Just because you run a smaller business doesn't make your telephone requirements any less important, especially as you may be relying on your phone system for sales, enquiries and contact with potential business partners. Spending a little extra on a reliable and highly functional business phone system can be preferable to using a standard residential phone line, even if you're working out of a home office.

That doesn't mean you should necessarily invest in the most advanced systems available though, especially as many of the features of these systems will not be relevant for smaller companies of less than 10 employees. Instead, you should consider your company's precise communication needs as well as your budget to help you select the most appropriate phone system.

Think about whether your employees will need access to rich media conferencing tools, or a single phone number that rings on multiple handsets. If people will be working remotely on occasion, you should also check whether they can access your business phone system from mobiles, smartphones and other devices, or even on wireless IP phones to improve mobility around your workplace.

Some of the standard features of any business telephone service include voicemail, caller ID and call forwarding, but you should still check for the presence of these features when comparing different packages, as you may be charged extra. More advanced features such as hold music and auto-attendants are usually not as important for smaller companies as larger enterprises, but if you operate a sales or enquiries company, features such as these can be useful for improving your professional image.

Another feature of business telephone packages that can boost the professional appearance of even the smallest start-up is freephone 0800 numbers, which have been proven to boost the number of enquiries, made to companies and could help you gain a reputation in your industry. You should also check the level of customer support offered by your provider, with some companies offering 24-hour dedicated support lines to their business customers that can be invaluable for helping you deal with any problem in a fast and efficient manner as soon as it arises.

Some telephone systems for small businesses now put advanced features within reach of smaller companies that used to be restricted to larger enterprises, especially when you make use of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to host video conferences and make video calls to people all over the world.

Fiona Roy writes for a digital marketing agency. This article on telephone systems for small business has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.