When I started my real estate company I knew that I needed a phone system.  Initially I was being courted by a salesperson from a big name company whose name escapes me.  He continued to call me regularly as I was in the process of setting up my commerical office space.  However, when I asked him for the cost of his phone system for a small office he said he would let me know later when I was moving into the office.  Finally as my office move started I pressed him for a cost and he said it would be around $170 per month.  Now that scared me because I wasn’t eager to take on another monthly office expense.  This was my first time leasing a commercial office and I was intimidated by all the upfront costs.

However after doing some research I came across a phone system for small businesses that seemed like a good fit.  The company was called Bizfon.  Initially I liked the fact that it was a stand alone system with no monthly expenses.  I was able to set up an extension for the four other agents in my office.  This way they would each have their own extension for their business card.  There was an automated attendant that would transfer calls to the extension a caller would dial.  However I knew that I could add agents to my office since the physical extensions could go up to 6 and there were 8 virtual extensions also.  Another neat features was that when I joined a virtual office service the virtual office receptionist became the operator.  I simply forwarded the operator extension to my virtual receptionist.

This phone systems cost me $2500 back in the early 2000s.  A couple of years later it stopped working.  I have no idea why though I know I didn’t have any surge protection or anything of the sort to protect the system.  I called the company and they sold me a refurbished model for $800 and it is still working well as of today.

A good phone system for your small business is critical.  Here are the key items to look for when doing your search:

1) Does the business phone system have remove capability?

You should be able to forward and unforward your calls remotely.  Also you should be able to turn on an ‘after hours answering’ for the operator remotely also.  My Bizfon system didn’t have this ability and I was forced to be in the office at the phone to turn on and turn off the ‘after hours answering’ mode.

2) Are there extensions for multiple users?

I was able to have 6 physical extensions in my office.  So I had 6 workers in my office each with private, individual extensions.  However I was only paying for 3 phones lines from the phone company.  See how many you will need and what options are available with the phone system you choose.

3) Is there a recurring cost or can you purchase a stand alone system?

I prefer the stand alone system since it the most cost effective choice for a small business.  Look for a reputable, established company of course.  Anything less is not worth the risk.

4) Do they provide phone support?  Even after the warranty expires?

You will need need to speak to support folks once in a while.  Be sure this is available to you even if there is an additional charge.

5) Will the company provide any security patches or software updates free of charge?

Hacking is an issue for any business phone system.  However a top tier company should always be addressing any vulnerable issues and provide updates to existing customer at no additional cost.  This should be the case regardless of the warranty status.  Be sure to inquire about this.

The ideal business phone system should meet your current requirements and also leave some room for expansion.  Once you have found this and addressed the 5 points above you will be set up with the best phone system for your business.