Business Phone System

What Is a Business Phone System?

A business phone system is a complete telephony solution which, primarily, lets your business make and receive calls. Some modern small business office phone systems offer more than just calling, however: they also offer the ability to connect your employees from afar and oftentimes come with features that can help you run your business.

While some modern phone systems are still built around physical connections, newer virtual, or VoIP, solutions are built around cloud-based software. This means that your entire phone service can be run from the internet, and more often than not you need no additional hardware (other than the business phones themselves, of course): you can call, message, fax, and text in one single app.

When Do You Need a Small Business Phone System?

It’s hard to keep in contact with customers

Does reliance on one single cordless phone hinder customer contact? A commercial telephone system makes life simpler for your customers.

You want to expand your geographic reach

Getting national or international numbers can be a real pain oftentimes- but with a digital phone system for your small business, it’s easy.

You need to call from anywhere

Can’t be tied down to a single location? Need to be able to use your number on more than one business cell phone? Business phone services can help.

You want to keep personal and business separate

You’re at home and your cell rings. It’s a number you don’t recognize. A phone system can help with call management by letting you know when it’s personal or when it’s business.

Daily calls are increasing in number

Have you had a sudden surge in business calls? If no one is there, features like virtual receptionist are there to help.

You hired more hands

Your organization is expanding, which means your phone service needs to expand too. More hands can mean more calls answered, which means more happy customers.

Why Buy a Phone System for Small Business From MightyCall?

All virtual

Up and running in minutes.

World class security & reliability

Your conversation quality will stand the test of time thanks to our 99.99% uptime, 24/7 network security,  data encryption, and protection from robocallers.

Any number a small business or entrepreneur could need

Toll-free, local, vanity, and international numbers. Competitors often charge extra for these numbers, but we know customers need variety and all the tools they can use, so we don’t. You can get these different numbers with your plan.

Great features

Get access to dozens of features, none of which are per month extras. From team-oriented features like call forwarding, call transfer, and conference calls to call recording and voicemail-to-text transcription, every aspect of the customer-communication cycle is covered to help you convert calls to sales.

Competitive price

With some of the lowest per user prices without a drop in call quality or feature set, our packages offer some of the best value on the market.

Live Customer support

Our customer support consists of real people with years of experience. Our chatbot isn’t there for show and we have numerous ways for customers to reach out if they need help.

Features Inside MightyCall’s Business Digital Phone System

• Auto attendant: The auto attendant is one of the most useful features. This feature lets you preload your answers, answering questions before they even have to talk to someone.
• Virtual Voicemail: this modern answer to the traditional landline phone answering system, which allows you to check all of your messages in one (online) place. At the same time, you can have transcripts automatically emailed to you.
• Call forwarding: Another key component of modern phone systems, forwarding keeps personal and business separate by sending incoming calls to one number.
• Texting: SMS & MMS messaging is a key function of any wireless phone system for small business, so naturally it would be present in modern solutions.
• Call Statistics: These statistics allow you to access call duration, how often a call is made, and how often an employee makes a call.
• Vanity Numbers: A telephone system for small business can help you stand out with vanity numbers, which utilize the phone keypad to make words out of the numbers (CATS instead of 2287).

How Does an Office Telephone System Work?

Modern solutions, unlike analog phone systems, work over the internet instead of phone wires, in other words, these systems are virtual.

Modern telephone systems for business convert your analog voice signals to digital packets, which are then compressed and sent through the net to the intended receiver with the help of voice over internet protocol (VoIP). They are then “de-compressed” and assembled into audio, which is then heard by the person to whom you are speaking. Due to being internet-based, your business can use these systems on any internet-connected device (capable of inputting and outputting sound).

The Difference Between Traditional and Business Phone Solutions

Benefits of Office Phone Systems for Small Business

Work, collaborate and connect from anywhere

Do more than just call. Connect via text, email, listen to voicemails, share notes, and keep in touch with your employees and coworkers.

Take calls on the go or at your desk

You’re no longer tied to a deskphone in a small office. Now, your business phone goes where you go- whether that’s comfy at home, at the office, or at the local coffeeshop.

Integrate your essential work apps

Many businesses are finding that integration of various apps is a huge boon and a helpful way to organize your business. Depending on the small business phone system, you can integrate yourself with major Google apps and with CRM.

Separate business calls from personal

Being able to handle a glut of incoming calls while knowing if they’re business or personal can be a huge timesaver. Plus, you don’t need to give out your personal number to answer calls on your personal phone.

How Do Small Business Owners Use MightyCall?

Healthcare

Healthcare is a busy and chaotic field. Oftentimes you get callers who just need simple help, like trying to find out when you’re open. But sometimes, things can get a little more complex. With MightyCall’s auto attendant, you can weed out the more straightforward calls and deal with the more serious medical questions.

Consulting Professionals

As a consultant, you’re probably moving around a lot, and you may have a lot of different clients who need your help (that’s why they’re consulting you, after all). Sometimes that can get a bit much, which is why being able to have personal time is important. MightyCall’s office hours feature lets you set calls to automatically go to voicemail during the off-time, unless it’s a truly important caller- which can then have its own unique call path.

