Purchasing a phone system will integrate your telephone lines and provide functionality such as auto attendant, call hold, call queuing, music on hold, messages on hold, call transfer and voicemail. 

If you are starting out and cash flow is limited, purchasing a phone system might be something you put off until you’re business is on a solid footing and generating cash and thankfully there are plenty of cost effective alternatives. A number of network providers supply a service called Featureline which mimics the functionality of a phone system without the high upfront costs of purchasing equipment, as the functionality is supplied in real time from the service provider’s network.  Instead of a large capital outlay for a phone system, Featureline is charged on a rental basis per line which will help keep your costs to a minimum which is important whilst your business is growing.  Alternatively there are plenty of good options for the sub 10 extension market, such as simple, budget DECT phone systems and IP Telephony services such as Featureplus.

Despite the current economic climate there are lots of finance and lease deals available to purchase a phone system for your business from the outset, but what is the point if you are just starting out? Most businesses fail within their first year of trading because they run of cash. It’s therefore important to conserve as much cash as is possible in the early days and keep your cash burn rate to a minimum. There is no reason why your business cannot have a professional call handling solution without the potentially high upfront costs associated with a phone system.  To find out about alternative solutions contact us.

If your business is established and you need to invest in a phone system there are a multitude of considerations and it really will pay to seek professional advice. There is no point purchasing a second hand system or even a new system which appears to be cheap if the system is being phased out by the manufacturer and it cannot be supported in the future. What do you do if it fails and a part cannot be found?  Likewise should your business grow the system needs to be easily expandable to accommodate extra users; I’m sure you want to avoid a hefty upgrade cost if your system falls short of your initial expectations.  There are lots of potential costly traps if a system isn’t planned and specified properly and that is why it is important to seek professional advice and from several different sources to ensure you get the best possible solution for your business.  Contact us if you would like to discuss your phone system requirements.