Jason Farley asked:
Just because you own or run a small business doesn’t mean that everything has to be a compromise compared to products used by big companies. There are some areas where it makes sense to save money by using shrink wrapped solutions instead of investing in enterprise-level versions, but your telephone system probably isn’t one of those.
Think about it. If your company is growing to the point that the single telephone line and fax machine simply aren’t going to cut it any longer, do you want to invest in a Small Business Phone System that you may outgrow in a few years? I’m not suggesting that you invest in a massive, enterprise-level system. While there’s no argument that those systems are incredibly capable, they’re also overkill for most small and medium sized companies. The initial purchase price is high, setup and configuration can take days, monthly costs can be very expensive and the systems are complex enough that you would likely have to hire a consultant to assist with the initial configuration as well as ongoing maintenance of the system.
Off the shelf solutions aren’t always the best answer either. While relatively inexpensive and less complicated to install, most of these products offer a limited feature set and don’t scale very well. Which means that you run the risk of outgrowing the system and ending up frustrated by a lack of flexibility or dealing with customers who hang up when a phone system overwhelmed by volume ends up dropping their call. Then you have to start all over again with new equipment, another installation round and all the disruption that entails.
What many people don’t realize is that there’s a third option. I’ve been following a company offering an innovative solution that offers the best of both worlds. With an in house development team and significant product investment, this PBX system offers the feature set and scalability of enterprise level systems. However, the simplicity of configuration, low monthly cost and lack of long-term contract requirement more closely resembles the off the shelf solutions. This option gives you features and room for growth without complexity and cost.
Just because you own or run a small business doesn’t mean that everything has to be a compromise compared to products used by big companies. There are some areas where it makes sense to save money by using shrink wrapped solutions instead of investing in enterprise-level versions, but your telephone system probably isn’t one of those.
Think about it. If your company is growing to the point that the single telephone line and fax machine simply aren’t going to cut it any longer, do you want to invest in a Small Business Phone System that you may outgrow in a few years? I’m not suggesting that you invest in a massive, enterprise-level system. While there’s no argument that those systems are incredibly capable, they’re also overkill for most small and medium sized companies. The initial purchase price is high, setup and configuration can take days, monthly costs can be very expensive and the systems are complex enough that you would likely have to hire a consultant to assist with the initial configuration as well as ongoing maintenance of the system.
Off the shelf solutions aren’t always the best answer either. While relatively inexpensive and less complicated to install, most of these products offer a limited feature set and don’t scale very well. Which means that you run the risk of outgrowing the system and ending up frustrated by a lack of flexibility or dealing with customers who hang up when a phone system overwhelmed by volume ends up dropping their call. Then you have to start all over again with new equipment, another installation round and all the disruption that entails.
What many people don’t realize is that there’s a third option. I’ve been following a company offering an innovative solution that offers the best of both worlds. With an in house development team and significant product investment, this PBX system offers the feature set and scalability of enterprise level systems. However, the simplicity of configuration, low monthly cost and lack of long-term contract requirement more closely resembles the off the shelf solutions. This option gives you features and room for growth without complexity and cost.