A guide to setting up small business phone systems

Setting up your small business is not an easy task, but you can take some of the stress-out of handling calls and information by setting up the right business telephone system. Phone systems refuse the amount of time you have to spend by pushing information desk to desk and they also help you to manage customer service properly. This articles looks at how to choose the best system, key systems, KSU-less systems and PBX systems.

Getting started

Before you agree to have a phone system installed, you should make sure that you have assessed your business and communication needs, so that you do not end up paying for something with more capacity than you are going to lose or something with not enough capacity to fulfil your needs. Make sure that you know how many phones you will need, e.g. one on every desk? One on every department head desk? What about how many departments you need to redirect to? All of these considerations need to be thought through fully before you get a contractor in to set up your broadband and phone (get them both done at once!).

Key phone systems

Key phone systems are great for small business phones because they can accommodate a range of functions which you do not get from normal phone but which you do not have to pay the earth for. Key phone systems tend to be able to support anywhere from around five to forty extensions which is great, if you are quite a small business currently and are contemplating or foreseeing expansion.

PBX phone systems

PBX phone systems are for the more advanced telephone needs of a small business and can accommodate more than forty extensions. Most PBX phone systems can easily be installed onto desks thanks to developing technologies and they can even be programmed using computers to automate some of your telephone services such as payments and basic information collection. If you have over 100 staff members regularly using phones, then this is the best system for you to have.

KSU-less systems

KSU systems are great for portable businesses and they can accommodate around ten extensions. They are useful for moving around because they do not need permanently wiring into your office in order to work. Some KSU-less systems come with key and PBX phone functions and are ideal for companies with around 10-15 staff members using the system regularly. The downside is that maintenance costs are quite high with these systems.