When money is tight, it's natural to want to reduce expenses around the office.
You might discontinue your bottled water service for a while, limit printer usage to only the most necessary documents, and institute tighter controls on supplies such as pens and paper.
Savvy office managers know that savings from even minor changes like these can add up and make a difference in the budget.
But one area where it doesn't pay to cut corners is your telephone service.
This is your lifeline to customers, and should therefore be treated as an absolute necessity rather than an expendable extra.
Instead of downgrading your system or eliminating essential features when times are tough, it would be better to reevaluate your service plan instead.
Small business phone systems and plans are constantly changing, so if it's been a while since you've had a chance to compare business phone systems, you might have the wrong impression about what is currently available.
In fact, many office managers labor under misconceptions and outdated ideas about calling plans, and this mistaken information could be preventing them from making changes that will positively impact their company.
To avoid this pitfall yourself, read through the following list of the four most common misconceptions surrounding small business phone systems.

• Long-term contracts are the norm.
  Technology is continually improving, which means better quality and lower prices are always right around the corner.
  Nobody wants to sign a long-term contract only to discover six months later that their equipment and calling plan are already obsolete.
  Some service providers recognize this reluctance on the part of their customers, and have responded by offering short-term or no-contract deals.
  
• You can't afford it.
  If you're already running on a shoestring budget, you might be convinced that you simply can't afford to upgrade your telecommunications system without sacrificing quality or features, but this isn't the case at all.
  When you compare plans, you'll see that many providers bundle critical features such as call routing, auto attendant, and call forwarding into one low monthly rate.
  And, many services allow you to use approved existing equipment, so startup costs will be minimal.
  
• Productivity won't be affected.
  In most people's minds, office productivity is linked to things like sophisticated software programs or hardworking employees that always stay on task.
  But small business phone plans also play an important role in increasing productivity because of the time-saving features they offer.
  For instance, voice-to-text allows you to read voicemail messages quickly instead of having to listen to them, and using an auto attendant means employees don't have to waste time answering calls that are meant for someone else.
  
• It's impossible to compete with larger companies.
  Just because you don't have the same financial backing as larger companies, that doesn't mean you can't compete.
  Many plans have a range of features and tools designed to put you on more even footing with your competition.
  Free business phone numbers, local numbers in out-of-state markets, and intelligent call routing are just some of the features that allow you to give customers the impression that you're a much bigger company.
  

Misconceptions like these often result in the bad decision of continuing to use expensive calling plans with limited features.
If you're now convinced that an upgrade would be preferable to what you're currently using, compare business phone systems today and sign up for a plan that allows you to take advantage of the latest technology without destroying your budget.