If you’re reading this, you know you need Internet access.

The question is whether it’s worthwhile to upgrade from dialup access to broadband, such as DSL. (Cable modems are generally more appropriate for home users.) Consultants are divided. The determining factor for you is how much the increased speed will improve productivity.

DSL access is available for about $50 a month, or about twice the cost of some dialups. That’s a reasonable expense for most businesses—if they need access faster than a 56k modem. Some business accounts can run $150 a month.

If you have several employees, Internet access can be shared by adding an inexpensive network router, for as little as $150 by Belkin.

The benefit of DSL comes from its terrific download speed, typically at least six times faster than a dialup modem. DSL also permits several employees to simultaneously surf the Internet with fast-loading screens.

The question only you can answer is whether these benefits increase your productivity enough to justify the $50 to $150-plus per month.

For most businesses, Internet access is a necessity. Increasingly, a Web site is becoming nearly as necessary.

When evaluating your need for your own site, ask whether Web sites are commonplace for your industry. If competitors are all over the Web, you’d better be too.

Consider the Web the new yellow pages. But on the Web you can afford to make your ad much larger. You can update it instantly, engage visitors in real-time dialog and complete a dozen other nifty tricks you can’t pull off in the paper-based yellow pages.

The costs of a Web site are probably more variable than any other technological upgrade. Boutique hosting services are nearly as inexpensive as dialup Internet access. Or you can pay tons of dough for elaborate hosting, replete with supplemental features.

Your first determination should be not how much you can afford to spend, but how much a Web site is worth to your business. It’s no simple calculation. Most of the “profitable” aspects of a Web site are intangibles, such as better customer service, higher profile, cutting-edge image.

Quantify as well as you can the value. Only then can you reasonably weigh how much you can “afford” to spend.