Small business is big business

Over 99 percent of America's 28.7 million firms are small businesses. (JPMorgan Chase). Let that number sink in. Small businesses form the pillar of the world economy. However, growing and managing a small business is no mean task. A lot of its success is dependent on how well the business can communicate internally and externally. 

Communication is at the heart of every business transaction, and a good phone system can be a catalyst to your growth story. In this cloud era, having a VoIP phone system is not an option, but a necessity. It could be slightly nerving to make a decision when you are uncertain about how VoIP works. 

Here is everything you need to know about small business VoIP systems and how they help overcome the challenges of small businesses.

What challenges do small businesses face in everyday telecommunication?

The big players have their own share of troubles. But, the small and growing ones have complicated problems that are unique in nature. Also, they most often have inadequate resources to tide out these troubles. 

Take for instance Atom Inc. With a single founder and less than fifty employees on deck, it is a small business that is aiming to become a Unicorn. But, not all is good when it comes to communication, especially the medium through which it is carried out. With several tasks being juggled simultaneously, Atom Inc. has to face some unique challenges. You must be able to relate to these challenges.

Need for always-on accessibility

Day or night, Sunday night or Monday morning, customers expect Atom Inc. to be open for business. There are no holidays for business inquiries and customer service. Also, business hours don’t apply to customer service. There is a persistent need for always-on business accessibility. And, this is not particular only to Littlefinger Inc., but for many other small businesses. 

Limited technical resources

As a small business Atom Inc. does not have the luxury of having a dedicated IT department, let alone a dedicated IT administrator. The onus of setting up, managing, and maintaining the business telephone system is spread among the team. Add to that the tedious task of buying phone numbers and adding new users. Needless to say, chaos is often the order of the day at Littlefinger Inc.

Operational mobility

Running a lean and cost-effective business ranks high on the priorities of Atom Inc’s CEO. Operational mobility is key to a lean business model. Unfortunately, on-premise phone systems that keep employees chained to the desk do not facilitate operational mobility. There is a pressing need for a small business phone system to connect employees from all corners of the land.

Scalability

Atom Inc. will not stay little for too long. Its growth trajectory is steadily climbing up the growth slope. But, old school phone systems do not help the cause. They demand high upfront costs that will keep the capital locked in for a long time. Also, most often the essential features come at a hefty price that can run a small business to bankruptcy. An ideal phone system for small businesses should be easily scalable without any upfront costs. 

Five reasons why you must migrate to a small business VoIP phone

Bringing a business idea from scratch to reality is a feat of its own. That entrepreneurial spirit should not be doused for want of a good small business VoIP phone. Your business in any stage of growth deserves to have the best phone infrastructure. 

Here are a few reasons why a VoIP phone system is the right choice for your small business:

You don’t want to be stuck with the obsolete

In 2004, 80% of the world’s population had landlines. In 2021, landlines have become a rarity since smartphones are commonplace. Technology is evolving at the speed of thought. There is no stopping it. You need an advanced business phone system, today, to stay relevant in the near future. Otherwise, you will be stuck with an obsolete piece of technology that cannot fuel your growth.

You want to stop burning dollars

Like any other small business, Atom Inc. is also a business with a shoestring budget. It needs a business phone system that is light on a budget but heavy on features. On-prem phone systems that demand upfront costs require third-party vendors to set up and takes months just to have the system in place is just not the right choice. 

You don’t have to sweat to use it

Making a call using a small business phone system should be as easy as calling from any ordinary phone. It should not require extensive training to understand how to use chunky hardware or other phone infrastructure. A system that keeps things simple is the need of the hour. A VoIP phone system for small businesses offers that much-needed convenience. 

You have to spread physical presence

As a business that is spreading its wings, you will have to quickly ramp your phone availability across several geographies. Why? Because your Australian customers may not be comfortable calling a US number. They want to see a local Australian number that they are comfortable calling. That brings up the need for virtual phone numbers, which analog phone systems cannot provide, but cloud-based phone systems can. 

There is no time to waste

The consumer market is an impatient beast. It does not wait for anyone and for anything. It rages on with a pace of its own. Those businesses that can run with that pace succeed, others fall behind. Case in point: your small business phone system should not slow down your time to market. It should be able to go live instantly, which is what next-gen phone systems are good at. 

What features should a small business VoIP phone provide?

Selecting a phone system is a strategic move. It will make or break the future operational efficiency of the business and also determines how easy your business communication is. It will also play a key role in positioning the business as a customer-centric brand or making it one that is always beyond the reach of customers. 

To make sure you are making the right pick of a small business VoIP, look out for these must-have features:

Custom greetings

Each incoming call that your business gets can be greeted with a custom greeting. From wishing a simple good morning to seasonal greetings, a small business phone system can help you can set any custom greetings that befits your brand’s personality.

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IVR (Interactive Voice Response System)

Imagine a busy day when the call density is unusually high. All lines are busy adding fire to your caller’s misery. An IVR can pitch in there and help attend a bulk volume of calls with canned responses. It can provide canned responses to users based on keypad-based inputs. 

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Call transferring

From time to time there will be calls that your agents cannot resolve on their own. They need the helping hand of an expert. Call transferring will help make the right connection to such an expert who can resolve the issue or offer a remedy that a junior rep may not be authorized to offer. 

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Customer interaction history

Has this customer called before? What transpired during that call? Was a follow-up promised? Is the issue a recurring one? Customer interaction history can give your agents answers and context to all that questions. It spares customers from the pain of having to repeat their words. Also, it prepares agents to handle the call in a contextual manner. 

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Shared lines

Your customers see your business as having only one number. But, internally, you can have any number of shared lines that are distributed across business functions, teams and users. Shared lines are a unique trait native only to VoIP phones. It helps share the same phone number with multiple teams or agents.

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Automatic call recording

Each conversation that your business has with a customer is a window to learn more about their wants and expectations. Automatic Call recording helps with archiving such conversations that can be retrieved later for training, quality monitoring, or even for compliance purposes. 

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Introducing, Freshcaller

A future-proof small business VoIP phone system with state-of-the-art features

Freshcaller is a small business VoIP phone system. It is priced affordably for small businesses and also offers a long list of business-friendly features. As a small business-friendly phone system, it allows businesses to set up a call center complete with call conferencing, call forwarding, call recording, auto-attendant, and many other features. Also, the installation and setup are mostly DIY and require no technical intervention from third parties. 

Whether you are already stuck with an existing on-prem phone system or are in the process of setting up one from scratch, Freshcaller can be an ideal choice. 

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Why choose Freshcaller as your small business VoIP system?

There are countless reasons why Freshcaller should be your choice of small business VoIP. Here are the most striking reasons. 

Quick setup

Set up your small business VoIP instantly without any technical intervention. The setup process is mostly DIY and does not require any prior technical knowledge. 

Zero telephony hardware

You don’t need any specific telephony hardware to use Freshcaller. Even if you already have telephony hardware you can continue to use it with the VoIP system.

Integrations

Integrate your VoIP system with third-party systems like helpdesk, CRM, eCommerce platform, data analytics, etc. for maximizing your customer service productivity.

Virtual phone numbers

Maximize your phone support capabilities with virtual phone numbers from 90+ countries where your business wants a number or where your customers are located.

Top-ranking contact center software

Freshcaller is an award-winning small business VoIP that has been highly rated by G2, SoftwareSuggest, SoftwareAdvice, SpftwareWorld, etc. 

F.A.Q on Freshcaller's Business Phone Numbers