by Stacey Carroll, Contributing Writer
Finding affordable phone service for a small office can be a daunting task. The first choice is to decide how many phone lines your office will need. If the need is less than 10 lines, chances are you can order your phone service over the internet. If it’s more than 10, you’ll have to call the phone company. I recommend calling the phone company either way. Sometimes, they have better deals over the phone than on-line.
Determine the phone service provider.
There are two main phone service providers: AT&T and Verizon. For land lines, only one provider will be available for an area. For internet phone lines, several providers may be available. I recommend calling several area phone companies and making a list of the available providers and services offered. From there, determine which providers you’d like to do business with and narrow the list.
Which type of phone system does your office need?
There are two main types of phone systems VoIP (Voice over the Internet Protocol) and POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service). POTS systems tend to be more reliable than VoIP systems or internet phone lines. The typical features of a POTS system include call waiting, voicemail, three way calling, 911, and speed dial. POTS lines can also be used to send and receive faxes.
A VoIP system uses the internet to make calls. They require a broadband internet service, computer, adapter or special type of phone, and may not be available in the event of a power outage. The types pf phone calls that can be made may also be limited by the service provider. Some only allow you to call other VoIP phones and computers or make local calls. Others allow calls to unlimited places and phone numbers. It is always best to check with the VoIP provider to determine who you can call.
To Bundle or Not to Bundle.
Depending on your office requirements and the cost, it might be cheaper to bundle the phone service with internet. When I called AT&T to determine prices for a 12 line office, the woman answering my questions stated that for just local and long distance the price would be $50 per line. If I bundled the lines with the internet, the price would be $40 per line. The cheapest internet package was $40. Since I needed 12 lines, it was cheaper for me to purchase the bundled package for a savings of $80 dollars per month.
Finding a small business phone provider can be a time consuming task. When I looked for providers, it took me four hours to determine which phone companies provided service to my area, another two hours to narrow my list, and 20 minutes on the phone with a customer service rep determining which plan would be right for my business. In the end I chose 12 phone lines with a bundled internet service for $520 dollars a month.
Determine the phone service provider.
There are two main phone service providers: AT&T and Verizon. For land lines, only one provider will be available for an area. For internet phone lines, several providers may be available. I recommend calling several area phone companies and making a list of the available providers and services offered. From there, determine which providers you’d like to do business with and narrow the list.
Which type of phone system does your office need?
There are two main types of phone systems VoIP (Voice over the Internet Protocol) and POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service). POTS systems tend to be more reliable than VoIP systems or internet phone lines. The typical features of a POTS system include call waiting, voicemail, three way calling, 911, and speed dial. POTS lines can also be used to send and receive faxes.
A VoIP system uses the internet to make calls. They require a broadband internet service, computer, adapter or special type of phone, and may not be available in the event of a power outage. The types pf phone calls that can be made may also be limited by the service provider. Some only allow you to call other VoIP phones and computers or make local calls. Others allow calls to unlimited places and phone numbers. It is always best to check with the VoIP provider to determine who you can call.
To Bundle or Not to Bundle.
Depending on your office requirements and the cost, it might be cheaper to bundle the phone service with internet. When I called AT&T to determine prices for a 12 line office, the woman answering my questions stated that for just local and long distance the price would be $50 per line. If I bundled the lines with the internet, the price would be $40 per line. The cheapest internet package was $40. Since I needed 12 lines, it was cheaper for me to purchase the bundled package for a savings of $80 dollars per month.
Finding a small business phone provider can be a time consuming task. When I looked for providers, it took me four hours to determine which phone companies provided service to my area, another two hours to narrow my list, and 20 minutes on the phone with a customer service rep determining which plan would be right for my business. In the end I chose 12 phone lines with a bundled internet service for $520 dollars a month.
Author Bio:
Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia. She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.
She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.
She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.
Other books by Stacey
Stacey Carroll is the author of the thriller series - Avia. She also authors the paranormal erotica series - The Blooddoll Factory. Stacey grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. she went to college at Indiana State University (ISU) and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in aerospace in the professional pilot program. She has flown Cessna 152s, Cessna 172s, the Pipe Seneca and the King Air. She also graduated with a minor in computer science that specialized in web design.
She has always been interested in reading and writing, and the first book she was ever read was the Grimms Brother's Fairy tales. From the ages of 6 to 11, she read the Nancy Drew series. By the age of 11, she had graduated to Stephen King novels. A few of her favorites include Carrie, Tommyknockers, The Dark Tower Series up to book 3 (That's where it stopped in the late 80s/ early 90s), Pet Semetary, The Shining, Night Shift, The Stand, It, Cujo, Christine, The Eyes of the Dragon and Thinner (Richard Bachman). In her teen years, she moved on to Anne Rice and got through about four of those books before they degraded. If you've ever read Anne Rice, you know book 5 isn't readable. Stacey has read a couple Harry Potter books as she was introduced to them in the early 2000s, and she's never read or watched anything Twilight or 50 Shades. Sorry. I'm a vampire purist, and nothing needs to be said about the latter. You already know.
She is currently an author and freelance writer. She received an honorable mention in Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine in 2008 for a short story entitled The Field. In 2014, she was published in 13 Stories by Us by MacKenzie Publishing.
Other books by Stacey
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