Staying connected to your customers and clients should remain a top priority for you and your company. It is true that you can simply use your personal landline or cell phone in order to make the calls necessary to stay connected, but you can actually save a lot of money in the long run by investing in a business phone.
Join Specific Associations and Groups
There is a wide variety of different business and trade groups and associations throughout the country that provide an extensive list of discounts, incentives, and other perks to their registered members. In most cases, these organizations are able to drastically reduce your telephone bill as long as it is exclusively used for business purposes.
Therefore, you will be able to own a corporate phone and save money by receiving a considerable discount on that service just by signing up for membership with qualifying groups. You can use popular search engines and other credible sources and publications related to your industry and market in order to determine which organizations and groups provide these types of incentives in the first place, according to Entrepreneur.com.
Consider Investing in VoIP Services
Another way to save a substantial amount of money on the overhead expenses associated with your business phone is by investing in Voice over IP (VoIP) services as an efficient and affordable alternative. Studies have confirmed that by transitioning from standard landlines to VoIP services within your office, you will be able to save a lot of money throughout the year.
The president of Micro Integration Services, a company based in New Jersey, was able to save over $15,000 each year just by making this transition within his own office, according to Entrepreneur. Even though you may or may not be able to save that much on your own bill, knowing you can potentially save hundreds or even thousands of dollars without sacrificing the quality and efficiency of your communication system in general is at least worth considering.
Qualify for Tax Deductions
By investing in a phone exclusively designated for professional purposes, you are also able to save money on the backend by writing off expenses and fees associated with the actual equipment and servicing of these devices. Based on the guidelines that have been established by the Internal Revenue Service, you can deduct these costs and expenses for any business-related item that is “necessary, customary, and reasonable” for your specific line of work.
While it may take a little work and effort to prove that this standard is met by other purchases and investments made throughout the year, a phone is one of the most acceptable deductions that needs very little explanation. Therefore, you can easily deduct the purchase price of the actual equipment as well as the monthly service fees, and any charges for applicable long distance calls not included within your plan, according to Intuit. However, it is of the utmost importance you keep your personal and professional calls separate. You can easily disqualify yourself from this particular tax incentive by blurring these lines, making it hard to distinguish between personal and professional expenses for tax purposes.
Increased Efficiency in Other Areas
Having an active phone for your business will also save you a lot of money in overhead expenses simply by increasing your efficiency and productivity. You will be able to gain direct access to many premium features that will make it much easier for you to stay connected to your customers, clients, and employees.
For example, the vast majority of smartphones sold today come with rear- and front-facing cameras that make these devices perfect for video conferences. With an unlimited data plan, therefore, you can host a video conference with someone on the other side of the world, and meet with them face-to-face without having to pay travel costs, airfare, or even international long-distance phone charges.
Sharing Resources within Staff
Another key advantage to consider is that of being able to share these resources with your entire staff instead of forcing each employee or member of your organization to pay for their own device and services. Having a complete business phone system within an office space, for instance, will allow your entire team to communicate effectively with each other as well as with customers, clients, and vendors.
Even if you opt for a corporate cell phone account instead that consists of individual devices all connected under the same plan, you will be able to save a considerable amount of money upfront with the allotted discounts provided by your service carrier. This will even save you money in the long run when you take into consideration the increased efficiency and productivity of your staff as a direct result of your investment.