Best Phone For Small Business
If you want phone calls on the go, you have several options at your disposal. For one, you could go with a business-centric plan from one of the major United States wireless carriers. Alternatively, you could use one of the leading voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP) platforms and stay connected via a mobile app. We ranked the best mobile options on the market to help you figure out which is best for your brand.
best phone for small business
The Forbes Advisor Small Business team is committed to bringing you unbiased rankings and information with full editorial independence. We use product data, strategic methodologies and expert insights to inform all of our content and guide you in making the best decisions for your business journey.
RingCentral is a far cry from your traditional business cell phone plan. It does not offer a wireless network or devices for your team. Instead, this VoIP service offers a monthly (or annual) subscription to software you can use from a computer, tablet or smartphone via an app. In most cases, subscribing to RingCentral and having your team log in to the app via their accounts is a lot more affordable than going with one of the big wireless carriers. Therefore, it is our top overall pick for business cell phone plans.
The only downside with RingCentral as a business cell phone plan is it requires a fair amount of trust. On one end, you will need to consider whether or not you can count on your team members to keep company information secure if the app is installed on their personal devices. Additionally, your staff may not feel comfortable with having their work phone installed onto their smartphones.
Verizon is one of the largest carriers in operation, with coverage and services spanning from coast to coast and beyond. The company makes our list as it provides solid cell phone plans for small and large businesses alike. You can choose from one of several subscription options according to what works best for your company.
Google Voice is an ideal choice for those who need an extra business phone number but might not be able to afford a complex and pricey service plan. Google Voice is a popular virtual phone service that offers call forwarding, voice and text messaging and voicemail options. Best of all, there is a version of the system that is entirely free to use as long as you have a Google Account.
AT&T Wireless is one of the larger service carriers, and so it can guarantee coverage and high-quality service to almost all of its customers. That said, its service fees could prove to be too expensive for smaller businesses with very tight budgets.
Our main concern when it came to pricing was if the service is affordable, especially for small businesses, especially for the entry-level plan. Then, we looked at the costs and variety of plans available from each provider and what kind of value that each upgrade brought to users. Pricing accounted for 30% of our weighted scoring.
When selecting the best business cell phone plan for your company, there are a few factors to keep in mind. At the moment, for example, there are only three mainstream nationwide carriers. These larger carriers have pricing plans that might be too expensive for smaller businesses. Google Voice and RingCentral could work as much more affordable alternatives. We listed a few specific considerations in the sections below.
Your final cost will depend entirely on the service package and the number of lines you have on your plan. With that in mind, smaller businesses can expect to pay anywhere from $29 and $69 per smartphone line per month. That does not include any additional hardware costs. Be sure to research and compare brands to find the price that works best for your business.
With service plans starting at just $19.95 per user, per month (which includes a phone extension), Ooma Office can help small businesses save between 40% to 60% compared to their current provider's monthly per line charge.
Many small businesses make it a priority to set up a 1-800 number or toll-free number for their customers. Not only does this allow their customers to get more general information about their business and locations, but it also gives business owners a nationwide presence and helps them look more professional.
One of the biggest features of cloud-based phone systems is a virtual receptionist. You can generate automated voice messages that direct your customers to different departments and locations through one central business phone number. Because business VoIP systems operate in the cloud, it means that your employees can handle business communications from office desk phones as well as mobile phones with ease.
Many small businesses have turned to VoIP due to their low cost, easy setup, and ability to scale quickly as their business grows. IT and infrastructure for traditional phone systems can be expensive and time-consuming. Cloud-based systems are also ideal for small businesses because managers can add new employees and use their main business phone number for multiple locations through their mobile devices seamlessly.
Ooma Office combines the ability to have unlimited lines for your business with an easy do-it-yourself setup and reduced monthly service costs. We offer a full suite of business phone features designed to deliver a great communications experience to inbound callers before, during and after business hours with settings you can control from anywhere.
Ooma Office has over 50 features that can help your business. To learn more about Ooma Office features, visit the business phone system page for more information about how our service can streamline your business communication needs.
For example, if you had 3 phones in your office and needed to add an additional line for a new hire, you would be able to set up their personal extension through their mobile device and download our award-winning mobile app for business calls. These options allow your new employee to get up and running straight away and could also be an excellent solution for remote workers or employees who travel frequently.
Ooma Office Pro users have the ability to record phone calls. Users may need to record phone calls for various business-related reasons, including customer service training, creating a formal record of verbal sales transactions and complying with industry requirements or best practices.
Our meticulous research has put the best phone systems for small businesses to the test, and has revealed that Vonage Professional is the top system that you can currently get your hands on. However, in a market ripe with choice, choosing a telephone system that suits your small business like a glove can be a tough shout to make.
After combing through all the information available on GoToConnect, our researchers have given it a 4-star rating. Although its customer support score of 3.4 lags a bit behind that of RingCentral and Vonage, the features you can access for what you pay for your Standard subscription gives you greater value for your money than those systems would. GoToConnect also gives you free international calling to 50+ countries, making it a great softphone option for businesses who need this sort of offering.
When making the crucial choice of which VoIP phone system to bring into your small business, there are a couple of key features that can help you make your decision less stressful and complicated. You can consider: 041b061a72