Things You Should Know About a Small Business Phone System

If you find that a small business phone system is important for your business then it’s wise to get one. But before you actually buy a small business phone, it is important that you do your own research and explorations. It is better you get yourself accustomed with the small business phone system before you start using one. Though most of the service providers share quite a few common features of a small business phone yet there can be some significant differences as well. So do your research and familiarize yourself before you invest in a small business phone:

Cost Efficient

A virtual small business phone system does not need to be installed with any particular telephone connection. It can, in fact, work with any telephone connection. It also does not need any hardware or software. So it is capable to save considerable amount of dollars for any business. But this is especially important for a small business, start-up or home based business that works in limited financial boundaries. Nevertheless, it saves money for big firms as well and is equally pertinent for all businesses during turbulent economic times.  Moreover, most of the virtual small business phone service providers offer flexible service levels. There’s no contract to be signed and most of the plans include considerable number of free minutes.

Makes You Available All the Time

The auto attendant of a virtual small business phone system completely eliminates the need for an office receptionist. This is an automated receptionist that is capable of receiving any number of calls. You can record the message that the auto attendant will play as soon as a customer calls you. Hiring a professional for recording your auto attendant is not a bad idea. The auto attendant greets your customers and routes him to the right person or department. It works 24 hours a day forwarding and transferring calls to the right person or department. So you are never far from your customers and prospects.

A Few Features

You get all the features and benefits of a traditional phone system in a virtual small business phone system.  You can transfer calls to your employees and colleagues located in the same office or may be across the country. You can also forward calls to your personal cell phone, residential phone or office phone.  If you are unable to answer your customer’s call he/she can leave a message in your voicemail box and you can reply them back at your convenience. Moreover, it allows these voice messages to be read in emails. So you do not lose out any time checking your voicemail box and your email separately.

A Few Extra Features

A virtual small business phone system also offers certain extra features over a traditional phone system. For example, you can send and receive fax online using your small business phone. This is the most modern way of sending and receiving fax without a fax machine and paper. You can also program your phone system in a way that you set days of the week and even hours when you are available on each number and the auto attendant will forward calls accordingly. You can also use a toll free number with this phone system. Toll free numbers are especially known for its success in attracting customers and influencing the sales of a business.

All You Need to Know About Small Business Phone Service

Despite the size of the company, all businesses need a phone system. Actually it’s the same idea that applies for either a traditional phone system or for a small business phone service. A usual phone system can serve any kind of business – big or small. But it becomes quite difficult for a small business to pay for a traditional phone system. A small business phone service becomes quite relevant in such cases because it is especially designed for a small business and it is affordable for all kinds of business. A small business phone service is in fact, the most suitable alternative to a traditional phone system.

Know Your Business Needs
But before you register your need for a small business phone service there are a couple of things that you need to know.  Firstly you need to be confident about the needs and preferences of your company.  Do your employees need an individual telephone number? Do your employees need a voicemail box and call forwarding? Do they need an auto attendant? Do you think your employees will benefit if their voicemails can read in emails? Before you decide on using a small business phone service it is pertinent to know the answer of all these questions.

Decide On the Right Kind of Phone System
After you have decided to use a small business phone service you need to keep a check on few other things. Like you should not decide on a phone system that needs complex installation or expensive hardware or software. Rather it is better to opt for a virtual phone system that needs no installation, hardware and software and yet it is ready to use just on the go. You should also check with the service provider if your phone system works with all kinds of telephone connections – cell phone, your residential phone and also your office telephone connection.

Check for the Features of Your Need – Auto Attendant
The next important thing is to check for the features that you and your employees need.  Check if your phone system has auto attendant or not. An auto attendant is perhaps the most important feature of a small business phone service. An auto attendant greets and routes your callers. You can pre-record all your information on the auto attendant and your customers can choose according to their need. You also have the flexibility to customize and change information according to your need. An auto attendant completely eliminates the need of a receptionist. It in fact, works like an automated receptionist around the clock.

