Save Money on your Business Communications

Businesses are always looking for ways to reduce costs and increase revenue. Your business communications is one area that could end up costing you a fortune if left unchecked. This includes your telephone lines, telephone system, broadband, business mobiles and IT systems. In this article, we consider some of the ways you could save money on your business communications, without having to compromise on the quality of your equipment or services. After all, communications are essential to the success of your business, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have to cost you the earth.

Switch your lines and calls to a cheaper provider

Businesses tend to make a high volume of outgoing calls and these can be to various telephone numbers with different charges. The cost of this can rack up quickly if you don’t have the best possible package for you. A good provider will review your package regularly to ensure that you are getting the best deal. You should shop around to make sure that you are not being charged above the market average for your telephone lines and calls.

The good news is that you can still switch your voice calls to a cheaper provider, even if you are locked into a contract. Many providers offer a carrier pre-selection or least cost routing service that allows you to route your calls to your chosen provider, whilst still keeping your existing lines and contract. This is a great way to save money on your calls until you are able to switch providers.

Non-geographic numbers

Non-geographic numbers are independent of any area in the UK and can be directed to any existing landline, mobile or international number. There are a wide variety of non-geographic numbers available and they all offer different benefits. If you are looking to save money and increase your revenue then it’s worth considering premium rate numbers. These numbers are those with the prefix 0871/2/3, 070 and 09. These will vary in cost to the caller depending on the prefix but can all raise additional revenue for your business. Premium rate numbers can be a great way to offset the cost of your business communications. Having a non-geographic number also brings the additional benefit of creating the perception of a national presence. This boosts the credibility of your business in the mind of the consumer.

Consider a hosted solution

Many telecoms providers offer hosted telephony and hosted desktop solutions. With a hosted solution, all of the equipment other than that which you need is housed by your provider. The provider will take care of all ongoing maintenance and support of your systems and carry out regular software and hardware upgrades. This can save you money in several ways. Firstly, you will have very minimal initial capital outlay as you won’t have to invest in expensive equipment. Instead, you will pay a fixed monthly charge for the service. Secondly, you will not have the additional expense of a maintenance contract as this is included in the service. And finally, you will benefit from advanced features and technology at no additional cost. The simple monthly payment is great for budget planning and could work out much cheaper over the long term, once you consider the cost of maintenance and support services and upgrades. It also saves you having to pay more for physical space and onsite technical support staff.

Look for offers

It’s worth doing a bit of research to see what offers and deals are available to you. For example, the government connection vouchers scheme could literally save you thousands of pounds on the cost of upgrading your broadband. Communications providers also often run their own offers, so it’s worth shopping around for the best deals. You might be able to benefit from free equipment when you take out lines and calls with a company or heavily discounted rates for a specific time period. Some offers could save you hundreds or even thousands of pounds, so make sure you take the time to shop around.
In conclusion, there are many ways in which you can reduce the cost of your business communications. The key is to take the time to do a bit of research to make sure that you are getting the best possible deals.