How to Save Money on your Business’s Mobile Phone Bill

The cost of communication for a business can be quite considerable, particularly in today’s global economic climate. No matter how great or small your business might be, you will need a mobile phone to stay in touch with clients and contacts. When your business reach extends overseas, this can lead to a shocking phone bill at the end of the month. Fortunately, there are numerous ways to make ways to make cheap calls overseas overseas and cut overall communication costs, while still maintaining high standards.

Plan Ahead

If you’re consistently going over your allotted minutes or getting hit with international calling fees, it’s time to reassess your contract. Look for alternative options to place international calls, and sign up for services like those at overmyminutes.com which send you an alert when you go over your monthly limit. You can also look for a plan that best matches your busiest calling times. Most businesses will peak during the hours of 9 and 5 during the week, so choose a plan that fits this pattern of usage.

Bundle Services Together

Many businesses use a range of technology to stay in touch with clients around the world. If you switch your landline, mobile phone, and Internet service to one single provider, you’ll be able to negotiate a lower overall rate. For smaller businesses, it may also make sense to bundle these services with your home usage. This is particularly true if you work from home or run several small businesses. Rather than sign up for a separate contract for each number, you may be able to package them together for lower overall rates.

Take Advantage of Free Apps

You can make the most of the minutes you have by using free online calling services and apps whenever possible. Companies like Skype, Viber, and Rebtel all allow you to make free calls to members of the same network, provided that you are using a computer. These can be particularly useful for businesses, because many provide video chat services to enable a virtual conference. Because more and more businesses are switching over to VoIP accounts, there’s a high chance that some of your contacts will be on the same network. The downside to these programs is that service can be spotty at times, but you get what you pay for.

Provide Company Calling Cards

Do you have employees heading overseas for business on a regular basis? It may be worth purchasing international calling or SIM cards. You can even get free SIM cards now from a number of providers, which can then be loaded with minutes at a low per-minute rate. Be sure to read all terms and conditions before selecting a calling card. These will vary widely when it comes to connecting fees and expiration dates, as well as the countries they can be used in.

Go Prepaid

If you mainly rely on the internet for your business communication needs, it may be more cost-effective to pay for a prepaid phone rather than a monthly contract. This gives you the security of a business line for clients to reach you, but it also can be tailored to suit your specific calling needs.

By shopping around and combining your mobile phone usage with alternatives such as calling cards and prepaid phones, you can save a bundle on your business calls.