Find the Right Small Business Phone System for Your Company

Small business phone systems are available in a variety of configurations, offering an ever-growing range of features and benefits. The most advanced small business phone systems today run on Internet Protocol (IP) networks—the same network many small businesses use to connect employees, devices and information resources.

How do you find the right small business phone system? And how do you deploy it?

1. There are many things to consider when evaluating and implementing a new small business phone system.
   
   Understand what you need. The right small business phone system gives you the tools to be more efficient. Do you need easy access to rich-media conferencing tools? Would you like one phone number that simultaneously rings on multiple devices? While it's important to know what tools your workforce needs, look for a solution that can give you more so as you grow, those services are availbale in your small business phone system. Features and capabilities to consider include:
   

   ◦Videoconferencing
   ◦ Mobile softphones, for using a computer as a phone
   ◦ Automated attendant
   ◦ Paging and intercom
   ◦ Presence technology—the ability to quickly identify who within your organization is available at any given moment, as well as the best way to reach them
   ◦ Wireless IP phones, enabling workers to access data and be easily reachable, even as they roam about a sales floor, warehouse, or other location
   ◦ Integration with a customer relationship management (CRM) system
   ◦ Unified messaging, with notifications by e-mail, text message, or phone

2. Be prepared for change. A new small business phone system can help your employees do things that were not possible before, and that can change the way you conduct daily business transactions too. For example, using wireless IP phones, your sales floor staff can quickly check if an item is in stock in your warehouse, without ever having to leave a customer's side.
   
   
3. Talk to your trusted advisor. Consult with your local service provider or reseller to ensure that your phone system's features and capabilities will meet your company's short- and long-term business goals.