Are the Savings Worth Switching? Your Ultimate Guide to VoIP Phone System for Small Businesses

Discover why you should switch to a VoIP phone system for small businesses!

What if there was a way to halve your business’s phone bill AND take advantage of enterprise telephony features at the same time? You’d be itching to know more, right?

Well, that’s precisely what VoIP Technology has done for the thousands of SME’s who have made the switch from outdated analog phone systems and traditional PBXs to internet-based, multi-line phone systems. Businesses across the US are routinely slashing their bills by 30% to 50% by adopting VoIP. Perhaps it’s time for you to do the same.

What Is VoIP?

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. It sounds complicated, but it’s essentially a way to transfer audio using the internet, rather than over a traditional phone line. VoIP calls can be made from computers, mobiles, and desk phones, making it even more versatile than traditional calling. All you need to get going is an active internet connection!

Gone are the days of having your phone system installed as a box on the wall. Nowadays, most office phone systems for small business are hosted VoIP solutions.

This means the VOIP servers are stored in the cloud, rather than installing hardware at your business premises. As a result, phone system users can make calls from anywhere they can get online, making it the perfect solution in the age of remote working.

What Are the Benefits of Switching?

Choosing VoIP for your small business phone system will not only save you money. It will also get you impressive, productivity-boosting features that are usually only available to much larger organizations. Check out the main benefits of VoIP for small businesses:

Multi-Functional

These days, VoIP phone systems do more than make calls, they’re complete communication hubs that can cater to every channel your business needs! Leading providers will include conferencing, instant messaging, mobile applications, and faxing as standard. Your employees will love that they can choose the communications style that works for them, whilst you’ll love having everything included in one, easy to maintain affordable package.

Boosts Productivity

Think about how much time is wasted typing up call notes or trying to get hold of colleagues that are unavailable. A VoIP phone system for small business will fix both of these thanks to inbuilt features like presence, CRM integration, and voicemail-to-email transcription.

By switching you can save your staff countless hours of unnecessary admin and help them to be more productive during the day.

Easy to Scale

Today you’re reviewing the best small business phone system but who knows where you’ll be in a few years’ time! The beauty of hosted VoIP phone systems is that they’re easy to scale up, meaning they’ll adapt as your business needs grow.

VoIP systems let you add new users instantly, so you don’t need to get your IT team or managed service provider to visit your site for every small change! They also help to minimize the cost of growth; as employees can call from their computer or mobile device via a secure application, meaning you don’t need to fork out for a new desk phone if you don’t want to.

Enhances Mobility

With 42% of the U.S. labor force now working from home, mobility has become a hot topic. The best office phone systems for small businesses cater to this growing demand and offer in-built features designed to make it easier to switch from office to home-based working.

VoIP phone systems provide a user with one extension number that can be used across all devices. So there’s no longer any need to have a separate office and mobile numbers complicating your communication!

Plus, with modern calling features like automatic call forwarding, you never need to worry about a missed call again! Incoming calls can be sent to all devices, or to individual ones in an order of preference, making it easy to stay contactable and keep your business running no matter what comes your way.

How Much Could You Save?

You’ve seen the benefits, now let’s talk about the savings potential. Many buyers are nervous when it comes to investing in new technology and can be put off by the initial CAPEX. With VoIP systems, however, these fears can be put to bed.

VoIP phone systems are usually priced per user per month, so you won’t need to pay a huge upfront cost to make the switch. You can usually add new hardware to your monthly bill too. From then on, it’s all about the savings. Here’s how switching can help you save:

• No Internal Call Fees: VoIP systems won’t charge you for calling other extensions on your system
• Reduced International Calling: International calls over VoIP cost less than traditional calls, some providers even offer inclusive minutes
• Flexible: With VoIP, you only pay for what you need so there’s no unused line fees or wasted numbers
• Choice of Communication: As employees can choose between conferencing, calling, and messaging (offered free of charge), the minutes you use will decrease
• No Hardware Costs: There is usually no hardware needed to install hosted VoIP meaning no upfront costs

As you can see, VoIP not only slashes your call costs, but it also saves on hardware and unused lines too. To make sure you get the best deal for your specific business needs, check out these tips for choosing a business phone system. It will guarantee you make the most of the savings opportunities outlined above!

Switch to a VoIP Phone System for Small Businesses and Save

So there you have it! Switching to a VoIP phone system for small businesses is not only worth it but it’s a no-brainer if you want to modernize your communications, boost staff productivity, and prepare for remote working.

If you’re considering investing in a new small business phone system, talk to us first. 1-800 Office Solutions supports small businesses with managed IT solutions and we’ll help you find the best fit for your organization.