The holiday season is one of the busiest times of year for small businesses across Middle Tennessee. With Small Business Saturday just around the corner, shops, restaurants, salons, and boutiques are gearing up for the holiday shopping surge. To handle the increased sales volume that spikes in the winter months, a reliable, fast internet connection is absolutely essential.
According to a recent study by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 85% of small businesses believe high-speed internet is critical to their long-term success. Even more importantly, rural counties with high fiber broadband use experience 213% greater business growth (NTCA). These statistics confirm what I see every day in our communities: the internet has truly become the backbone of modern commerce.
At United Communications, we’re passionate about making high-speed broadband internet accessible to every resident and small business in our service area, especially in the smaller towns that other providers overlook. As a local internet provider, the businesses we serve are not distant businesses. They are the places our families rely on every day. That’s why we work hard to keep small businesses across our communities connected when it matters most.
How United Communications is Keeping Small Businesses Connected
With the stakes so high during the holidays, I’m especially proud of the ways United’s reliable internet helps local businesses stay productive and serve their customers with confidence:
1. Expanding Customer Reach for Businesses in Rural Areas
The era of online ordering and shipping makes it possible for even the most rural businesses to expand their customer reach well beyond their local community. A reliable network ensures these businesses can handle that growth.
Take Hatcher Family Dairy in College Grove, Tennessee, for example. They run a busy retail store, a large wholesale distribution operation, and a processing facility—all of which use the internet every day. In 2021, a documentary series on Disney+ featured their story, and demand skyrocketed. United’s reliable fiber helped them take their operations to the next level in terms of speed and efficiency, ensuring they can manage complex logistics and serve customers across the region and beyond.
2. Smooth Customer Transactions
Nothing is more frustrating for a customer than a slow checkout process, especially when holiday crowds are involved. Fast, reliable internet is absolutely essential for modern Point-of-Sale (POS) systems, digital payment processing, and inventory lookups.
Colt Show Antiques and Hardwoods in downtown Petersburg is a United customer who knows the difference this speed can make. As founder and owner, Mark Eichler says, “It doesn’t hurt that United has the latest and greatest technology. But most importantly, every person I’ve ever dealt with at United all shared the same approach: they’re customer-focused.” United’s combination of the latest fiber technology and local customer service ensures that Colt Show’s transactions are fast and frustration-free.
3. Modernizing Inventory Management and Operations
Modern inventory systems, cloud-based accounting software, and digital communication tools all require high-speed internet to function correctly. A business that loses connectivity can quickly grind to a halt.
Eagleville Grocery has been a United customer for years. Our high-speed internet helped them modernize their inventory system and move their operational data to the cloud for better tracking and efficiency. Beyond the technology, United’s local presence and commitment to quickly addressing any technical issues is a game-changer. Eagleville Grocery knows that if an issue arises, they have local partners right down the road who will respond immediately.
These are just a few specific examples of how we’re helping local businesses thrive. For more stories like these, check out our customer spotlights and see how fiber is transforming communities across Middle Tennessee.
United’s Commitment to Local Businesses
Unlike large national providers who often overlook rural areas, United Communications strengthens the communities we serve because these are the communities we live in. We understand how hard it can be to run a small business, and we know the significant impact technology can have on the lives of their customers and our local economy.
When I’m out in Murfreesboro, Shelbyville, or anywhere in Williamson County and I see a boutique or coffee shop that uses United Communications, I can’t help but feel proud. We’ve built a connection with them not just through fiber, but through mutual support of local businesses.
From all of us here at United Communications, I want to personally wish you the best holiday season yet for your business. If you’ve experienced slow speeds, dropped transactions, or impersonal service with other internet providers, we invite you to explore our business internet packages and learn how we go the extra mile for our customers.
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Author Bio:
Hunter Lisenby
Marketing Specialist
Hunter Lisenby is a Marketing Specialist for United Communications. He plays a key role in overseeing and executing marketing initiatives to expand the company’s outreach, enhance brand visibility, and deepen customer connections. Hunter joined United after earning his BA in Media Studies from Auburn University in 2019. Hunter’s genuine enthusiasm for United’s mission and his efforts to make a tangible difference are evident in everything he does, making him an invaluable member of the United family.