Telecoms for Start-ups

There was an article is the FT Advisor just before Christmas that could have been written by me. In fact it was written by a Mr. Dave Millet, MD of Equinox.

Here’s what he says are the 9 mistakes made by new businesses with their telecoms – and how could I disagree?

1. having a mobile number as the sole contact number on business cards. “Research shows 30 per cent of people do not trust them and therefore will not contact them.”
2. utilising a home phone system for business purposes is ill-advised because of limited functionality in terms of handling a second call and personalising voicemails – business owners could be caught off guard without the facility to differentiate between a personal or business call.
3. be wary of deals that offer free installation in return for a lengthy contract, because they could face a hefty exit penalty fee if they choose to opt out of the contract.
4. anything other than 0800 or numbers beginning 01/02/03 for post sales service is illegal, and those who seek to use them must publish the call cost where the number is publicised.
5. read the small print on telecoms contract; ensure that their supplier is signed up to the Telecoms Ombudsman and consider whether the systems are flexible and scaleable to accommodate potential business growth.
6. “Many serviced office suppliers will expect you to use their telecoms services. This can create two issues. Firstly, the costs can be very expensive compared to organising yourself and secondly, they may not release the number to you should you move out. Always ask if you bring your own and if their numbers are portable if you leave.”
7. The eighth mistake is the assumption made by some bosses of start-up companies that they can build their business around video conferencing services such as Skype. Such services can be an adjunct to telecoms infrastructure but not at the core.

But then he goes and spoils it all with two comments

1. “Many small businesses wonder if they should use an answering service. The key question is, what do you want them to do? If it is to just take a message you need to ask yourself: what value is that adding? If they can handle certain queries then that can enhance your offering.”
2. “Some of the features of a business line do not come cheap so I would say that a full business telephone package is not necessary in the first instance.”

A virtual PA that answers your calls professionally as though they were part of your company can be very useful. But it’s not for everyone, and not for all calls; obviously. You need to use it intelligently.

His last is totally out-of-date of course, with VoIP the features and functions necessary to run a modern business’s telephony are now exceptionally cheap and do much more than they ever could.

For more information about choosing a telephony provider see:
http://www.voipfone.co.uk/How_to_Get_A_Telephone_Number_For_Your_Business.php

The FT Advisor’s article can be found here:
https://www.ftadviser.com/your-industry/2016/12/07/telecommunication-is-everything-for-a-start-up-says-equinox-head