Call Forwarding and Voicemail Box
Your employees also need other features like call forwarding and voicemail box. Check with the service provider of your small business phone service whether their phone system has these features or not. Using the call transfer feature you or your employees can forward calls to fellow employees stationed in the same office location or across the country.  You can also forward calls to your personal phone or to your residential phone.  A voicemail box on the other hand, helps your customers to record their messages when you are unable to answer their call. If your phone system sends you an alert as soon as you receive a new voicemail that will definitely be an advantage. You also should be able to read your voicemails in email.

Consider a Hosted Small Business Phone Service when Upgrading Your System

So, you’ve decided it’s time for an upgrade of your old business phone service. Perhaps the machines are dated and worn, or your company has outgrown your current system. Whatever the reason, you may want to consider a hosted small business phone service to meet your company’s growing needs.

Solutions for Common Small Business Hurdles

It can be difficult for people who work from home to set up a simple and professional system to keep in touch with clients. With multiple phones and different plans for each, keeping them all straight can be a nightmare. Similarly, office based businesses who have employees working in the field have to deal with the muddle of office systems and mobile systems. With a hosted phone service, land and mobile phones can become a part of your communications system with the click of a mouse, making it easier to reach anyone anywhere without a bunch of extra devices.

Increased Professionalism with Hosted Phone Tools

Small businesses need to work harder to appear professional, since they don’t always have the resources of a larger company. Hiring a secretary to direct calls and recording quality, sophisticated messages for after hour’s inquiries can do a lot to boost the positive impressions of prospective customers, but such frills are usually too expensive for a small business to handle. Many hosted small business phone service providers have these things covered, and include these tools along with many more in their basic packages.

Plans to Accommodate Growing Businesses

As a business grows, it cannot afford to be locked into long term contracts that provide less service than they need, nor can they afford to pay for services they do not use. With traditional phone companies, the matter of upgrading can be arduous, involving fees and new equipment. With a hosted small business phone service, upgrading is usually as simple as a phone call to your provider, or a visit to their website. In general, hosted phone service is less restrictive and more adaptable to small business needs than old style phone companies.

Hosting Means No Tech Background Needed

It may seem attractive to have an on-site telephone or PBX at first, but there are many hidden problems to consider. Most people do not have the abilities or learning necessary to keep communications equipment maintained, and wouldn’t know how to fix it if it broke. Creating space to store the equipment and keeping trained professionals on call is a logistics nightmare. There is no equipment associated with a hosted service – you simply receive and make calls via your existing landline or mobile phone. Managing your service is the only business virtual phone providers are involved in which makes a huge difference in the quality of service you get.

Easily Train New Employees

Most new employees today have grown up around computers, and an old style PBX system can seem labyrinthine and confusing. Hosted services have user interfaces specifically designed for increased user friendliness, and the comfortable setting of configuring its call forwarding settings from a computer screen can be a huge comfort to a new employee. Especially since the old style phones tend to have confusing command keys that younger employees can find baffling. For both of these reasons, virtual small business phone services are easier to learn and easier to teach.

You want this upgrade to go as smoothly as possible. Signing up for hosted phone service is quick and easy, and because of the flexible plans available, it’s certain your next upgrade will be just as easy as this one.

Is a Hosted Small Business Phone Service Right for You?

Perhaps you’ve been hearing the entire clamor about hosted phone services that operate over the internet. Many small business owners have turned to virtual phones to manage their communications needs. If you aren’t sure if a hosted small business phone service is right for your business, here are some questions to help you consider.

Are You Outgrowing Your Phone system?
Customers who can’t get in touch with a company when they need to are very likely to take their business elsewhere. If your phone service is overrun by too many calls, you may be hearing about it from some of your customers, but there are probably more of them who simply gave up and didn’t look back if they couldn’t get a hold of you. Additionally, as a business grows, sometimes it resorts to patchwork style fixes to keep an outmoded system running, which results in an unwieldy mess that is difficult to run, and nearly impossible to explain to new employees.

Do You Need Something User-Friendly?
Implementing a new phone system can be difficult. If you have the training and the patience, it can be very cheap to create a system tailor made for your company. However, not everyone has the time or abilities that are required. If you have a hard time understanding the technical stuff, a hosted small business phone service takes the responsibility for maintenance and programming and gives it to a dedicated team of professionals. It’s the host’s job to make sure the system is easy for everyone to use. There’s no need to pay for a separate IT expert because there is nothing technical for you to handle on your end.

