Running a small business, especially in an economic environment as volatile as the one we’ve experienced in the past year, is a challenge, to say the least. Sometimes it may seem that your business is on the line every day, which means that every decision you make needs to be carefully considered. How much budget should you invest in social media marketing? How much money should go to website design or employee enrichment and training? Do you need dedicated IPv4 addresses for your online services? What about other IP address options, like IPv6 addresses? The questions go on and on, and some of them have multiple answers that are just fine. That being said, when it comes to IP addresses, such as IPv4s, the answer is pretty clear. Read on to learn more about the IPv4 space and whether your small business should consider investing in an IPv4 address block.
Do you operate mainly online?
These days, many vendors are taking advantage of the online space for much of their business. Whether you’re a seller of shoes or CBD oil, you probably saw a lot of your sales move online over the course of 2020 and your internet numbers rising with every additional month of lockdown.
If at this point, you’re operating mainly online, you need to maintain your web presence. That doesn’t mean just posting on social media, either. Just as you would maintain your brick and mortar business with regular inspections and innovations, you need to maintain your website as well. This means updating your site’s design and usability, but it also means making sure that your customers’ personal information is secure at all times. One great way to do that is to contact a broker who works in the IPv4 address space and see how to buy IPv4 block options. IPv4 addresses aren’t as advanced as IPv6 addresses. Still, they’ll work just fine for keeping personal information safe, especially if you work with a broker who can ensure that the IPv4 addresses you’re purchasing are scrubbed clean from previous use.
Are you projecting significant growth for your business?
Just because you’re running a small business doesn’t mean you should be thinking small. Always think ahead and aim to grow your business. If you’re planning to take on more of the marketplace, you need to be prepared for extra buyers on your site. The last thing you want is for your buyers to get an error message because your site can’t handle all the traffic. This is another reason to consider buying an address block. Even if you don’t need one yet, the idea is to need one soon enough.
Think about it this way: if you were running a CBD (cannabidiol) company, you would invest in an oil cartridge filling machine, like the one offered by Cool Jarz, even if you didn’t have that many customers yet. After all, you’re aiming to be a major player in the hemp industry; you need to be ready to fulfill all the orders that you hope will be streaming any day. That means you’ll fill your warehouse with jars, tubes, shrink sleeve labels, and traditional labels before the first order comes in. The same applies to IP addresses. Don’t be caught unawares by your company’s growth—be ready for a major influx of buyers.
To be sure, not every small business needs dedicated IPv4s, which is why, as a potential buyer, you’ll want to consider your options with care. The above considerations should come in handy as you’re considering the IPv4 choices available to you as a business owner. Before you contact a broker, ask yourself these questions and think about whether this is the right choice for you.