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.