Wednesday, April 25, 2012 posted by Rebecca Daneault
Whether you’re a one man show or a growing organization,
telecommunications is one of the most important factors to the success of your
business.
Virtual phone systems provide an optimum
solution, particularly for those companies that are on a budget, because they
are feature-rich yet affordable. The thing is, when it comes to actually
picking a phone system, the choices are many and the process can seem overwhelming. Here are a few things to consider and
questions to ask when you’re choosing a business phone system.
Do you need a new phone number, or do you already have an existing one? If you have a number that you’ve already used
to establish your business, be sure to choose a phone system and provider that
allows you to port your existing number with no interruption in service to your
customers. You’ll also want to consider
whether you want to get your own
toll-free
number, and if so, whether your system allows for that.
Do you have room for equipment? While some larger, traditional
phone systems may appear to have a lot of bells and whistles, they also
typically come with a lot of large and costly equipment. The beauty of a
virtual phone system is that it’s completely web-based, so even if you’re
working out of a tiny home office, you can still have a powerful
telecommunications system in your corner.
Do you need multiple extensions? Many basic phone systems come
with just one or two main extensions, and charge extra for more. If you have a
large or growing team, or just prefer to set up multiple extensions, you’ll
want to be sure to choose a virtual phone system that provides unlimited
extensions.
How many minutes do you need? If you run a small operation, you
probably don’t need a ton of minutes. On the other hand, if that business
requires you to field a lot of phone calls, or if your team is on the larger
size, a plan with more minutes might make more sense. When you’re looking into
phone systems, be sure they offer packages that suit your needs and don’t
include too many, or too few, minutes.
What extra features would you like? Phone systems aren’t one
size fits all. One of the biggest ways they differ is in the features they
offer. Consider what things might make your life easier, like
visual
voicemail,
find
me/follow me, or
group
calling, and do the research to choose a virtual phone system that includes
these features at little or no extra cost.
Finally, when you’re choosing a phone system for your
business, don’t forget customer service and support. You want to be sure that
if and when you need assistance or have questions, there will be someone there
to help. Keep all of these things in mind, and you’ll be much more likely to
end up with a virtual phone system that is a perfect fit for your business.
Labels: business resources, small business tips, virtual phone system
posted by Rebecca Daneault @ 5:10 PM