Real Estate Agents

Let’s face it: there are a lot of real estate agents out there. To get recognized you have to move around a lot and you have to be memorable. MightyCall helps with both of those. It’s a phone system for business which allows you to take your agency where you need it to go, and the vanity numbers MightyCall offers let you increase your visibility and memorability.

Restaurateurs

Congrats! You’ve finally opened your dream burger joint. You even have a mobile fry truck which you occasionally take out for a spin. When you’re out though, you still need to be connected to your work. This is where MightyCall comes in. With your cell, you can basically do everything you could do on a traditional landline or on your computer. This means you’re never out of contact with home base or with your customers.

Door-to-door Salesmen

Your entire job is walking. You’re constantly on the move- technically, you have a home office, but you don’t spend much time there. With MightyCall, that’s no worry. Stay in contact with your fellow salesmen by texting, and use the MightyCall app to keep in touch.

What is Required for Implementation of Small Business Telephone System, Including Equipment?

To start making calls, you really don’t need much. While some older solutions may have required you to buy bulky devices (usually of a particular brand), this service requires only a few easily obtainable things:

• High-quality internet connection: generally around 90-100 kbps, though faster never hurt anyone!
• Service provider: the company providing the service
• Device for calling: this can be a mobile phone or laptop
• Handset: this one is optional but is a good idea if you’re making calls around others/if you want to ensure the best audio quality for your callers
• Adapter: you’ll only need one of these if you want to continue using certain analog phones. If you’re unsure, simply ask your provider for help.
• Special software or online service: many companies, including MightyCall, don’t inherently require any extra software to work. Some may, however, and other software simply exists to make the process smoother.

Note: The person calling you does not have to have any special software. They can only have a good old-fashioned analog phone.

Types of Telephone Systems for Small Business

VoIP

This small business phone solution is the one which we’ve spent most of our time talking about in this article. It works by sending your call over the internet to the person you’re speaking with. Since this type of business phone system works over the internet, you can use it over a wired (Ethernet) connection or a wireless (Wi-Fi) connection.

PBX

The PBX is very different from VoIP. If you’re considering this for your company’s telephone system, it’s important to keep in mind that PBX is an older technology which is based on physical tech, mainly a central box. All the deskphones in an office are connected to the box physically.

PSTN

PSTN stands for Public Switched Telephone Network. This is the classic phone system in which conversations are transmitted across the wires. Businesses use these, but they were also present in home business phone systems.

Multi-line

These classic and older phone systems work by utilizing pre-existing lines. This means there can be one call per line, though they all have one shared number.

Important Points About Commercial Phone Systems

How much does a phone system for small office cost?

An office telephone system will vary in price, depending on how many coworkers or employees you may have, how many locations you want to work in, and the type of system you’d like to employ. The cheapest solutions can run at only about $20, but the most expensive can easily be in the three figure range.

Is cloud company phone system cheaper than a landline?

Generally yes, if you go cloud-based you are going to be saving more money than if you go with a traditional landline system. This is because of a lot of reasons, but mainly the fact that with a cloud-based phone system you oftentimes don’t need extra phone equipment.

How many people can use a business phone system at the same time?

The answer to this wildly depends upon the type of phone system you are choosing to use. If you have a traditional PSTN system, you might have only one person picking up the phone at a given time, depending on how many telephones you have. But modern phone systems for offices allow you to have as many people speaking as you have “lines” in the system- which can be many, many lines.

Best Practices for Choosing a Business Telephone System

It can be overwhelming at times when you want to pick what sort of system you’d like your business to go with. But if you follow these few steps, you won’t have any difficulty making the right decision for you and yours:

Figure out what you want

This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many people sort of skip right over this step. First, you have to actually figure out what you want to do. Are you working alone? Will you be moving around a lot? Are you based around a single shop? Multiple shops? Do you work in your home office? Don’t just jump right in and start looking at all the companies: that’s a surefire way to definitively get overwhelmed very, very quickly.

Decide between a traditional vs online phone system for small business

Once you have figured out what you actually want to do with your system, it’s a good idea to start picking the system. And to do that, you have to figure out the type. You’ll have primarily two phone system options, traditional and online. They both have been discussed here (and we’ll talk about them a little more in a bit). Which one will work best for you?

Choose a top provider with the latest technology

Finally, once you’ve narrowed it down, make sure you’re getting the absolute best you can- which means getting the latest technology that you can afford. While you don’t need to switch systems every six months, there’s no point in choosing a small business phone system now which is already some years old. Get the latest and greatest!

How to Switch to a Phone Solution for Small Business by MightyCall?

Just follow the four basic steps below:

1. Choose a provider and plan: If you’re going with MightyCall, the process gets only easier.
2. Select a number: Find more about porting here. Otherwise, search by local area code, by vanity number, by city, or state.
3. Set up the telephone system: Once you have your number and have your devices ready, log in and set up business hours, your on-hold music, and other important things to make the calling experience pleasant for your callers.
4. Start making calls: Be sure to make full use of all the additional features you now have access to.

Ready to Take Your Team to the Next Level With a Small Business Internet Phone Service?

The right cloud-based business phone system can be the difference between doing ok and being a great success. With the knowledge of how a business succeeds and the tools to do so, MightyCall can help put you ahead of the competition. With features like call forwarding, the ability to have multiple easily addable extensions, world-class security, and the flexibility to walk wherever and whenever, go with MightyCall to the next level.