For many businesses, phone calls are one of the first points of contact with customers. Few spend time thinking of how to optimize their office phones but doing so can help you form a solid first impression for your small business.
In this guide, we’ll start by sharing some popular office phones many small business owners choose to communicate.
Note: In this article, we share links to Amazon products. As an Amazon Associate, Owner Actions can earn from qualifying purchases.
Office phones for your small business
Before selecting a phone system, decide which features matter. Your responses to the following questions will guide your search:
- Do I need a wired phone system, or can I consider a system that relies on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth?
- How many handsets will I need, and will this number increase over time?
- Do I need to integrate my company’s mobile phones into the phone system I select?
Amazon and Best Buy are two best bets for finding simple, scalable phone systems. Consider solutions like the following to create a phone system for your team:
| XBLUE QB System Bundle
XBLUE offers bundles with their corded electric phones. The full-color display phones are packed with features, including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capability, voicemail, email delivery of messages, auto-attendants, queues, and call recording with no additional fees.
You may add up to four phone lines of 10 VoIP lines to this system and up to 20 individual phone extensions. Further, the phones can be located within a single office or connected across multiple sites. . |
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| XBLUE X16 Bundle
This eight-phone bundle is the perfect starter solution for businesses with eight desk employees within a single location. However, up to eight additional office phones can be added to provide coverage as your small business grows.
Unlike the previous XBLUE system we mentioned, this one isn’t connected to the Internet. Because of this, voicemail messages aren’t stored within the cloud but rather within the physical phone system.
This system also provides coverage for up to six phone lines, which is often more than enough for businesses that don’t experience heavy phone traffic. . |
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| Ring-U Hello
Ring-U Hello offers both wired and Wi-Fi/Bluetooth systems. Each unit in their bundles offers up to 20 phone lines and 50 extensions, which makes it an excellent option for call-intensive businesses. And, cell phones can be easily integrated into the system, allowing remote users to text from the business’s number while they’re on the go.
This solution requires Ring-U telephone service, which starts at around $60/month for two lines. This service gives you access to a multi-lingual virtual voice assistant that can direct calls, scheduling functions, and custom ring groups.
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Phone service
Lots of business owners use their local phone company for service. Most have business plans that are robust enough to support their needs.
However, you may want to compare the services (and prices) they offer with a web-based phone solution. Below, you'll find a few of our favorites. Be sure to click the logo to watch a quick explainer video of each option:
RingCentral
- Up to 20 users
- Unlimited calls within the US/Canada
- Enhanced business SMS
- Voicemail to text
- Team messaging
Ooma Office
- Unlimited phone lines
- Unlimited calls in US, Canada, Mexico, and Puerto Rico
- Virtual receptionist
- Intercom and overhead paging
- Custom ring groups
Nextiva
- Unlimited users
- Unlimited calls within the US and Canada
- Free local calling
- 99.999% uptime
- Unrivaled customer support
Let's dive into each of these options.
RingCentral
RingCentral is a recognizable name in business phone solutions. Their MVP package provides an all-in-one message, video, and phone system that’s reliable and secure, even across borders.
RingCentral is app-based and can be accessed by mobile device, computer, or right from the desktop. You can see some of the features RingCentral offers above. To recap, it provides unlimited calling within the United States and Canada, enhanced business SMS, voicemail to text, team messaging, and document sharing.
Many businesses can get by with RingCentral's essentials package, which usually starts between $20-30/month (per user). Higher-priced plans introduce new features, including internet fax, integrations with CRMs and Microsoft 365 and other productivity tools, and advanced call handling.
Interested in learning more? Follow this link to set up a free demo.
Ooma Office
Ooma Office offers a complete phone system that’s ideal for small and medium-sized businesses. This system is loaded with features, including SMS messaging, virtual fax, multi-ring, ring groups, and much more. It also includes a virtual receptionist that can automate your call flow, directing incoming calls to your departments, managers, or other parts of your business.
Ooma's basic service allows for call park and extension dialing. It provides hold and transfer music, an intercom feature, and a call log that can help you keep track of inbound and outbound calls. This service starts at around $20/month per user. The upgraded pro plan includes all the same features plus call recording, voicemail transcription, and caller info match, a feature that matches a person's phone number with social media and internally created profiles so you can build better relationships with your guests. This plan is available for around $25/month per user.
Interested in building a quote for your business? Get started here.
Nextiva
Nextiva is a best-in-class phone service with unbeatable reliability and award-winning customer service. This service has proven reliability with 99.999% uptime and enhanced privacy with TLS and SRTP encryption.
Many of Nextiva's plans are best for large, complex organizations, but their essential plan offers a great set of solutions for small and medium-sized locations. Features include unlimited voice and video calling, unlimited faxes, auto-attendant services, voicemail-to-email notifications, and integrations with Outlook and Google contacts for great customer service.
Pricing for this plan starts at around $24/month per user, but it can go up or down depending on user count and the specific features you need to run your business.
Ready to learn more? Follow this link for a free trial.
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