Small Business, Big Solutions: Choosing a Phone System That Fits

There are dozens of ways to define a small business, from number of employees to annual revenue. But here’s another way to think of it: how does your staff communicate with one another and customers? 

After all, small businesses have specific communications needs that large corporations don’t have, and the cloud phone system you choose should be designed to address those. 

At Cloudli, we get it because we’re a small business, too, providing unified cloud communications solutions geared toward companies like us. That’s why, in this blog, we’re sharing some common challenges we hear from SMBs and how the right cloud phone system can help solve them.

Four Communications Challenges Small Businesses Face and How to Solve Them

1. “We don't have an IT administrator on staff.” Or, “Our dedicated IT specialist is overwhelmed with all the business-critical applications they need to support.”

Most small businesses have plenty of IT needs but no dedicated professional to manage them. Perhaps you outsource to a tech support firm. Or, you relegate that responsibility to your office admin to figure things out.

Even if you have a dedicated IT administrator on the payroll, that person may be tasked with overseeing multiple disparate SaaS applications that are not integrated into a cloud unified communications interface. That can lead to overload for the staffer and a disjointed communications experience for users.

Solution: A cloud phone system that’s easy to use and has strong tech support.

When you choose a user-friendly, small business phone solution, every employee can easily navigate the service and equipment with minimum training. Make sure the platform integrates seamlessly with your business-critical applications and—this is key—is supported by responsive technical assistance if and when you need it.

2. “The essential tools we need in a phone system are cluttered with features we don't use—and don’t want to pay for.”

If you’re like us, you don’t mind spending on critical communications needs, such as rock-solid voice and text messaging. But you don’t want to waste critical resources on features you don’t use.

Unfortunately, many enterprise phone systems offer an “all-you-can-eat” approach: offering a vast spread of features, then charging a premium price that’s hard to stomach for small businesses craving a simpler menu. 

A long list of barely-used features not only adds cost, it adds complexity. When your system has too many tools accessible to multiple administrators, you increase the risk of something going sideways, either due to technical difficulties, user error or a data hack. That’s an additional set of worries no small business leader needs.

Solution: A cloud phone system that lets you choose and pay for the features and plans your business needs.

Of course, you may need to scale your plan and options as your business requirements change, so look for a platform that has the flexibility to grow with you.

3. “We must constantly imagine new ways to do more with less, to keep up with the breakneck pace of innovation.” 

Every team member in an SMB must work at maximum capacity to stay competitive and help the business succeed. And, likewise, every technology solution must enhance your business operations without wasting time or money. 

A powerful cloud-based communications platform is an essential part of the mix. It’s an innovation driver, enabling your busy team members to easily communicate and collaborate, no matter where and when they work, to drive the business forward. It’s also the key way you interact with your customers so you can sell and service your products. Cloud communications can give small businesses that extra competitive edge in the market. 

However, typical enterprise phone systems often take too long to onboard and are difficult to customize to your needs. If something goes wrong, you’ll likely be stuck with downtime while you submit a support ticket and wait for a response.

Solution: A small business phone system designed with configurable features and integrations.

Being able to adapt the product to fit your office dynamics and workflow will save time and boost efficiency. Don’t forget to make sure the service provider offers hands-on customer support from onboarding through operation so your team can focus on high-priority areas.

4. “We are 100% customer-focused, and being available and responsive to our customers is our top priority.”

It may not surprise you to know that many consumers specifically choose small businesses because they appreciate the hands-on, responsive service. That’s encouraging but also intimidating—your customers expect a lot. In one survey¹, a third of consumers said they expect small businesses to respond to them within an hour to earn their business, and half said they would go elsewhere if a business takes six hours or more to respond. 

Since you can’t stand sentry by your phone to field every customer call or text, you need a cloud phone system that does that for you. It should have the capability to connect your customers to the answers or assistance they need and leave them feeling valued and important. Typical enterprise solutions like voicemail and over-complicated IVR may prompt a hang-up—and, worse yet, a lost customer.

Solution: A cloud phone system that expands your reach and capacity to serve your customers.

Look for features like call routing and connected phones to minimize missed calls, a Receptionist Console to route calls to the right person, and call queues and Call Centre to manage longer volumes effectively.

Small Business Phone Systems Shouldn’t Be Second Rate 

Small businesses are accustomed to making do with technology designed for enterprise use, but that doesn’t need to be the case with your cloud phone system. You can choose a cloud phone system for small businesses that puts your priorities at the forefront. 

Why not insist on rock-solid, reliable phone and text service, flexible plans that scale with you, features that make collaboration and customer care easier, and top-notch customer service that gets you up and running quickly—or back up and running if there’s a problem? 

That’s what Cloudli Connect offers small businesses every day. We provide enterprise-level phone service designed with SMB concerns and budgets in mind and pair that with an unmatched customer journey that leaves every client feeling like a VIP. 

Reach out to talk with a Cloudli partner and find out what Cloudli Connect can do for your small business.

[1] Source: Forbes: 7 Ways To Be More Responsive To Your Customers