Should I Dial Up VoIP for My Small Business?

As any small business owner knows, keeping your revenue stream ahead of your expenditures means the difference between a successful business and one that is either just getting by or potentially going under.

Should you find yourself looking to trim some costs in your company, and at the same time seeking to enhance productivity for your employees, dialing up Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) may be just the solution.

For those business owners not up to speed on VoIP, the product provides them and their employees with the ability to place and attain phone calls via data networks. With more speed and better ease in working the phones, employers and their workers can get more done in a day, all at a reduced price to the business owner.

VoIP Records a Number of Positive Features

In order to see how VoIP can best assist your company, know that it allows business owners to:

* Decrease the cost of communications, including interstate or international calls;
* Easily add extensions to their phones, as it is possible to offer a local number or extension for each and every employee minus additional expenses or cabling;
* Provide information on each employee’s whereabouts and current work status;
* Work as a tool to provide real-time collaboration along with video conferencing and screen sharing, meaning those employees outside the office can take part in business meetings;
* Offer growth possibilities, meaning that as the company grows, employers can add to their telephone systems for record maintenance;
* Maintain their present phone number. A large number of VoIP providers offer business owners the option to port their number for a small fee, making the transition that much easier.

With those positive aspects of VoIP, business owners still are likely to come back to the most important question regarding the technology, will it overall save them money?

Business owners should note that if they already pay for high-speed Internet, the savings they will discover moving from a landline to VoIP can be significant. Popular providers charge in the range of $9.99 to $24.99 a month for unlimited local and long-distance calls in the U.S. and Canada, along with low-cost international calls. The cost of a landline varies widely depending on where you live — but can be upwards of $20-$50 or more a month plus $0.10 per minute for long-distance.

How Do I Select the Right VoIP Provider?

So, if a switch over to VoIP is under consideration in your office, what are the keys to choosing the right provider?

Among them:

* Service plan – Zero in on providers who make available unlimited minutes and flexible rates for international calls;
* Specific features – Look for a provider offering call forwarding, voicemail, call blocking, fax support and more. The more features at an affordable price, the better for the business owner;
* Customer service – Last but not least, it is important to locate a VoIP provider that offers stellar customer service. Finding a provider that has live customer support during your company’s work hours is especially key. They should also spell out all the terms and conditions when you agree to use them as your provider, meaning there are no hidden fees, etc.

Whether your small business is considering using VoIP or already is, make sure you are dialed-in to the right provider.

Otherwise, you could get disconnected from your customers.