Think of your local coffee shop. The barista knows you by name and can guess your order before you even say a word. You find your favorite table in the corner, open your laptop, connect to the Wi-Fi and get started on the day’s work. As remote working becomes the new norm in many industries, small business owners are enhancing their customers’ overall experience and ensuring their own continued success by investing in reliable Wi-Fi.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of National Small Business Week, we recognize the more than half of Americans who either own or work for a small business. Small businesses create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year and provide unique customer experiences to communities across the country. Wi-Fi is imperative because it enhances customer experiences and provides small businesses the connectivity needed to run effectively including everything from ordering supplies to managing payroll and product advertising.

For a brick-and-mortar small businesses, studies show providing reliable, fast Wi-Fi to customers heightens the quality of their experience, entices customers to frequent an establishment more often and encourages them to stick around longer when they do. A 2014 survey conducted by DeviceScape found that 62 percent of businesses reported that customers spent more time in their shop or facility after Wi-Fi became available. About 50 percent of businesses agreed that customers spent more money, as well. Because of this, Wi-Fi is critical to customer relations for small businesses.

In the retail space, Wi-Fi also makes a business more competitive among its peers. Wi-Fi enables more convenient and up-to-date payment options such as card readers like Square or PayPal. It also creates new marketing opportunities for small businesses. For instance, retailers can require customers to provide an email address when logging into Wi-Fi, giving businesses a way to connect and stay in touch with them. Likewise, a customer with Wi-Fi access is more likely to check in at a business on Facebook or Yelp or use that business’ location tag on Snapchat or Instagram, driving further buzz about the retailer.

Wi-Fi not only improves the customer experience, but it impacts the productivity of the business itself. A study from the Economist Intelligence Unit found that those who connected to Wi-Fi on their mobile devices at work were 16 percent more productive and 18 percent more productive. Connectivity matters to employees.

Wi-Fi also fuels start-ups. Most traditional offices do not offer the kind of flexibility that many start-ups and small businesses need, so startups have turned to co-working spaces that offer free Wi-Fi and coffee and community networking events. The availability of Wi-Fi in these unique spaces allows small businesses to avoid the commitment of running an office space and provides greater potential for growth.

In today’s connected world, a strong Wi-Fi connection is essential for any small business. As our networks become increasingly crowded, it will be important to open up more airwaves for Wi-Fi use. Small businesses and our economy depend on more spectrum access.