Just because you’re a small office doesn’t mean you need a small phone system. In the past, businesses were trapped in long contracts and needed to upgrade everything after just 18 months. Now, there are different options available, allowing you to shop around. Here’s how to go about finding the right small office telephone system to suit your business.

Choosing the Right Small Office Telephone System

Your phone system is integral to your business’ productivity. If it goes down, the whole place is in disarray until it’s back up and running. Time spent fixing the system and looking at replacements is time you could spend doing more important tasks.

You might only have a small office now, but you have big plans for your business and need a phone system that can cope. As you grow, it needs to grow with you and still be able to meet your needs.

It’s inefficient to be upgrading your system or buying new hardware every few months. It leads to wasted time, money and equipment. Your time is better spent working with clients and winning new work, not shopping around for new phones.

Small businesses usually relocate to bigger offices as they expand and grow. You’ll need to think about how easy it is for you to bring your phones with you. Setting up older phone systems can be a complicated process.

When you were just starting up, your phones might have provided everything you need. But as you take on more clients, they need to offer features to help your business to thrive. Call recording, call transfers, telephone conferences and international numbers are just some of the features your business needs.

Why Should You Care About Future-Proofing?

When choosing a small office telephone system, it’s vital you find one that’s future-proofed. Everything about your business should be future-proofed, from the phones to the sales plan to working capital to IT infrastructure.

A few years down the line, your phones could start to hold you back. Many phone systems require businesses to tie themselves down to contracts that are long and inflexible. These contracts stop you from upgrading to cutting-edge technology that will help your business to thrive.

As new members of the team arrive, you’ll find that there just aren’t enough phones or lines to accommodate everyone. Employees will have to share phones, making even the simplest call unnecessarily complicated.

All of this leads to an unproductive workforce that are spending more time worrying about their phone system than their actual work. Your staff will complete less billable hours and your clients will suffer as a result.

A Modern Day Solution

There are modern alternatives when it comes to small office telephone systems. Cloud based phones give you the flexibility and adaptability your business needs.

Businesses have changed over recent years with many staff working remotely or on the move. With a cloud based phone system, staff can make and receive calls wherever they are. On their personal phone, they’ll also be able to have a work’s telephone number, so your staff could be at home, taking calls in their underpants, and clients will still think they’re calling the office.

Let’s just make sure they don’t use Facetime.

As your business expands, you’ll be dealing with more global clients. A cloud based system allows you to switch between local, national and international numbers as required. This feature gives your company a worldwide appearance, giving you the platform to conduct international business.

In the past, you’d have to sign a lengthy contract but now, if you don’t like the service, you can just leave. The best providers offer an easy to use mobile and computer app, so you’ll be able to keep an eye on the team with a live activity feed and smart notifications.

Questions You Should Ask

There are a lot of shiny features when it comes to cloud based phone systems but there are some questions you should ask providers. It’s worth finding out what kind of impact the change will have on your business and if it’s easy for staff to adapt to.

You need to look for a cost-effective contract that’s flexible. The market is constantly changing and introducing new products so you don’t want to be tied down. Ask about their plans as you don’t need to be sold features that your business doesn’t need.

It’s also useful to know which applications are supported by the phone system. If your business relies heavily on software that doesn’t mesh well with the new system, then it might not be the right one for you.

Need a Little More Help Finding a Phone System?

Landlines, legacy systems, IP telephony - it can be confusing when it comes to finding the right phone system. We’ve made the whole process nice and simple with our comparison guide. It can help you to find the perfect phone system for your startup. Download it for free today using the link below.