Do You Work Outside the Office?
Virtual phones are especially useful to anyone who works outside of the office, as most providers allow you to connect any number of different phones to the service. They do not constrain you to phones physically located in the office space, but can be adapted for use with cellular phones, or the home land line, or anywhere else clients or employees need to reach you. This allows customers to only need one number to call whoever they need, rather than making a series of calls to different numbers, or dealing with being forwarded through a series of extensions.

Is Your Business Growing?
Traditional phone company contracts can be very restrictive, locking you in to service packages for months or years, and upgrading can be very difficult. Sometimes, even the hardware of the phones themselves need to be tinkered with or replaced. Hosted small business phone service is much more flexible and easier to upgrade than traditional phones. If it’s probable that a business is going to need different service in six months, this may be a good choice. Virtual services also tend to offer more “pick and choose” style options, tailoring service to the needs of the business.

In the end, only you can decide if you small business requires small business phone service, or if a hosted service is right for your needs. If you answered yes to even one of the above questions, a virtual telephone service may be right for you.

Small Business Phone Service with Virtual PBX

Communications are key for small businesses, but establishing a proper system to make communicating with employees hassle-free can be one of the largest expenditures new businesses have to face.  With so many options available, why choose a virtual small business phone service over its traditional counterpart?

Traditional PBX
The letters PBX are an abbreviation of the phrase “Private Branch Exchange”. A Private branch exchange is a kind of phone service that allows businesses to communicate more easily within their offices. When a company has many employees and different departments that need to be easily reached, a PBX system allows them to assign shorter numbers to certain phones, allowing for easier communication. A PBX acts as a smaller phone system that serves one building, so to reach a certain phone, you need only remember its extension, rather than an entire new number.

The Advantages of a Virtual System
Times have changed since the arrival of traditional PBX systems. For a small business phone service, the costs and responsibilities of a regular PBX can be prohibitive. They require special phones with different keys to perform all of the necessary functions of a PBX, whereas a virtual system is compatible with any phone. Sometimes, when changes to a traditional PBX system need to be made, it is necessary to call a technician to physically alter the phones or connections in a traditional system. This can result in a lot of cost and down time that a small business simply cannot afford.

Extra Features
While many PBX systems have plenty of nice features such as call waiting, call forwarding and hold music, virtual systems are capable of much more. Without the restraints of hardware to hold them back, virtual PBX systems are able to make more changes and keep up with a growing market simply by altering their software. Follow me features, inter-office faxes and user-friendly interfaces make virtual services superior in most respects to old fashioned phone systems. Virtual phone companies are faster to change, and are developing new features all the time.

Lower Cost
Traditional systems can cost as much as $100 a month, plus all the fees for new equipment and setup, which can run up to an astounding $5,000. With small business phone service through a virtual phone company, the upfront cost is very much reduced- usually in the area of $10 to $20 for set up fees- since any phone works with the system. Monthly fees can be much cheaper as well. With a virtual system, there are typically more options and various packages available. Many virtual providers allow a pick and choose approach to allow businesses to tailor the service to fit their needs.

For any business that simply cannot afford the cost associated with a large scale implementation of a PBX system but needs to be communicating more effectively right now, virtual phone systems can solve all of those problems. Virtual small business phone service is a growing market with more and more providers willing to cater to small business needs. A virtual PBX system may be a good solution to small business communication hurdles.

iTeleCenter Sees An Increase In Companies Using Its Small Business Phone Service

iTeleCenter sees an increase in companies using its small business phone service to gain greater mobility. In today’s mobile age, even CEOs are stepping out of the board room and taking their calls on the go.

When asked the reason for using a cloud based phone system, most clients list mobility as their number one response. A large percentage of these small businesses are forgoing the traditional business landline and employing a virtual phone system like iTeleCenter.

The service comes with a choice of local and/or toll-free numbers that a company advertises as its business number. When calls come in, the auto attendant (a customized greeting) professionally guides the caller to the proper channel. The caller hears a welcome message and a choice of options to get to the person or department they want to reach. The system then seamlessly forwards the caller directly to the designated mobile or landline number.

