A 12 person business is not the same as a 60 person business in terms of the kinds of things they require from their phone. The first one is looking for something simple and inexpensive. The latter requires routing, reporting, multiple numbers, and a way to get new members up and running without having to create a ticket each time.
The majority of phone system businesses that purchase early decide upon the team they will have, not the team they currently have. This guide details what the UK scale-up needs to be considering to ensure the correct system is still fit for use when employee numbers, sites and call volumes have increased.
Why Scale-Ups Are Different
Existing businesses develop slowly and steadily. Scale-ups take on employees in waves, open offices up quickly and switch up the organizational structure every couple of months. A new sales team may come in and a new support function may double after a product is launched.
That’s where flexibility holds much greater value than anything else. The pattern is well matched by a cloud phone system, since it is managed via software, not hardware. However, flexibility is not the same for each provider, and this has to be checked, not assumed.
Use a Price that is Smoothly Scaled
Most cloud based phone systems operate on a licence per user per month fee, plus call charges and charges for numbers when you rent one. So that’s fine, but the details are important when you’re growing.
Many cloud based phone systems that provide a small business solution are offered on the lowest tier that seems like a good deal when they’re offered at 10 users. The per-user cost also changes by 50, since by that time you might want a feature that’s on a higher level. Get each provider to give you a price for your current size, and then for 25, 50 and 100 users.
Also check:
- If it is monthly or only at renewal will it be possible to add and remove users?
- If there are any volume discounts, whether they will be negotiated or applied automatically
- Call recording, queues and reporting as add-ons cost
- The cost to add a new site or range of numbers
Cloud phone systems for small business owners picked up in year 1 will rarely be the right plan in year 3. Look for a provider that offers the ability to tier up and tier down without subjecting you to a new contract.
Numbers and New Offices
As a rule, growth entails increased numbers: a direct dial for new employees, a local number for a new city, a special line for a sales push or a support hotline.
An excellent hosted telephony solution allows you to create number ranges within a portal and route them to various teams. Inquire about the speed of provisioning of numbers and if existing numbers can be ported in phases. A cloud phone system UK providers can deploy over broadband can often be in place within days after opening a new office, depending on the availability of connectivity, handsets or apps.
If you’re setting up multiple locations, make sure that calls between sites are free on the platform and that routing is able to transfer from one location to the other.
Onboarding Hiring Waves
If you’re hiring 10 each month, then the phone setup should be a small task. Look for:
- Self-service user generation (templates per role).
- So new starters can work before handsets arrive, there are softphone and mobile apps.
- If you are using desk phones, make sure there are no handset lead times.
- Seamless unassigned and reassigned when employees change roles, such as voicemail and number management features.
As you add users, the time to add a user adds up to a support ticket + three days.
Integrations and Unified Communications
A lot of times, the tools that scale-ups add get installed very fast: A CRM, a helpdesk, Microsoft Teams or another collaboration platform. They should be integrated into the phone system, not stand alone.
Discuss what integrations are built-in and what are third party. Sales and support teams can benefit from features like a click-to-call, call logging, and screen pop-ups, which can save time. If you’re comparing hosted VoIP services, be sure the service provides integration features, as these features are a feature you’d purchase.
Reporting matters too. As teams expand, managers require data for missed calls, wait times and peak hours to effectively schedule staff.
Resilience and security as you grow
In 60 staff a phone outage has more impact than a phone outage on 10 staff. Plan resilience early:
- Failover. Verify that calls will automatically divert to mobile in the case of an office going offline and set up a second line or 4G/5G router for critical locations.
- Admin access. The more staff, the more people that can change settings. Use role-based permissions, and enable multi-factor authentication on admin accounts.
- Fraud controls. Inquire about spend limits and alerts for unusual countries.
- Data protection. Call recordings and logs are personal data. Be aware of their location and length of storage; know how they can be taken away.
The larger customers also may look at tender forms that include details about your security and continuity measures.
Contract Terms To Foster Growth
Contract design should be proportional to uncertainty. Check:
- Minimum term. Consider discounted prices but remember that a long term can have a fixed price before you know your size.
- Reducing users. There are contracts that permit just raises. If your business were to be scaled back or reorganized, verify what will occur.
- Tier changes. Is it possible to upgrade and downgrade during the term?
- Ownership and porting of numbers. Numbers should be easily moved out with definite timelines and charges.
- Support levels. More support will be required with a faster growth rate, so look for hours and response times.
A Realistic Example
Imagine a software company based in the UK which increases its workforce from 15 to 60 staff members in 18 months. It began with a simple scheme for a small number of desk telephones and a 12-month term.
Following the funding round, it employs a sales team and a support team, as well as setting up a second office. Original plan has no queues nor call recording, but it upgrades to a higher tier mid-term, which it has the contract to do. Mobile App is given to new starters on day 1, Desk Phones later. The local number is added to the new office, a dedicated support line is established, and overflow is set up to support the other offices.
This avoided the need to rebuild as it opted for a provider that offered tier options and a user/user number portal to add users and numbers. The phone system just expanded along with the business.
Questions to pose to providers
- What happens if prices change at 25, 50 and 100 customers?
- Are there any possibilities of changing tiers/reducing users during the term?
- What’s the rate of addition of users, numbers and sites, and will we do them ourselves?
- What are some of the integrations that are available?
- What are the default failover and security measures?
- What will happen if we just leave?
Providers like Wavetel Business, who are dealing with UK organisations regarding VoIP and business communications, should be able to respond to these based on your growth plan, not just quote for the day.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a developing business need to switch to a cloud phone system?
When adding a second site, hiring too quickly, and changes take too long. The sooner you relocate, the less “legacy equipment” you will have.
If office phone systems for small businesses are good for scale-ups, how?
Some are, many entry level plans don’t have queues, reporting or integrations you’ll need later. Review the additional features and the price of the next level.
Is a cloud based phone system for business growth more expensive?
Not necessarily. The costs vary depending on users, calls and add-ons, so check with itemised quotes at various sizes.
Is it possible to add offices without any new equipment?
Yes, very often, as long as the businesses have desk phones for their reception and support teams to add to their softphones and broadband.
How can I prevent myself from being “locked in”?
Moderation of terms, tier and user flexibility, and portability of numbers should be checked.
Conclusion
Phone systems must be scalable – without drama – for scale-ups. Watch for pricing that remains affordable, add numbers and sites rapidly, add integrations to software that you already use, and security and resilience that are proportionate to your size.
Your practical next step: write down where you would like to be in 18 months, in staff, in sites and in call numbers and ask two or three providers to quote and explain how they would do so at each of those steps. Typically, the one that accounts for growth – not just the number of people in the current workforce – is a better fit.