Few things are more vital to a business's success in the 21st century than its communications system. From small business phone systems to networks, your ability to get ahead is going to be largely influenced by your ability to communicate effectively, both with your customers and among your coworkers.
With so many new options on the market today, phone system upgrades are on the wish list for plenty of businesses. However, buying phones no longer simply a matter of sending the intern over to Best Buy to grab a few. Your business telephone system is now part of your business's central nervous system, a key architectural component that needs to be carefully considered before making a purchase.
When working with our clients, we've found a four-step plan often works best. So, if you're thinking it's time for an upgrade, here's how to do it!
Picking The Right Small Business Phone System For Today And Tomorrow
1 – Determine your current needs.
First and foremost, the question is “Where do you need to be right now?” What are the current challenges facing your phone system, and what problems are you having that need to be resolved sooner rather than later?
Every business has a different starting point. Perhaps your office is still using turn-of-the-century phones and simply needs new equipment to replace worn-out units. Perhaps you're looking towards VoIP and wanting phones that are data-ready. Whatever it is, this is your starting point. When you buy your next phone system, these are the issues that need to be addressed with the purchase.
2 – Envision an upgrade path.
As part of your business's ongoing growth, your telephone systems will continue to grow alongside you for years to come. So, having a well-defined upgrade path in your mind will ultimately help you make your choices today.
Besides allowing you to select hardware that already puts you on this path, having your future in mind can ultimately save you money down the line. Too many businesses today are “penny wise and dollar dumb” about their telecom upgrades, purchasing equipment that ultimately cannot be upgraded and has to be abandoned within a few years.
A clear upgrade path towards your future telecommunications goals prevents this, and assures your purchases have longer lifespans and higher ROIs.
3 – Determine your current budget.
The other reason having a clear upgrade path makes sense is that it allows you to plan ahead which upgrades happen now, and which happen later, based on your current budget constraints. Work with your CFO or accountant to see if you can work out a tentative plan for funding future upgrades, so that both sides – the hardware and the financial – are in place before you begin your upgrades.
By laying this groundwork, you will be saving yourself
numerous headaches further down the line. Sure, new technologies will likely change some of your plans as time passes, but having the planning done now still cuts down on complications later. It's easier to adjust a plan while in process than to invent a new one from scratch, so look to build your financial foundations now.
4 – Find a telephony partner.
The other thing that's changed about telephone systems in recent years is their complexity. Once you leave traditional copper-wire service -which is coming for everyone, sooner or later- your business will likely need a qualified retail partner to analyze your current communications systems and help with the physical problems of upgrading.
With the right communications partner by your side, recommending hardware and offering assistance with installation, virtually any telephone system upgrade is within reach of any business!
Finally, if it's time for upgrades and you know where you want to go – just not quite how to get there – just drop us a line! Our experts will have your business firmly on an upgrade path to the future in no time.
