Small business telephone systems

There are number of questions that need answering before your small business can consider purchasing a telephone system – How many lines do I need? How many extensions are required? What features do my phones need to have?

This post will try to help you understand what is important to you and your business before you take on this challenge. There is a huge range of different systems that can appeal to a different variety of users, and the way in which businesses now use mobiles has changed the way landlines are used. 

The first option to consider is a traditional PBX (Private Branch Exchange) system. This does involve buying a phone for each employee, but if you only have a handful of employees there is no cost issue here.

If you include extensions for your employees, then the PBX will co-ordinate all incoming and outgoing calls to help you manage your communications. A great choice to keep things fairly simple, but can get expensive with an increased number of phones.

Option number two is a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) system, which works by transmitting your voice over the internet.

It is important to use a separate connection for phone calls otherwise your calls will become distorted and eventually get dropped. Again the number of lines you would need is based on how many employees you have. This option can be cheaper overall but will need a specific internet connection to make it work.

There are also a number of important features that we think you should consider investigating; for some businesses these are crucial, for others they are less valuable. We suggest:

• Call logging is an obvious one, allowing you to record the numbers dialled by individual extensions

• Conference calling is also useful, this is generally provided on most handsets but check the microphones and speakers are up to scratch

• A hold system, which allows you to keep a call on the line – just make sure the music isn’t too irritating!

Different systems and setups have different advantages; but just remember the more lines and extensions you need, the higher the price.

Take a moment to identify the features of the system that you feel are important to you, and don't forget to have a look at the options Town & Country Communications can offer – check out our page here.