What is the best small business phone system in the UK 2024?

Table of contents

Phone systems for small business

Out with the old

VoIP phone systems for small business

Microsoft Teams office phone systems

Phoneline+

PSTN and traditional phone systems

With so many options available in the world of telecommunications, it can prove to be a minefield when deciding what technology is the most appropriate for your business and selecting a provider which has your future interests at heart. It’s a big investment for a small business, so it’s important to be armed with all the info since choosing the right small business phone system really will boost your bottom line!

Phone systems for small business

For small businesses and start-ups, you need to know your lines of communication with customers, suppliers and stakeholders are wide open. Despite the rise in popularity in social media, the mighty telephone is still by far the most powerful communication tool in the business arena – every call matters and staying on top of traffic is vital to success and building or maintaining customer rapport.

Bigger businesses have the manpower to catch every call, but smaller firms are reliant on sophisticated call management systems to help communicate in a productive and efficient manner, facilitating great customer service every time the phone rings. But what if your current technology is not up to the job? You could be missing out on opportunities and, in turn, revenue. You need to ensure that you get the right phone systems for small business operations, all at the right price.

Why invest in a new small business phone system?

So, what can investing in a new small business phone system do for your business? The basic benefits you should expect from a good business phone system are ease of use, affordability and exceptional call quality, but there’s so much more on offer…

• Great customer service – something you cannot afford to get wrong as a small business looking to grow. Your phone system is part of the team, providing the tools to maintain a high level of customer service through features such as seamless call transferring, call waiting and conferencing capabilities – all helping to maintain that all-important professional impression.
• Lower costs – traditional expensive hardware leasing and lengthy, unsuitable contracts and upgrades have been banished in favour of budget-friendly VoIP, which enable to only pay for what you need and allowing you to expand as and when the time comes. Highly agile and ready to grow with you and your business. And because everything operates via the internet and the cloud, call costs are kept low.
• Time saving – if you’re running your own business or part of a small team, time is of the essence. Having the right call management features built-in to your business phone system means you can streamline your processes and optimise efficiency at every touchpoint.
• Flexible working – the pandemic brought about the need for businesses to adapt and equip employees with the technology to support home working. And since many businesses don’t function out of a traditional office, you need the ability to make or take calls on site, on the road, on the shop floor or wherever you may be! Phone systems have been integral to this, giving workers the tools to work from anywhere, anytime.

Out with the old: VoIP phone systems for small businesses

Phone systems have changed dramatically over the last decade or so, with businesses previously reliant on expensive fixed-line systems, paying monthly line rentals and call charges, and liable for costly upkeep. Thankfully technology has moved on with many now tapping into the benefits of VoIP phone systems for small businesses and cloud-based services that channel inbound and outbound calls through an app and, quite literally, turn your laptop or desktop PC into a phone.

VoIP phone systems for small business

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a solution where voice calls are transmitted over IP networks using an internet connection as opposed to over the traditional telephone network. A VoIP phone system is perfect for businesses of any size but for the small business owner it is easy to install, doesn’t require any up-front equipment or connection costs and is super easy to maintain and upgrade. And a real plus is that as and when your business grows, you can easily upscale, adding in more powerful call management features, such as call analytics, which can go some way to streamlining business processes.

Horizon phone system

So, we’ve covered the benefits. How about the actual options? Horizon VoIP (or ‘hosted’ as it is often referred) phone system is a complete business telecoms system and unified communications solution. It has been designed to transform any business with its easy-to-set up and maintain features – and it’s cost effective, too, with less outlay on hardware. Users can deal with calls effectively, taking advantage of a multitude of call features and enhancements that can be used to optimise business efficiency. And if business growth is on the cards, it’s easy to add Horizon Collaborate or Horizon for Microsoft Teams – whatever you need, it can be achieved.

Microsoft Teams office phone systems for small business

You’re probably already familiar with Microsoft Teams but did you know it can also be transformed into a powerful and flexible phone system? If you’re looking to future-proof your business with a view to adding all the bells and whistles, the Microsoft Teams phone system is the answer. This solution quite literally turns your laptop into an all-singing, all-dancing phone system. It gives you power to call people outside of your Microsoft 365 business domain, as well as delivering a totally flexible, scalable and work-anywhere solution that will grow as you grow. Call and contact analytics mean you can see where you need to boost performance, while its collaboration tools are unrivalled with video meetings, calendar syncing, chat functions and filing sharing. Everything is possible.

Phoneline+ small business phone system

PhoneLine+ is another outstanding new telecoms solution and one of the best digital phone systems for small business – one which answers the calls for a smart, digital phone system ahead of the PSTN switch off in 2027. As a straight-forward cloud-based phone system, PhoneLine+ will ensure your business is ready for a full fibre future together with delivering a feature-rich call management platform. All without breaking the bank!

Related content

> Unified comms blog

> Phone systems for hybrid working blog

> EU roaming in 2022

Say farewell to the PSTN and traditional phone systems

In 2025, traditional telecoms and broadband solutions will become obsolete will be as traditional phone lines – served by the legacy PSTN (public switched telephone network) are being switched off. Openreach are busy upgrading lines across the UK with full fibre so time is of the essence for businesses to address their telecoms solutions and upgrade to a hosted cloud-based solution.

It is an exciting time though and the benefits of hosted (cloud-based) telecoms solutions are huge. Focus Group’s vast product portfolio also features a wide range of hosted PBX telephone solutions, which are ideal for smaller businesses and start-ups who want to stay in control of their hardware. Being a hosted solution means you can get on with developing your company and building a brand straight away, with no worries or hassle.

Our telecoms specialists have built excellent relationships with big brand names to bring our customers the very latest technology; from Mitel to Ericsson-LG, Samsung and Avaya, we can guarantee a phone system to suit your exacting requirements together with enhancing connectivity, productivity and customer service levels. At all times.

Let’s talk telecoms and get your small business packing a punch!