If you want to choose a business phone system then you need to think about your team, your clients, and of course, the demands of your company. It’s not easy to think about all of this, and with so many options on the market, it’s very easy to become overwhelmed by everything.
Cloud Systems
Cloud systems use apps or browsers to take calls online. These phone systems tend to be the most flexible, as most of the time, they have a low rollout, and they also don’t have any maintenance costs. On top of this, you don’t need to worry about having any on-site hardware. If you want something that scales with you, then this is one of the best choices out there, and you would be surprised at how flexible it can be.
On-Premise Phones
You might also want to think about getting an on-premise system. This is a traditional phone system, but it means your business can always be contacted in the event of an emergency. You will use physical hardware for this, but it’s a good way for you to take incoming calls. You can then connect them with employees. Systems like this tend to come with up-front costs, but at the same time, they are very reliable. You may also find that they are a big investment if you run a small business, but as your business grows, you will soon find that they are a necessity.
Mobiles
If you have a team who are always out working in the field, then you may find that a traditional phone system isn’t for you. This is understandable, but there are things you can do to try and cater for this. It may be that you look into getting your team business phones so they can take them on the go. You can find a lot of mobile phone options online, many of which are suited to business use. You can also install apps that allow your team to connect with you when you are at the office, which is great if you happen to work with teams of contractors who need to check in from time to time.
Self-Hosted
Another option you might want to consider would be a self-hosted telephone system. If you opt for a self-hosted system, then you will notice that this is a combination of a cloud-based solution and a traditional solution. They tend to be software-based, but it’s possible to have a dedicated PC as well. Either way, the rollout costs of things like this do tend to be expensive, so you need to weigh up everything against each other so you can make sure that it is going to work with your current structure. Although options like this can be scaled, you do need to make sure that you are choosing something that doesn’t have extensive maintenance costs, as this can influence how easy it is for you to upgrade your system.
So, choosing a phone system isn’t easy, but if you follow this guide, you should notice a huge improvement in your business communication.
