Get Small Business Phone Service for Your Startup

Online communication has become increasingly important for small businesses. Though there are still some situations where phone communication is necessary or beneficial. It doesn’t matter if you connect with partners or vendors via phone calls, Or offer a support number for customers to call. You need a phone system. Or at least you need a dedicated business phone number.

Today, small businesses don’t even need to invest much.  Expensive phone equipment to facilitate phone communication has become a thing of the past. Solutions include There are cloud systems. But they also include simple virtual options. And even mobile apps can help you save money. Though they still present a professional phone experience for everyone who calls in. Read on to learn what you should know about the options. And make the most of them for your small business.

Benefits of a Phone System for Your Small Business

Some small business owners might simply consider using their personal phone number for business use. But this can lead to privacy or accessibility issues. Because you probably don’t want your personal number listed on your website. Nor should it appear in public business listings. Consider investing in a separate number for your business. So you can make it readily available without having to worry that your personal number will end up on tons of call lists. Or worry that you’ll be fielding calls at all hours of the night. A dedicated phone number also makes your business look more professional. So improve the impression of those who might need to call.  It will help them feel more confident about doing business with you.

Aside from the credibility that a business phone number gives you, a virtual or cloud phone service also allows you to take calls and manage your info from anywhere. You don’t necessarily need to be in the office on a specific phone in order to use your phone system. They also collect data about calls so you can make use of those analytics to optimize your communication. In some instances, you can even connect your phone system to a CRM or email platform so you can manage all of your interactions with customers together and keep track of the customer experience as a whole.

If you’re interested in investing in a more fully featured cloud phone system, you can also enjoy some advanced capabilities that help you deliver a positive experience for callers. For instance, you might be able to use automation to direct callers to the proper department right away or set up special hold messages for holidays or special occasions.

Phone System Options for Small Businesses

The most simple solution for small businesses looking for a business phone number is a mobile app that allows you to make and receive business calls right on your own mobile device. You get the ability to separate the calls you make and receive for your business. If necessary, you can even set hours or have a special message for calls that come in for your business.

You might also consider a VoIP phone system, which uses your internet connection to facilitate phone service. There are a ton of VoIP plans out there, all with different features and capabilities made for businesses of different sizes.

There are also cloud phone systems that offer many of those same capabilities, with the entire system hosted in the cloud. These systems are often a bit more mobile and provide greater flexibility for businesses.

How to Choose the Small Business Phone Service That’s Right for You

This process starts with evaluating the needs and communication style of your company. How do you normally interact with customers or connections? If you’re a solopreneur and do most of your phone business on your personal device, then it probably makes sense to find an app that allows you to use a separate business phone number but doesn’t require you to invest in any new equipment or extra services that you don’t necessarily need.

On the other hand, if you have a full service team, it’s probably worthwhile to look into a more fully featured cloud phone system that includes things like an auto attendant or switchboard functionality.

When choosing your small business phone system, it’s not only important to think about the features and functions you need right now, but also what you think you might need in the future. It’s important to have a phone system that can scale with your business, at least throughout the next several years. That way, you won’t need to constantly switch over all your data and get your team used to a new phone system each time you require a different feature set.

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This article, "Get Small Business Phone Service for Your Startup" was first published on Small Business Trends