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.