20 years ago, if you needed to pick a new company phone you had the option of a flip phone or a Nokia-style brick phone. PDA’s could perform some of the basic functions that smartphones can perform now, but they did not have calling, texting or mobile data. But as the market has advanced, so has the number of options available to you. There are so many, however, that it can seem overwhelming. These articles are here to help you make that choice.
For smaller companies, buying every employee a company phone just doesn’t make financial sense. A restaurant owner probably wouldn’t want to buy an expensive company phones for their line cooks, it’s not like they are negotiating corporate asset acquisitions anyways. But someone does not need to be an executive to benefit from one, and there are options that get the job done and are actually affordable. That is why today we are going over some phones, carriers, programs and advice for those looking to fill this need.
Using Personal Phones as Work Phones
One option to consider is that you can always use your personal mobile to use as a work line. The easiest option is for everyone to have their personal phones they are already using, and just taking calls off of their own mobile and their own number, especially if they are only speaking with coworkers. An equally affordable and more utilitarian solution is to use Google Hangouts/Voice to acquire a separate number that can be used for business. That is free for calls in Canada and the US, and can be used on the same phone.
There are ways to make your phone indicate it is a work call by making your Voice number appear when you get a call on that line. This way you can separate work and personal, and view voicemails and texts on your computer too. One slight issue when receiving calls is it can be hard to tell between who is calling the work line and who is calling your personal. You can set it up to have all work calls forwarded through the work number, but you can only see that it is a work call, not who is calling the work line. But the personal line will still be able to see which number is calling.
Affordable Phone Options
There are several affordable phones currently available, but before making a decision keep in mind that you may want to order one before placing the rest of the order. As well, this ensures that you can handle your mobile website, your company app, any hardware that’s needed etc. It may also be best to buy different phones to meet different needs, as long as you test each one. Someone who is distributing groceries to several stores in the area, and must keep in touch with management and customers, will likely need calling and GPS mainly. But if they are going to be needing to have their deliveries signed for, it may be best to buy them a phone with a stylus and a big screen capable of running an app built for that purpose. Some good ones with styluses include:
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5
- Samsung Galaxy Note 3
- LG Stylo 2
- LG Stylus 2
- LG Stylus 2 Plus
- Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
- Samsung Galaxy Note II N7100
Features to Consider
If you need to someone who is constantly travelling, going on-site to clients, interacting with customers and working in and out of the office, there are several things to consider for the phone. Something like the Google Pixel will be able to tether, something nice for those who are not working in the office and dealing with large accounts all day. Battery life is also important, because tethering and things of that nature require a huge amount of battery. Something with fast charge like the Pixel is great because in 15 minutes you can have an 8-hour battery at the ready. If you need to give presentations with it, consider getting something with a micro-HDMI port.
To learn more about how to make your business for efficient for your employees, contact the experts here at tekRESCUE.
