Starting Up is Hard. Sorting Your Tech Shouldn’t Be.
When you’re building a new business, your head’s full of everything — sales, marketing, accounts, compliance…
So it’s no surprise that tech and telecoms often get thrown together at the last minute, usually with a quick Google and a crossed-fingers contract.
But here’s the thing:
When you get this stuff wrong, it doesn’t just slow you down — it can cost you money, time, credibility, and clients.
These are the three mistakes I see most often, and the real-world impact they can have.
❌ Mistake 1: Overspending Before You Even Start
What it looks like:
- Signing up for the biggest bestest broadband/phone bundle because “it looks professional”
- Overpaying for software bundles full of tools you don’t need
- Locking into 24-month deals on systems you’ve never used before
I worked with a local marketing start-up that had committed to a “Business Pro” telecoms package before they even had their first client. £150+ a month — with fixed VoIP lines, bundled mobile, cloud storage (that duplicated what they already had), and tech they never used.
By month 4, they were already regretting it, but they were locked in.
We helped them cut their monthly tech bill by 40% and put a system in place that actually suited how they worked — mostly remote, mostly mobile, and definitely needing flexibility.
The impact of getting it wrong: 💸 Wasted budget 🤯 Confusion and underuse 🧱 No room to adapt
❌ Mistake 2: Underspec’ing the Essentials
What it looks like:
- Using personal Gmail for business
- Home broadband for client calls and file sharing
- No backups, antivirus, or proper storage
A small security firm in Bury was doing everything right — until a client flagged that their emails were coming from a Hotmail account.
It didn’t look professional, and it undermined their credibility. Worse still, they lost a proposal when their home broadband went down during a pitch call.
We got them onto Microsoft 365 with a branded email, secure file sharing, CoPilot and a reliable broadband line with business support built in.
The impact of getting it wrong: 👎 Damaged first impressions 📉 Lost client confidence 🕒 Time wasted fixing preventable issues
❌ Mistake 3: Ignoring Mobile & On-the-Go Needs
What it looks like:
- Cheap SIMs with poor coverage
- No mobile-device security
- Calls dropping in the middle of site visits or remote meetings
A trades business I spoke with had bought phones directly online to save money. They were cheap, but had no signal on half their sites. They ended up using personal mobiles, missing calls, and looking disorganised.
We switched them to business-grade mobile plans with strong regional coverage and added device security so they could manage phones remotely if anything was lost.
The impact of getting it wrong: 📞 Missed calls = missed work 🔓 No security = high risk 🤦♂️ Frustrated staff = unnecessary stress
✅ So, What Should You Do Instead?
Start-ups don’t need complicated, expensive tech. They need the right tools at the right time — tools that scale, keep them connected, and won’t break when things get busy.
At PiBlu, we help start-ups across Bury and the North West get set up properly:
✔️ Business broadband
✔️ Flexible VoIP and mobile options
✔️ Microsoft 365, properly configured
✔️ Support that’s local, fast, and easy to talk to
🎯 Free Resource: Start-Up Tech Checklist
Want to avoid the costly mistakes?
Get our free one-page Start-Up Tech Checklist — it’s helped dozens of founders see what they’ve missed and get sorted fast.
Or, book a 15-minute call with me (0161 388 8188). No jargon, no pressure. Just real help from someone local.
