Posts Tagged ‘business telecommunications’
The Hidden Costs of Business Telecommunications
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The Hidden Costs of Business Telecommunications
By Sylvia Rosen
Believe it or not, your business telecommunications infrastructure can come with a lot of hidden costs. Since these are “hidden” costs, it’s unlikely that you budgeted or expected them when you first set up your system.There are two big sources of hidden costs: telecom contracts and mobile phones. However, if you are aware of these hidden costs, you will be able to take the necessary steps to eliminate them.Here’s how:
Telecom Contracts
By really evaluating your telecom contract and streamlining equipment, such as your small business phone system, you can eliminate hidden costs. A hidden cost isn’t necessarily a fee that your vendor is trying to sneak in there; often it includes costs such as post-installation charges.
Furthermore, not only should you review your telecom contract so that you know what you are paying for, but you should also review it to make sure you are paying for what you actually need. In 1997, telecom billing overcharges were over 80%. And guess what? In 2010, billing overcharges were still close to 80%. Companies have been overpaying on their telecommunication costs for the past 14 years.
Here are two steps to take to avoid overpaying:
- Figure out how many phone lines and what features your business will need BEFORE you begin to shop.
- Ask other businesses how much they paid for and what vendors they went with.
You can easily get rid of hidden costs by being prepared when it comes to setting up your telecommunications infrastructure.
Mobile Phones
The rise of mobile phones in the workplace can lead to a lot of hidden costs. The two biggest sources of hidden costs in mobile phones include: apps and data overage. Apps may be free or inexpensive to purchase, however, it’s their use that can eat up data plans. For example, most cell phone carriers charge by the megabyte. AT&T charges about $2 per megabyte over the maximum.
To put that into perspective, using an app for one minute is three megabytes – or an additional $6 per minute. In addition, what costs even more money is when you don’t even have a data plan set up; this can lead to a lot of surprising charges. The best way to avoid these costs is to include a data plan in the mobile plan that you provide your employees – and let them know about it!
Hidden telecommunication costs can negatively impact your small business. If you don’t take the time to look for them and get rid of them, then you’re just wasting money. Spend your money on the right telecom setup for your business but don’t waste your money on telecom equipment that you don’t actually need.
About the author: Sylvia is an online writer who connects with business professionals to write articles on a variety of telecom products, including office phone systems.