So you are thinking about opening a new business and become your own boss. Good for you! Now, it?s time for a reality check. This will be an uphill battle. Did you know that according to Forbes 8 out of 10 entrepreneurs who start businesses fail within the first 18 months? Yes, the odds are not in your favor. But there?s no reason to stop. Au contraire. There?s every reason to move forward.
So, why do so many small businesses fail within the first couple of years? There are countless variables that can hurt a new company. But for the sake of this argument let?s focus on one thing that you can control: your business communications. Availability as an element of customer experience has gained a lot of traction over the last few years. Customers are accustomed to having their issues solved right away, to having their questions answered immediately.
Your customers won?t care if your business is new or small. They only care about good service. And in this digital era, you are not only competing with the shop down the street. You are competing with everyone! So what can you do? Is it over before it even starts? Not really. One thing that most entrepreneurs overlook is the importance of a phone system.
Many business owners tend to think that telephone systems are prohibitively expensive when, in fact, sometimes they can cost less than the latest iPhone. And no, your iPhone shouldn?t be your business phone. Unless you plan your company to stay the same size forever, you are going to need a system that can grow with you. The good news is that there are plenty of options for less than $600.
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Mission Machines Z-60 Vs AT&T 1070 Vs Panasonic KX-TG6843
Mission Machines Z-60
While the most expensive on our list, this is the one that can grow with your business. The Mission Machines Z-60, an all-in-one total office solution, allows startup businesses to take advantage of the same functionality larger businesses do, empowering their employees at a great price. Supporting remote extensions, this hybrid phone system provides businesses with remarkable value.
Average cost: $599.00
If you purchase this easy-to-install phone system, your staff can rely on a range of essential features including auto attendant, multiline appearances, voicemail, music on hold, three-way call conferencing and more. Users love the Z-60 voicemail to email notification functionality as it helps them be one step ahead when commuting or going away from the office.
Unfortunately, this out-of-the-box phone system has some limitations with the music on hold files. Also, not all of the SIP phones work with the system. Nevertheless, for startup businesses who just want to rely on standard features, it works perfectly well.
AT&T 1070 4-Line Expandable Corded Phone System
Even if the 1070 6.0 2 Handset, 4-Line Landline Telephone system from AT&T is as basic as a phone system can get; it is absolutely more than enough for startup businesses. If you just opened a restaurant or some kind of shop, it is perfect for you as it can manage up to 4 lines, it can conference 3 lines at the same time and it can also easily be hooked up to voicemail service.
Average cost: $129.99
There are numerous advantages that come with the 1070. If you purchase this professional looking, solid phone system with reliable buttons that have a great feel, you can rely on good voice quality and no cross-talk between phone lines. Also, with numerous one-touch dial buttons, this phone can recognize several area codes for local dialing.
Nevertheless, this phone system has several downfalls as well. The display is not properly designed as it has too many acronyms and information that can get confusing for some people. Also, the AT&T 1070 doesn?t provide users with many ringtone options to choose from nor the ability of dialing or previewing calls from speed dial prior to activating a phone line.
XBLUE X16 Phone System
Considered by many as ?the perfect small office phone system?, the XBLUE X16 is actually a pretty good choice for businesses with up to 12 employees. Why? Because it has all the features any start-up could need.
Average cost: $299,00
According to the experts at TelcoDepot, ?this small office telephone system can bring 4 incoming lines and even connect up to sixteen X16 phones. As mentioned before, installation is a breeze: you just plug in the box, the phones, and the telephone lines and you are good to go.?
The server for the X16 Server is equipped to accommodate 4 telephone lines. However, many have complained about the system?s sound quality and limited growth capacity.