Table of Contents
Before you start browsing the Internet for business phone systems in Richmond or reading lengthy contracts, it is important that you and your team fully outline the requirements and plan accordingly, considering your business’s unique needs.
Whether you want to expand your current business phone system or are installing one at your workplace for the first time, we suggest you follow the guidelines we’ve mentioned in this checklist that serves as a cohesive roadmap to the success of business phone systems.
The Ultimate Checklist for Buying a Business Phone System
Defining the Scope
Analyzing Business Conditions
A crucial aspect of finding the best business phone system is outlining the specific conditions that led you to where you are today. In the table below, we have described some common triggers and provided a space for you to fill in your additional needs. Knowing what triggered the decision to assess a business phone system is the first step in the purchase process.
| Business Conditions | Circle One | Add Notes |
| Operational Conditions | ||
| Are you adding a new office? | Yes/No | |
| Are you moving to a new building? | Yes/No | |
| Are you gaining new employees? | Yes/No | |
| Other operational needs | Yes/No | |
| Technological Conditions | ||
| Is your current system unsupported? | Yes/No | |
| Do you need newer features? | Yes/No | |
| Other technological needs | Yes/No | |
| Other Conditions | ||
Outlining Business Specific Requirements
We are a small business ourselves, so we understand that you need the absolute best solution to your problem when running a busy business. You need a solution that does not give you an even bigger headache.
Outlining specific business requirements is an important step in deciding which business phone system to purchase. When you outline business requirements, you get closer to finding a solution that is the exact perfect fit for your business.
Use the guide below and fill in your specific business requirements as the second step:
| What is your budget? | |
| How many phones do you need? | |
| Do you want to buy or rent the phones or phone hardware? | |
| Do you have an IT team? | |
| Will you need mobile systems? | |
| Will you need remote office capabilities? | |
| Will your business require multi-site solutions? | |
| What does your current internet service look like? | |
| What hardware or software do you currently have in place? | |
| Do you have a CRM, ERP, or marketing automation software that will need to be integrated with your phone system? |
Customizing Your Solutions
As you conduct your research, you’ll find that business phone features can vary widely between different phone systems. For example, VoIP and Cloud PBX have different features. Based on your business’s requirements and the most common business phone features used today, you can customize your solution!
Use the checklist below to see determine which business phone system features most important for your company:
| Business Phone Features | Must-Have | Need More Info | Not Needed |
| 3-way calling | |||
| Conference call bridging | |||
| Intercom | |||
| Paging | |||
| Call park | |||
| Music-on-hold | |||
| Calling other locations via extensions | |||
| Voicemail messages as email attachments | |||
| Auto-call attendant | |||
| Presence management | |||
| Shared line appearances | |||
| Customized call routing | |||
| Hot desking | |||
| Remote desk phones | |||
| Individual call recordings | |||
| Historical call reporting | |||
| Automatic call distribution | |||
| PC or web-based interface | |||
| Real-time dashboard | |||
| Third-party integrations | |||
| Call supervision or barging | |||
| Mobile client for desk phone |
Considering Vendors
While some business phone providers only focus on one specific operation model, such as VoIP, many vendors offer a variety of solutions to fit your individual needs, including Richmond Telecom.
To ensure you find a business phone provider that will not only meet your system requirement but also focus on your overall business phone solution, you need to indicate the importance of each of the following factors:
Cost
| Most Important | Moderately Important | Least Important |
Vendor Service/System Management
| Most Important | Moderately Important | Least Important |
Initial and On-Going Training
| Most Important | Moderately Important | Least Important |
Assistance with Installation
| Most Important | Moderately Important | Least Important |
Equipment Inventory
| Most Important | Moderately Important | Least Important |
Vendor Monitoring and Troubleshooting
| Most Important | Moderately Important | Least Important |
At Richmond Telecom, we give the utmost importance to cost, installation assistance, and customer service and training. Regardless of your business requirements, you can count on us to provide the best system management services in the country.
Get the Best Business Phone Systems in Richmond Today!
While this checklist will not exactly point you to the best phone solution for your business, it will help you to gather and organize all essential information that you need while discussing your options internally as well as with Richmond Telecom.
We are positive that we can help you find a cost-effective communications solution to fit your budget and specifications, no matter how complex they are. Visit our website for details about the best business phone systems in Richmond, or give us a call today at (804) 964-1700 for more information.
