Advantages of cloud phone systems for small businesses

Businesses that do well are businesses that can effectively manage their internal and external communication. The advantages of cloud phone systems show that they’re the right business phone solution, especially for small businesses and startups. By switching to cloud phones, businesses can save significant amounts of money in the long run.

Cloud phone systems come with a host of features to help small businesses better manage their communication, improve productivity and reduce costs. This guide to cloud PBX (Private Branch Exchange) will explain what is cloud telephony, its advantages and things to keep in mind when choosing a cloud phone provider.

What is cloud telephony?

Cloud telephony, also referred to as cloud calling, is a phone service that’s hosted in the cloud and is owned and operated by a provider. As a customer of cloud telephony, you will be accessing the service via the internet based on usage or subscription.

With cloud PBX for business, you don’t need to have the hardware on your premise. There’s no need to buy, install and maintain servers at your location. Your employees can use the service from anywhere as long as they have a reliable internet connection.

One of the many advantages of cloud telephony is that it’s the right solution for businesses with remote or hybrid team members. With a cloud-based phone system for business, you can also reduce your costs and scale your business phone with ease.

Advantages of cloud phone systems for small businesses

These advantages of cloud phone systems will prove that small businesses stand to gain a lot by switching to them.

Quick and easy implementation

Since there’s no on-premise infrastructure, cloud phones are easy to implement. If you choose the right VoIP provider, you can be up and running in a matter of minutes. Importantly, there’s no need to hire trained professionals or keep them on your staff.

Lower infrastructure costs

Unlike conventional phone systems, there are no long-term maintenance contracts, restricted toll-free and local lines or limited calling minutes. You also don’t need a specialised SMS service since top VoIP providers give you enhanced texting capabilities. Plus, there are no unexpected maintenance fees with cloud telephony. With a virtual number app, you don’t even need VoIP phones to get started.

Scalable and flexible

When hiring new team members, you don’t have to invest in new lines and devices. You can add people through the user interface of your cloud telephony provider. In a few seconds, you can add more lines, like when you need them for limited marketing campaigns or sales and also easily remove them.

Simplifies work with Unified Communications (UC)

Cloud telephony brings all your communication information on a simple easy-to-use interface. This gives you all the details of your business communication. You can easily search for contacts and their conversations. Instead of paying multiple vendors, all your communication expenses will now be unified, making them easy to manage.

Reliable

A Salesforce study revealed that almost 95 per cent of businesses witnessed improvements in security after they switched to the cloud. Among the many advantages of cloud phone systems, this increased reliability is something small businesses should be interested in.

There won’t be instances of overheating or wiring faults. Calls come with encryption and small business owners can easily monitor their network through the interface

Things to look for when choosing a cloud telephony provider

The first aspect is whether the cloud telephony provider has business-friendly features such as auto-reply, group broadcast, voicemail, call recording, number sharing and others. The service should also make it easy to separate contacts and organise their communication.

Secondly, make sure that you only pay for the features you need. Large enterprises might need a call centre and other features which small businesses don’t require. Another factor is customer support. You don’t want to choose a free cloud telephony service that has millions of users and no credible support.

You also don’t want to enter into long-term contracts. Your cloud telephony provider should give you the flexibility to leave if you’re unsatisfied with their services. Finally, a free trial period is always a good idea since it will give you an opportunity to test an app’s features.

Chalkboard: An ideal cloud phone system for small businesses

Any business guide to VoIP providers will show you that there are services made for large enterprises and then there are those made specifically for small businesses like Chalkboard. This virtual number app instantly gives you a second line for work and comes with number sharing that will enhance internal collaboration.

You can use Chalkboard from anywhere as long as you’re connected to the internet. You also get auto-reply for calls you might miss. With broadcast SMS, you can text multiple customers in one go. With messaging, conversational marketing finally becomes easy.

With automated marketing, you can build your brand’s reputation online.

Download Chalkboard and start it today. It’s time to unleash the power of cloud telephony for your business.