Small business VoIP

What is small business VoIP?

Small business VoIP is essentially a phone system that lets small teams and businesses have voice calls and send SMS/MMS text messages through the internet using a desktop app or mobile device (like your trusty cell phone or tablet)—instead of through a traditional landline or analog desk phone.

Today, you’ll see more advanced VoIP phone systems that are actually unified communications providers or platforms, which means that not only do they let you make VoIP calls, they also have other communication channels, like video conferencing and team messaging too.

Because more and more consumers are reaching out to small businesses through these other channels in addition to phone calls, this type of unified platform tends to be more cost-effective and functional than a traditional business VoIP phone service.

How to set up a VoIP phone system for your small business

Step 1. Know how many licenses and phone lines you’ll need

As you’re setting up any UCaaS solution or business phone system, you need to take into account the number of users you’ll have. This directly affects your pricing and which plans you might consider—and note that the number of users may not directly correlate to the number of actual people in your business! (Maybe not everyone will need access to your business phone system.)

Step 2. Make sure you have a fast and stable Internet connection

It may seem obvious, but this is crucial if you have employees in the office, since you’ll be making phone calls and doing video conferencing over Wi-Fi. If you’re going to be out and about, then you’ll need a good data plan so that you can have an Internet connection while you’re away from the office.

Dialpad and T-Mobile actually have a package that gives you access to T-Mobile’s lightning-fast 5G network and Dialpad’s unified communications platform, at a small-business-friendly price.

Step 3. Set your budget

Pricing structures are pretty much the same for most UCaaS solutions. You’ll generally have the choice of paying by month or paying annually (the prices are usually cheaper for annual plans). Think of these like phone plans, except they cover a bunch of other business communications features too.

Another tip when it comes to pricing: Pay attention to the fine print. Do they include customer support? Or is that an add-on with a separate fee? What about calling minutes? Some providers like Dialpad include unlimited calling for a set price, but others may charge by the minute. How much are toll-free numbers? Those are just a few things to look for, beyond the initial price tag.

Step 4. Determine the functionality you need

When it comes down to it, the main things to look for will be the specific functionality that your industry or small business needs.

If your needs are very basic (e.g. you just need a voice calling feature and IP phone system / desk phone support), you may find that a cheaper, more basic VoIP system provider has all the features you need.

For modern, growing small businesses though, they may also need to communicate with teammates, clients, and prospects in other ways like screen sharing, video calling, and SMS messaging.

Why small businesses choose Dialpad over standard VoIP providers

It’s more cost-effective

A lot of VoIP service platforms offer a monthly fee per user instead of a yearly or minutes-based fee. This makes them more accessible for small businesses and easier to use than many legacy telephony systems.

Dialpad takes things one step further. Our UCaaS plans start at only $15 per user, per month and all offer unlimited calls, unlimited video meetings, and more.

If you require a feature where you can do international calling, Dialpad offers low rates for that as well.

It gives you more flexibility

Business VoIP services offer a lot more flexibility than traditional landlines and office phones. If much of your work is remote, meanwhile, UCaaS solutions like those offered by Dialpad are the way to go.

Video calling, web and chat support that you can access from anywhere, and call transcriptions and summaries are all musts for hybrid and remote businesses, and are included in the monthly cost.

It’s easy to set up

Dialpad is quick and easy to set up, even if you’re wanting to get a team member on the other side of the world up and running. There’s no need to ship them hardware such as a desk phone. Your new hires can get set up in a few clicks from anywhere, as long as they have an internet connection.

They can start calling, messaging, and attending virtual meetings, as soon as they have a licence. Setting up your new hires’ voicemail, call routing, and any other settings can all also be done online, so your hybrid team can be independent and hit the ground running.

Is it time to rethink your small business communications?

If you’re hovering on the fence between different business communication options, it might be time to weigh up what your business needs are. You might find they’ve changed since you first started, and that as your company grows, your communication needs are evolving.

Perhaps you’ve gone from a hyper-local business to having a global team, and you need to be able to communicate easily with your remote workers. Whatever your situation, it could be time to switch to VoIP—or, better still, a UCaaS platform—so you’re not reliant on more old-school landline options.

Or maybe you need unlimited video conferencing with advanced features, or the ability to easily route and forward calls. Or you might be thinking about reducing your reliance on an IT team and have a handy dashboard at your fingertips where you can control all of the settings. Dialpad could be the answer.