Over the past couple of weeks across the UK, many small businesses have been unable to trade and have lost considerable income, having being kept from their usual business premises due to rioting and social unrest. This inevitably leads to the question: is your business able to continue trading if disaster strikes?
The problem with fixed-line telecommunications is that if something happens to the line or the premises then your business could lose that number for a period of time. Any incoming calls will be missed and callers could even think you’ve closed and may never call back.
A hosted VoIP provider such as Sipcentric allows businesses to continue working with their office number regardless of location. With VoIP, your UK landline number is hosted in the ‘cloud’. You are therefore able to make and receive calls on that number anywhere in the country, or in fact the world. For example, you could have a Birmingham number but be in Manchester and your callers would be none the wiser. The call charges stay exactly the same for people calling and the people you call no matter where you are.
Another great feature of a hosted VoIP service is call forwarding. This allows you to divert your calls to another phone, such as a mobile, either all the time or just during specified time intervals. Diverted calls will be charged at the same rate as a standard call to that number.
Follow me is similar to call forwarding, except the call will ring on multiple phones simultaneously, allowing you to pick up calls where ever it suits you. Again, diverted calls are subject to standard call charges.
There are many other call management features available to small businesses when they choose a hosted VoIP phone system, all of which allow them to look more professional while at the same time ensuring calls can be handled effectively, by the most appropriate person and from anywhere.
Hosted VoIP is a great choice for any business that relies heavily on its telephone system yet wishes to remain in control of where they work. It allows the freedom and flexibility businesses need to continue to communicate in any situation and could mean the difference between a company surviving a disaster or going under due to lost business.
