Do you live too far from your BT exchange to get reliable high-speed broadband? Up until now many country dwellers have just had to live with this, with no prospect of high speed broadband at any time in the near future. Satellite broadband was either prohibitively expensive for small businesses or was one-way (download only).

Now several companies are offering 3.6MPS download and 386k upload with 2-3GB data transfer a month (plenty for most small businesses) for £1 a day or less.

There is usually a substantial investment in hardware and installation (typically around £600-£700) but nonetheless it means that rural business owners can now get online and compete on a level playing field with their town-based rivals.

Google 'satellite broadband UK' for more details. Companies to check out include Avonline and Broadbandwherever.