We may be in the digital era but a lot of established small businesses will stick with using landline services for their day-to-day communication, and are struggling to reduce their phone costs. Others might use a combination of landline and mobile services to reach out to their clients, business associates, and other concerned parties. Both options usually amount to a hefty bill of phone costs and can be costly in the long run.
The good news is that unlike expenses such as office rent or utilities, your phone costs can still be reduced. This can be done through switching to alternate modes of telecommunication or controlling the cost associated with your landline/mobile phone usage. Let’s take a look at how you can reduce your phone costs and meet your cost-cutting objectives:
Being More Efficient with Phone Usage
The first step to reducing the phone costs of your business begins with taking a closer look at your current phone usage. For instance, how many employees use the landline? How many use their cell phones? Would encouraging the use of email help?
If you believe that your office staff makes an unnecessary amount of calls through the office phone or their mobile, then you need to establish some ground rules that encourage efficiency. For instance, some things can be (and should be) communicated through a simple email. It helps save your employee’s time and can also reduce your phone costs.
Using the Right Phone Service Plan
Traditional landlines have become more expensive with time. Taking a closer look at your phone bill can also go a long way in increasing efficiency and reducing phone costs. A lot of businesses end up buying a phone service but will not revisit the cost breakdown once the purchase is complete. This can be a mistake. The prices for your phone service plan may change. You may also end up buying a phone service plan that exceeds your actual phone usage. Take a closer look at your phone bill and see how many minutes you are using. This can help you switch to a cheaper plan that suits the needs of your business.
Many telecom companies also offer bundle packages that include a cheap business phone line, a mobile plan, and broadband services. This can help save time and money. It also limits the number of providers you’re using. Of course, you still need to review these bundle plans regularly. This can help you avail discounts and keep track of a price hike.
Look for Other Options
As mobile rates are increasing we are fortunate that there are plenty of other alternatives that can be used instead of a landline or a mobile phone. These include cloud-hosted phone systems, on-premise phone system, and messaging platforms. Let’s take a look at each and what they have to offer:
Messaging Platforms
Messaging platforms are a great alternative to email when you are trying to communicate with a colleague. You can consider using programs like SameTime, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, Cisco Webex Teams, etc. These platforms are particularly useful if your business operates on a large premise and you need to communicate with someone in a different department. These programs are non-intrusive and can allow you to chat with an employee in real-time. They also allow for much faster communication (as opposed to waiting for a response on an email).
Cloud-Hosted Phone System
A cloud-hosted phone system is one of the best alternatives to a landline or a mobile phone. These systems provide you with a business telephone platform that is based on the Voice over Internet Protocol. They are hosted on a Cloud server and can offer several features that are not included in a traditional landline. These systems are scalable according to the requirements of your business. You can make international calls as well without worrying about the extra cost. This is particularly useful for companies that have remote-working employees and international clients.
Since these systems make use of cloud-based technology, they allow you to backup your communication history regularly. The communication channels are also completely secure and will run smoothly without any interruption. The cost of maintenance and upgrade is comparatively low as well.
On-Premise Phone System
A premise-based phone system is a phone system where you have all the equipment required to operate a switchboard system on site. This means that you don’t have to outsource your phone services to a third-party and can operate the system directly from your location. A traditional telephone trunk provider is used to deliver a dial tone to the premise phone system. This dial tone will come directly to your location and will connect to your phone system. There is also a server installed on site. As the owner and user of this phone system, you are responsible for any maintenance, updates, and expansion.
While this may sound a bit complicated, owning an on-premise phone system also offers a series of advantages. These include:
- You no longer need to worry about changes in the fee structure of your phone service – your phone costs.
- Once you get the system installed, the ownership cost gets reduced over time. Expansion is very cost-effective as well.
- You have complete control over the system
- The system is very flexible in terms of use
- You do not need to rely on a third party for upgrades or maintenance
- Since the system is installed on site, repair and maintenance will take a shorter amount of time
To Sum It Up
There are several ways that you can reduce your phone costs. This can be done through subscribing to the right phone plan, encouraging more efficient phone usage, or using a cloud-hosted and on-premise phone system. Installing messaging platforms is also a useful way that can help you reduce phone costs and allow for faster communication.
If you are planning to get a cloud-hosted phone system or an on-premise phone system installed, then we suggest you visit us at Northwest Remote Offices, LLC. We can install a phone system of your choice at a cost-friendly rate, no more expensive phone costs and also help you reduce your operational expenses in no time!
