Running a business in the countryside has its advantages; overheads tend to be lower, there is no stressful commute, and the environment generally lends itself to better opportunities for a work-life balance.
However, as many rural and semi-rural business owners have discovered, it can have its drawbacks – with poor or unreliable internet access being one of the frontrunners.
The government's rollout of super-fast broadband to rural areas, via its Broadband Delivery UK initiative, aims to have 95% of the UK covered by 2017, but that leaves many rural firms suffering intermittent connections in the interim.
And for small businesses located in the 5% of the UK not served by the initiative, wired broadband is not an option. However thanks to the national rollout of 4G mobile networks, such as that of O2, they do have alternatives.
According to a report by PC Pro, many rural internet users, including small firms, are increasingly opting for a 4G connection over a fixed-line broadband service, as it can offer better coverage.
As 4G coverage becomes increasingly available, offering faster download speeds that are typically six times faster than current 3G networks and more data per user, so mobile broadband connections become more attractive to businesses.
For some rural firms, it can be a lifeline to maintaining business operations.
Public Relations consultancy spottydog communications operates from two offices, in Birmingham and in rural Leicestershire.
"We decided to open an office in Leicestershire as we work with a few pet sector brands, so it was in keeping with our clients," says communications consultant Rachel Roberts, "plus we have our own dog in the office, so we really wanted a rural setting."
However, as they soon discovered, their idyllic rural office location lacked just one thing - telecoms and internet provision. To make matters worse, their office landline installation was also delayed by six weeks.
"We had this office in a beautiful country setting, but no telecoms or internet; hardly ideal for a PR firm," says Roberts.
What they were able to do, however, was access the internet via a 4G mobile broadband connection and a mobile wi fi – or mi fi - device, which enabled the team to stay in touch with their clients and also with the Birmingham office.
"We now have fixed-line internet and phone, as the lines eventually did get installed," says Roberts, "but the connection is not as fast as the 4G. It may be more cost effective to run the business through the traditional route, but the network performance via 4G is much better."
The team still use 4G when they are on the move, running events on behalf of their clients, or accessing social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter.
"When we attended Crufts, for example, we were able to sign people up while we were on our stand using our iPads, by going online via 4G. Small businesses should definitely consider 4G mobile broadband as a real contender to the traditional fixed line."
The UK will be the third-largest 4G market in Europe by the end of this year, according to market analyst Analysys Mason, with an estimated eight million connections.
As well as enabling rural business to get connected and become more responsive, 4G is also enabling non-rural businesses to implement flexible working, potentially leading to huge savings.
4G mobile speeds also make it easier for employees to access and work with larger files while on the move.
Many small businesses that use O2 Pop Up Office via a 4G mobile connection have found that is gives them much greater scope for collaboration with their colleagues when they are travelling or working remotely, and better connection with their clients.
When it comes to connecting rural firms, however, Jay Karsandas, digital manager at mobile phone retailer Mobiles.co.uk, says the UK government could learn a great deal from Germany, which offered 4G licenses to rural areas first.
"Prioritising rural areas before opening up the auction to major cities proved a major success for rural businesses in achieving connectivity on a par with businesses in urban hubs," he says.
"In the UK many firms in rural areas are replacing their fixed broadband, as speeds on 4G are overtaking traditional ADSL connections, where top speeds hover around 14Mbps."
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This content has been paid for and produced to a brief agreed with O2 Business, whose brand it displays
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