Buying a Phone System

With the price of everything going up these days, it's always a good idea to plan major purchases in advance. It also helps to look for the best price and terms, and to inquire about rebates and discounts. Steps like these can minimize stress and end up saving you plenty when it comes time to write the check or pay the credit account. The same holds true for buying a phone system. Telecommunications play a vital role in the health of any organization. You will want to exercise prudence when shopping for a new phone system.

Budget for Buying a Phone System

Even business people can buy things on impulse, which is generally a bad idea. Deciding to buy a new telephone system with lots of fancy gadgets or streamlined technology may sound like fun, but if you run out and buy it without thinking ahead, you could make a major mistake. Instead, work out a projected budget for the coming year, adding your ideas for a new phone system, and try to stick with it. Unexpected or emergency purchases may come up, but for the most part, following your budget will help keep your business operating smoothly and in the black. You can get the phone system you want without running into severe debt or violating the company budget.

Shop for your phone system from home or the office, first. This will help you keep a level head while comparing features, costs, and services. Look at online or print catalogs, and contact manufacturers through their websites or via the toll-free numbers they typically use to ask questions you have. Although they may still give you a hard sell over the phone or online, you can more easily escape their wiles than you might otherwise be able to while in the store, shopping in person. You also can check out customer comments or product reviews at various locations online to see how other people rate the telephone system that you may be thinking of purchasing.

It might be helpful to make an actual list of the phone services you want, the problems you've had in the past, and the number of people (with their job descriptions or duties) who will be using the system. You also might want to figure out possible growth patterns for the next five years to ensure the system will be able to expand when you need it to. Otherwise, you could end up with outdated or outgrown phone services that will have to be discarded when you buy an entire new system.

Planning Ahead

After browsing catalogs and sites to look at available options, decide what you can afford, and narrow your tentative selections. This lets you keep control of the phone system you want and the purchasing decision you can afford rather than taking a chance on shopping at large and being led to purchase a system that is beyond your means. Planning ahead can help to reduce your risk of looking back with regret. Shop on paper before paying with cash.