Before you buy any phone lines you need to know how many lines you need, the phone requirements in your industry, and the types of phone services available. HRCT offers on-premise solutions for telephone lines and you can call us with any questions you may have.
How Can You Decide How Many Business Telephone Lines You Need?
Besides a mainline for your business that customers will call, how many numbers do you need? How many physical phones does your small business require?
These three steps can help you determine your needs:
- Compare the number of employees you have and how many you expect to have in two years.
- Consider your industry and the size of your company. For example, restaurants may need two lines, while a health care clinic needs five or more.
- Figure out how much money you have in your budget for business phone lines.
This information helps to make smart buying decisions. Add your own questions to this list — such as the activation fees, price breaks and other financial questions to ask your provider.
How Do Other Small Business Telephone Services?
HRCT has helped many clients in Utah set up their business lines. An experienced IT company can help you manage your provider and you learn the best way to set up your lines.
Every business has unique communication needs. Here are a few things we’ve noticed for different types of clients:
- Professional Office. For those who run a legal, accounting, staffing and or other professional offices with 10-150 employees. You need at least 10 business lines. This gives you enough lines for faxes, sales calls, teleconferences, and online collaboration.
- Retail. For small retail shops with five or more employees. Customers call to ask about ordering products, store hours, and a number of other details. You need at least two lines to ensure one is open for outgoing calls.
- Small Office. Small or home offices (SOHO) typically look for cheap business phone lines. The business owner may work alone or have two to three employees. One phone line is usually sufficient.
- Hospitality. Hotels, bars, and restaurants, bars benefit from a 4-line phone system for orders, reservations, and customer service.
- Healthcare. Medical offices need several lines. Patient appointment reminders or calls about treatment or follow up care and billing questions eat up a lot of phone time. Healthcare professionals need enough lines to call pharmacies and vendors. The minimum number of lines for healthcare providers is five.
What Are the Different Phone Lines Available?
There are three types of business lines: PBX, analog, and digital. If you have a toll-free number, keep in mind that it can be routed to a landline or other number.
- Analog business phone lines. These lines run on copper wire infrastructure. They can result in dropped connections, busy signals, or high phone bills — which are not ideal for a small business. It also doesn’t allow call routing.
- PBX business phone lines. This is a solution for businesses that need more than one line but want to have one number for customers to call. Private branch exchanges let multiple calls come through on a single number. If you ever pressed 1 for more information, you used a PBX line.
- Digital. The next-generation of business phone lines are digital. Fiber and digital business phone lines don’t route calls over copper lines. These calls are transmitted via high-speed internet. These phone lines are more scalable and cloud-based. They work on a tablet, smartphone, or laptop.
How Much Do Small Business Phone Lines Cost?
Monthly costs can vary greatly. Factors that determine the price you pay include:
- Type of phone line
- How many lines needed
- Number of providers
If there are multiple providers, competition can bring costs down. Generally, costs range between $40 and $85 per line. If you’re willing to sign a contract, you can probably save quite a bit.
Contact an HRCT specialist today for help with vetting out local vendors and getting your business telephone services set up fast.