Scalability is built-in. For smaller companies with a sole proprietor, the system can bypass the auto attendant and forward directly to a designated number. Larger businesses can use the system as a virtual PBX without the added cost of equipment and maintenance. Each employee or department can be assigned their own extensions – with the same call forwarding and voicemail functionality present on the main number.

Privacy is of utmost importance. The last thing the president of a company wants is to publicize his mobile number. Although calls are routed to personal cell phones or home numbers, these numbers remain private – the caller never knows the number where the call terminates. Outgoing calls placed through the system display the local or toll-free number associated with the service – never the personal number of the phone used to place the call.

This system fulfills the complete communications needs of any small business. Voicemail alerts send message content as readable text in an email along with a WAV file attachment. Faxes can be sent and received online through the service – again maintaining the privacy of all personal numbers.

About iTeleCenter
iTeleCenter was founded in 1992 by entrepreneur Paul Champaneria who wanted to build a company that catered to the needs of virtual companies, direct salespeople, affiliate marketers, real estate professionals, and all forms of home-based or small businesses. iTeleCenter is a virtual phone system that provides individuals with the ability to utilize toll-free phone numbers, locally based numbers, or vanity numbers, with call forwarding and voicemail that make professional life a little easier. With the best in customer care and service, along with the latest and most innovative features, it’s a must have for professionals who want to compete on a regional or national level, whether it’s a one-man operation or a million-dollar corporation.
Article Source: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2012/8/prweb9830779.htm

Small Business Phone Service for Your Communication Needs

An important part of running a successful business is having an effective solution for communications. There are several options for small business phone services and these can range from standard landline service to VoIP— or Voice over Internet Protocol service.

Landline Service
With a typical landline telephone service for a small business, voice and fax communications are handled via the use of copper telephone wires and standard telephone jacks. While one line of service may be enough for a very small business, more lines may be added as the business grows and individual departments are added. Features like caller ID, call forwarding and others are available at an additional charge, though they may be included in a bundle for even more savings. In most instances, landline telephone service is only economical when there is a single telephone line. For more complicated communications systems, there are options that are more affordable and practical.

VoIP Service
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and these small business phone services are great choices for businesses that are growing and expanding. While landline service is a great option for single lines, multiple lines can quickly become expensive. VoIP services offer packages that include multiple lines, all of the best features and even some extras that landline service providers do not. For the end users, VoIP service provides crystal clear call quality and even the ability to manage telephone calls and voicemails from their computer desktops. This improves production and allows employees to better manage their time and resources.

Consider the Necessities
When the time comes to select small business virtual phone system , the first thing that should be considered is the types of features that the business will need. Some of the features available include video conferencing, softphone capabilities, automated attendants, unified messaging and more. These features are not necessary for every business, but they can certainly help to keep employees in-the-know at all times and provide them with everything they need to do their jobs. Computers are a very important part of most businesses, and being able to integrate computers with telephones makes things easier.

Staying Connected
The final thing that business owners should consider when choosing their small business phone service is the extent to which the employees need to remain in contact with customers—and with each other. There are plenty of ways to ensure that everyone receives the telephone calls that were meant for their department, even when they are not in the office or at their desks. By combining features like call forwarding and auto attendants, business owners can easily ensure that there is always someone available to take telephone calls and that these calls are routed properly each and every time. This improves customer satisfaction and adds to the overall business image.

A very small business may be able to get by with a single landline telephone, but the odds are that the business will grow and expand at some point. When this is the case, business owners should consider the options for small business phone services available to them and choose the features that will benefit them the most.

Small Business Phone Service

A Small Business Phone Service Does Not Need to Cost an Arm and a Leg

One of the most common misconceptions about small business phone service is that it is more expensive than the typical phone services used in homes all around the country. In fact, business phone service is surprisingly affordable and may actually save business owners money in the long run.

