Moving is one of the toughest and most complicated things that your business will ever have to do, but at the same time, chances are just about every business will do it at some point or another. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, around 40 million people move every year, and while there's no similar statistic for businesses, there are a lot of reasons why businesses might consider heading to greener pastures. The five biggest reasons that businesses decide to relocate are the need for upgraded or expanded facilities, labor and workforce issues, new market opportunities, an attempt to lower costs or increase cash flow, and quality of life considerations.
Whatever the reasons, when it comes time to make a move, there's a lot to consider, and a lot to keep track of. As with any move, there's changing addresses, finalizing the deed or lease for the new place, selling or renting out your old location, managing the changeover, and, of course, moving all your stuff. But businesses face even more obstacles than homeowners when it comes time to move, and a business move can cost a lot if it isn't handled smoothly, not only in upfront costs but also in lost revenue.
After all, a homeowner just has to get all their stuff from point A to point B, unpack the boxes, get the phones and cable and whatever else all hooked up, and so on. A business move requires you to do all that—and more—while still keeping your doors open as much as possible, not to mention changing signage, letterhead, marketing materials, websites, etc. Nobody wants to lose income—or even customers—due to a lengthy and complicated move.
One of the biggest challenges businesses face when moving is staying in touch with their customers and business partners. You want your telecommunications access to be as uninterrupted as possible during the move, so that you don't miss any opportunities. That's part of why many businesses choose to leave their old phone system behind when they make the move to a new location.
There are a lot of good reasons to leave your old phone system behind when the time comes to make a move. For one, contrary to what you might think, it'll probably save you money. Moving a private branch exchange (PBX) is expensive and complicated, and leaving it behind means that you can use it as a selling point for future tenants or sell it to a reseller to get some cash-in-hand. Meanwhile, you also won't be worrying about the down time that comes with trying to haul your old phone system to your new location and get it set up. Instead, try a hosted VoIP phone service, which can provide you with all the telephony services that you've come to expect, along with the crystal clear call quality that you demand, all at a significant cost savings, both up front and in the long run.
Plus, if you're building out a new suite for your new location, you won't need to invest in phone cabling, as your hosted VoIP phones will share an Ethernet connection with your computers. Basically, all you'll need to buy are your phones, and the savings generated in the cable plant and not relocating your old system will often more than offset those modest upfront costs.
Businesses all over the country are switching to hosted VoIP for its scalability, ease of administration, cost savings, and unparalleled service. And if you're looking at a business move in your future, there's no better time to make the switch to hosted VoIP phone service, and leave your outdated phone system behind forever.
About the author: Mark Greim is the Vice President of Sales and Marketing at sipVine, a provider of hosted VoIP phone systems and services. Mark has extensive experience working for start-up or entrepreneurial organizations and has a passion for affordable, reliable, and purposeful technology solutions in those environments.
