How VoIP fits into a retail business, improving working and lowering costs
Up to 56,000 small businesses in England are set to face tax hikes in the next year, research from a leading UK business rent and rates specialist has indicated as reported by the BBC.
The research conducted by professional Chartered Surveyors firm CVS states that business rate increases will total £152m, with 37,364 small shops seeing their rates rise above inflation next April and 30,198 small shops facing rises of between 10% and 14.99%.
Apart from looking at ways to increase sales, retail business owners could consider taking advantage of advancements in technology – which can help to dramatically reduce overheads and operating costs compared to older, legacy based hardware systems.
Below are just some of the ways a VoIP telephone system can smoothly fit into a retail business and provide tangible benefits.
Free yourself of hardware and the burden of repairs and maintenance
The prospect of having to pay and wait for engineers to repair or maintain your kit if something goes wrong can be daunting, not least because it can be detrimental to new business if you’re uncontactable.
VoIP removes this responsibility and puts it in control of the VoIP provider. While your overheads are reduced significantly, maintenance and performance upgrades (e.g. new features) are carried out by the provider behind the scenes and made available in the ‘cloud’, requiring you to do nothing in order to benefit from them or use them.
Make yourself reachable from anywhere
As a director or owner of a small retailer you may not always be available around the premises while you’re out visiting suppliers, leaving your staff to hold the fort while you’re gone. However, while you may trust them to do this, you may prefer to handle potentially important business calls yourself.
The features included with VoIP make it easy for you to be reachable from anywhere, so the business calls you wish to take can automatically be diverted to your mobile. By simply logging in to your online account you can specify which calls go where and when.
Take your number with you wherever you go
If rent costs prove to be an increasing burden on a retailer, moving to premises with lower rates is an option some business owners may consider. However, with onsite infrastructure to consider and the cost and hassle involved in moving it, it can be a difficult decision to make.
With VoIP the system and number is virtual, meaning it easily goes with you wherever you go. Simply plug your phone in to the internet connection at your new or alternative location and you’re good to go; no special configuration or hefty engineering costs to worry about.
Connect your locations in to one easily manageable virtual network
As your business grows and you seek out opening new locations, you’re going to need communications available there too. With VoIP your system can seamlessly expand with just a simple account upgrade.
This will tie your locations into one easily manageable virtual network that are all handled and configured from the same online account, allowing you to grow cost-effectively and with less aggravation.
Case Study
Successful firework retailer The Firework Store use Soho66 to support their growing business, which they acknowledge has significantly assisted their growth since moving from a traditional phone system in 2016. We recently spoke to them to find out why they initially chose Soho66, how they found the set-up process and how Soho66 integrates perfectly into their business.
Want more information?
Contact Support for more information on any of the features highlighted in this article.
- Tel: 03333 443 443
- Email: support@soho66.co.uk