The Cost of Traditional Phone Services
On average, the monthly cost of a single traditional landline with no long distance and bare-minimum features hovers somewhere around $30.00 after taxes and fees. Businesses that want to add-on features like toll-free numbers, additional lines and the ability to send faxes can expect to pay much, much more. In fact, most telephone companies charge around $100.00 to install a single telephone jack in an office and even more to repair an existing jack that has been damaged in some way. Traditional telephone service may be a great option for homeowners, but there are better choices when it comes to running a business.

The Cost of Virtual Phone Services
Due to the already high cost of landline telephone service, most business owners feel that small business phone service must be incredibly expensive and attempt to make do with their single line of service. Virtual service is actually very inexpensive and most of the small business packages start at less than $25.00 a month; some even include unlimited extensions. For this price, businesses will receive nationwide long distance, internet fax services and features like caller ID and call forwarding. Additional features are also available and business owners can customize their packages to suit the needs of their customers and their employees.

Get More for the Money
Essentially, business owners can enjoy the convenience of small business service for the same price as a single line of standard phone service. This is made possible due to the wonders of the internet. Most small business phone services are VoIP-based and are therefore simple to maintain. Since there are no costs for maintaining wires, poles and switchboards for the telephone companies, these savings can be passed along to the end users. The service is incredibly reliable and provides crystal-clear call quality that cannot be duplicated by any copper wire. For less than the price of a typical landline with unlimited long distance calls, users can enjoy all of the features that will help the business thrive.

Instant Scalability
All businesses hope to grow as they gain new clients and customers, and the growth of the business will undoubtedly lead to the addition of new employees. Depending upon their roles in the company, these employees may need to be provided with their own telephone extensions in order to maintain productivity. While adding a line to typical phone service can be a lengthy and expensive process, this is not so with a virtual phone system. The service is completely scalable, meaning that extensions can be added and removed almost instantaneously.

Telephone service is a very important part of any small business. It is the primary method of communication between employees and customers and should never be second-rate. As a result, a small business phone service is always the best option as it provides all of the features necessary for staying connected at a rate that anyone can afford.

Improve Your Image with a Small Business Phone Service

When a small business opens its doors, it is likely that there will be a certain volume of telephone calls on a daily basis. By choosing to use a small business phone service, a company can improve its professional image with a myriad of features.

Residential vs. Business Phone Service
A small business with only a few employees may not receive as many telephone calls as a huge corporation, but that does not mean that a company should neglect its communications systems. A business that opens its doors with only a single landline meant for residential use will undoubtedly find that communications are mediocre, at best. Business employees should be available during business hours—and sometimes even around the clock—to handle customer calls and address any issues that may arise. A small business phone service is designed to do exactly that, and it is often more affordable than adding lines and features to typical residential landline service.

Business-Related Features
While standard phone lines may come with useful features like call waiting, caller ID and call forwarding, many of the features that a business could use to promote their image are not available. These include multiple extensions, advanced voicemail capabilities, automated attendants, call capture, call screening and even the ability to send and receive faxes directly from a computer desktop via the internet. These features are more than just convenient for the business owner; they make handling customer calls and ensuring satisfaction a breeze. Small business phone service includes all of these and more, creating a professional atmosphere for both the customers and the employees.

Improve Customer Satisfaction
The sole purpose of a business is to provide products and services that are in demand to the consumers who want and need them. If consumers are not satisfied with the service they receive from one business, they will simply take their money somewhere else. Callers who frequently experience busy signals or whose calls go unanswered will often become frustrated and look for alternative ways to procure the products and services they need. By effectively answering and handling every single call, businesses will develop a good reputation for customer relations and will make more money as a result. As such, business phone service is a must as it is designed to make these calls simpler for everyone involved.

Friendly Greetings and Seamless Transfers
When a customer calls a business for any reason, first impressions are everything. By using an automated assistant—a feature available with a small business phone service—each and every call is answered with a friendly greeting. The callers can then listen to the options available to them and select the one that best suits their reasons for calling. In fact, the entire process is very quick and most callers will agree that the ability to be transferred to the designated person or department without delay is important to them. After all, there is a reason behind the call and that reason should be addressed immediately by the person best suited to do so.

Improving the image of any business starts with providing an excellent product and ends with providing the best customer service in the industry. With the help of a small business phone service, ensuring customer satisfaction is simple and affordable.