Despite the tidal wave of technology currently sweeping across the business world and the latest 'bring-your-own-device' trend, a simple dedicated phone system is still essential for every small business.  Customers and suppliers alike much prefer to speak to a real person than to communicate solely by email or text, or via faceless messaging on a website.  In addition, a dedicated phone line offers many other advantages for the forward thinking small business owner. 

Increased professionalism

Just because your business is locally based and run from modest premises does not mean it has to be at a disadvantage nationally.  Telephone numbers are still available with generic national prefixes giving a national image to a local small business and effectively levelling the playing field against bigger, nationwide competitors.

If your business is office-based and you employ several staff, it may be advantageous to have line extensions with multiple handsets available.  A much more professional impression is created if incoming calls can be transferred automatically to the appropriate team member, rather than relying on just one office phone for communal use.  You can also choose the most suitable handset option for your requirements: cordless, traditional desktop units, 'hands-free' to allow simultaneous keyboard use or maybe integrated speaker/microphone capability to accommodate conference calls.

Advanced functionality

Even the simplest business phone systems now include quite advanced functions as standard features.  Voicemail, for example, allows the caller to leave a message if you are unavailable to take their call, minimising the possibility of losing a potential customer.  Call forwarding is also a very useful tool if the nature of your business takes you out of the office during the business day.  The phone system can be set to forward any incoming calls to an alternative number, your mobile for example.  Both the voicemail and call forwarding tools mean that you do not have to be disturbed during family time after work or on weekends as you will be able to deal with inquiries during your normal working day.

Conference calls and call logging

The ability to make and receive conference calls is another extremely useful facility.  'Meetings' can be held with clients or suppliers located hundreds of miles away without the need to spend precious time and money travelling or staying overnight in expensive hotels.  For the new business on a tight budget this can be a godsend. 

A call logging facility can be a very useful add-on, particularly if you are absent from the office regularly and want to make sure that the phone line is not being misused in your absence.  Call barring can also be applied to control inappropriate personal use of the phone line by members of staff.

The option to send faxes can still be useful in some areas of commerce, although this has largely been superseded by computer based communications technology.  However, in the event of a computer malfunction, the ability to fax an order or invoice might be a useful standby.

In conclusion

A simple business telephone system has many advantages for the small business set-up and should always be considered rather than relying solely on a mobile number which can appear temporary and even 'fly-by-night' to some would-be customers. For more information, visit a communication specialist's website, such as http://www.johesk.com.au.