For a small business to be successful, it is important for them to do the basics well.
One of them of course is to have excellent customer service and in order to do this, you really need to have an effective and efficient telecom system at your disposal.
Thankfully telecoms have come a long way since the days of switchboard operators, cumbrous devices and very long extension reference lists!
Instead, the modern-day office phone set up, even for small businesses, are now very advanced. To the point where they provide the kind of professional operations enjoyed by much larger corporations, at a very affordable price.
Whilst there are several very good providers of telecoms for small business on the market currently, some small companies struggle with the actual setting up of their phone system once they get them.
If done incorrectly, it can end up doing significant damage to your business. Which is why we have put together this handy little guide for you of 5 things to consider when setting up your small business telephone system.
Follow these steps, and you should be up and running in no time.
Step 1: Choose Your Preferred Office Phone Setup
Phone systems come in several different forms, so it is important to do your due diligence and research the right one for your organisation.
The last thing you want is to pick one that doesn’t suit the needs of your business, and then be faced with a thorny dilemma of whether or not to completely change the one you just bought.
Typically, the main styles of phone systems include the following:
KSU-less Systems
Great for businesses with less than 10 employees, KSU-less systems are an affordable option.
They come with a range of features including extension and business call transfers, without the cost of setting up a key system unit (KSU).
Unfortunately, businesses are obliged to maintain the KSU-less phone system themselves and it can be difficult to garner technical support when you need it.
KSU Systems
If you run a company with between 50 to 75 employees, a KSU system might be a suitable option. Although you will need to use an external line to make phone calls.
While this renders it pricier than the KSU-less system, it does provide you with greater flexibility, scalability, and the peace of mind of significant support from the telecom vendor.
PBX Systems
Most often used by larger companies, private branch exchanges (PBX) are multiple phone line systems.
Although they can be costly and complex to set up, they do offer flexibility and a decent selection of advanced features.
VoIP Phone Systems
By using the internet, VoIP (otherwise known as Voice over Internet Protocol systems) provides greater efficiency by removing the need for physical hardware and enabling remote and wireless networks.
In its infancy, VoIP did have its teething operational problems. However, nowadays, technology has advanced so much, that these types of phone systems have become renowned for their quality and reliability.
Many small businesses, find this a suitable and inexpensive option, as the simple 1300 numbers offers all the solutions they require.
Step 2: Decide On The Right Office Phone Setup Provider For You
Once you have chosen the right phone system for your small business, you will need to then divert your attention to which of these specific providers you should go with.
It is worth doing thorough research, consulting with other businesses to determine their experiences, and evaluating all the relevant providers, to ascertain what they can offer you within your budget.
Should you pick the VoIP option, your provider will invariably be a company that charges a monthly fee to host your phone service. Typically, their prices will be based on factors like your geographical location and what type of package you might need.
Some providers even included added value extras like on-site installation as part of their offering. Which takes away a lot of the stress and work of setting it up yourself.
Step 3: Ensure You Have The Software And Hardware
Depending on your choice, each different phone system will need specific pieces of hardware and software to successfully initialize and operate it.
For instance, for VoIP a wired Ethernet router and a very fast internet connection is essential, as it will deliver for you very good levels of speed, security and connectivity.
You will also need to make sure your staff have access to VoIP-compatible phones and headsets that are of a top-of-the-range style quality that facilitate clear and coherent sound.
Having said that for some businesses, a complete phone system, replete with a dashboard, may well be a more powerful option. Though you may need to rely on Google to determine the best way of setting up telecom for small business.
Step 4: Install And Customize The Office Phone Setup
Once you reach this stage this is where the fun begins.
Not only do you get to create your business number (many businesses choose to adopt toll-free numbers), but you can also record your greeting and design your menu options as well.
You can even add extensions that reroute the caller to the department or cell phones of specific employees as well.
You will find many phone systems provide an administrator dashboard which gives you access to these specific features, in addition to several others including conference calling, business hours and call transfers.
Step 5: Start Using It!
Once you have configured the phone system the way you want it, you will be able to go live and start to receive and transfer calls in real time.
Just make sure your staff are fully trained in how to use it, and be right on top of any tweaks to the system that needs to be updated. At least until such time as you have it working seamlessly.
But other than that, you should be all systems go!
