There are probably hundreds of things to consider when starting and growing a business, from hiring to obtaining office space to ordering computers. One of the most important things to get right will be your communication infrastructure.
Fundamentally, businesses rely on communication: you need to make and take calls to make sales and retain clients, after all. While at one point not long ago, a landline was the only option, now you have three primary choices: landlines, mobile phones, and voice over IP. You also need an internet connection, so should you go with broadband, or some kind of business-focused solution?
What kind of data connection?
Businesses need internet connectivity to function in the modern world almost as much as telephone connectivity. To work out what sort of connection you should go with, you need to consider how heavily it will be used, and how many people will be on site.
For a small business using the internet only for email and browsing, even a standard broadband package will probably be enough. If your business wants to take advantage of any hosted services, or once you move past a handful of employees, a business broadband or other enterprise service might be necessary.
If you opt for a VoIP system for phones, you will also need to consider the estimated downtime and fix time of the connection. Broadband connections tend to operate on a ‘best effort’ basis, while more expensive leased line options offer service-level agreements guaranteeing standards of service.
Landline, mobile, or VoIP?
When it comes to telephony, you have three choices: mobile phones, landlines, or VoIP. If you are starting a business today, do yourself a favour and don’t think about landlines – BT is planning to end landline support by 2025, so you are setting yourself up for a change fairly quickly.
Mobile phones might be fine for a few employees, but clients will quickly be confused about the number of different phone numbers they need to remember. Hosted systems from a VOIP termination provider like www.idtexpress.com offer incredibly competitive prices, are scalable as your company grows, and give employees access to the business phone system regardless of location – even on mobile devices.
Communication is key to business growth, so make sure you spend enough time researching and choosing a service that will support your business.