Small businesses are switching from traditional landlines to VoIP at an incredible clip these days. In fact, according to data compiled by The VoIP Report, 70 percent of businesses now report using cloud-based unified communications (including VoIP services), while standard telecommunications services are losing about 700,000 customers a month. Aside from the many benefits of mobility and instant communication options VoIP provides, one of the biggest reasons to make the switch from landlines is the cost savings, which The VoIP Report estimates as about 45 percent for the average small business. Let’s look at some specific ways your small business can save money by switching to VoIP services.
No More Telephone Lines to Install/Maintain
Conventional telephone systems require the installation and maintenance of expensive phone lines and hardware—this in addition to what your business already spends on IT services. By switching to VoIP, your phone services operate on your Internet connection with a minimal amount of hardware to install. In many cases, your IT staff can perform necessary maintenance/ repairs without having to call phone technicians. In other words, you’re essentially merging your phone service with your Internet service so both run on one network—rather than having to maintain two parallel networks.
Save on Long Distance/International Calls
With conventional phone systems and before the Internet, small businesses were typically budget-restricted when it came to conducting business long-distance and overseas. However, most VoIP services include free long distance and minimal charges for international calling, potentially saving small thousands a month. With VoIP, your business can operate as a global entity without the monumental costs.
Savings on Office Costs
One of the beautiful features of VoIP is the ability to access the service remotely—which means your employees can telecommute more easily. In this way, small businesses can often grow quickly and add to their workforce without having to pay for extra office space. The total savings depends on how many remote workers you hire—but it’s easy to estimate the savings at multiple thousands per year.
Not only does VoIP save money for small businesses in these ways—it also enables these businesses to compete with much large companies by accessing communications features once considered too inexpensive to integrate. To learn more about what switching to VoIP can do for your company, call us at 1-877-NetServ for a free evaluation.