Selecting Phone System for Small Businesses

A small business usually refers to a business firm consisting of a minimum number of employees. Generally a business running with less than 100 employees is referred to as small business.  For a business firm, communication between the staffs of the firm, between staffs and outsiders, between business representatives and customers is a common activity. Normally a phone system is used for this type of communication. Selecting the right type of phone system is important because of its impact in communication. There are different types of phone systems meant for small and medium business firms.

When selecting a phone system for small businesses, the number of employees in the business firm, and the expense that can be set apart for communication needs are factors to consider. KSU-less systems, Key systems, PBX systems, virtual PBX networks and VoIP are some of phone systems chosen by most of the business firms. For business firms having less than 5 employees, it is ideal to choose KSU-less system, because this is the least expensive type of phone system for business purposes. These phone systems only have the necessary basic features for business needs. They do not have advanced features and cannot be upgraded according to your business growth.

Small business firms having employees between 5 and 30 can choose Key systems which can be centrally controlled using a central key system unit. This system has more features than KSU-less phones. In addition, this system can meet the growing needs of businesses. The latest Key systems are known as hybrid systems, which have some of the features of a PBX system.

After Key system, comes the PBX systems which can be massively expanded with the growth of employees in the business firm. PBX means Private Branch exchange and this system is ideal for a firm with 40 employees and above. These systems have advanced features such as ACD, CTI, conditional forwarding, hunt groups and more. VoIP PBX is an advanced form of PBX phone system. Another advanced PBX system used is the virtual/ hosted PBX which offers service through the internet.

Last, but not the least, when selecting a phone system for small businesses, it is best to purchase one from a reputable dealer who can offer you better service and maintenance at minimum expense.