Small business secrets...

Digital transformation is changing the way we communicate both professionally and personally. Telephony is going digital, and it’s time for businesses to future-proof their phone systems ahead of the 2025 legacy landline switch off. 

You may think that you're getting a great deal on VoIP services when in reality, the cost of your service could be much more than what's advertised. Before signing up for any provider online or over the phone, make sure to do some research about their prices!

The next few years will see a lot of upheaval for the UK's telecoms sector. The country's traditional landline network is being formally retired in 2025, which means that any small business still relying on this technology will need to make plans to migrate to more modern services.

If you're looking to upgrade your small business phone system, a VoIP solution should be one of the first options you look at. This technology offers cheap tariffs, high-quality voice calls and a wealth of extra features, from the ability to pick your own memorable number to conference calling and even video services.

The COVID-19 pandemic made us all go through some difficult times. The worst impacted of all were small businesses owners. However, some entrepreneurs transformed their business models and adapted a digital way of working to survive this disaster! The bright side to the pandemic is that it has given us a wake-up call about how important communication and information technologies are in today's world. Digital tools allow businesses to not only survive but thrive during times of crisis like this one! 

With so many people becoming digitally aware, the demand for VoIP phone systems is rising fast. However, you may be wondering what exactly this means and how it applies in your daily life or business. In this article, we'll take a deep dive into everything you need to know about this innovation and why there is so much buzz around it. 

It is not uncommon for a small business owner to use their personal mobile phone to run their business. It may appear to be a convenient and cheaper way to run a business but the truth is that these owners pay a heavy price not just with how damaging it can be to their businesses but also to their personal wellbeing.

People have this perception that using separate numbers for personal and professional reasons will overcomplicate things. Managing both will become an issue for them. But as time goes by and business owners evaluate the situation, they always find themselves in the dilemma of whether or not they should take a new business number.

Putting your number online for your small business seems like the easiest thing to do. But trust me, it's not. You might end up in a messy situation where you get spam calls and robocalls. You might also get customers or prospects calling you after hours or late at night disturbing your peace or your time with family. Running a small business is stressful and the last thing you want is to have your downtime with family or friends taken away from you.

By putting your mobile phone in the public sphere, you also increase the risk of identity theft. As a business owner, you may give out your number and your details without giving a second thought but this could have grave repercussions with regard to identity theft or hacking exposure.

As your business grows, using a mobile becomes increasingly limiting as you add customers and staff. You need to add employees as users to your business number so that you can take more customer calls and avoid dropping calls from customers. You also need a more professional out of hours greeting while your normal greeting may require call menus and hold music to handle more calls. None of this can be done on a mobile phone unless you have a VoIP app like bOnline Phone.

Here is why you should keep a different number for your personal and professional life: