to start is 2degrees Work from Home Fibre – a secure, fibre connection to keep businesses humming seamlessly when their employees are working at home. This new product delivers business-grade broadband through a dedicated fibre connection to employees' homes. Work from Home Fibre does what it says on the tin – it's fast and offers the capacity businesses need.
Web-filtering is part of the package. So you have the option to switch on the web-filtering security add-on for free – a service enabling you to block sites known for phishing, malware and other security threats to work laptops or computers. You can also choose to block streaming sites.
Upload speeds are up to five times faster compared to their home broadband Standard Fibre 100 Plan – super- important for things like video conferencing.
The 2degrees Shaping Business Study showed that 40 per cent of respondents found video conferencing the most important tool to stay connected to their team during lockdown, so making sure it works well is key when staff are working at home.
So, give the guys at 2degrees a call or visit 2degrees.nz/business to start down the right path to ensuring your critical business information is secure even when staff are working from home.