Nobody starts a business because they love paying phone bills. But somewhere between the per-line charges, the long-distance fees, the maintenance contracts, and the mysterious “regulatory recovery” surcharges, phone costs have a way of adding up like weeds in July. VoIP can change that math considerably.

Where the Savings Come From

It’s not one big thing — it’s a bunch of smaller things that add up.

No per-line charges. Traditional phone service bills you for each physical line. A small office with four lines might pay $40–60 per line, per month, just for basic dial tone. VoIP plans typically charge per user at a lower rate, with multiple calls handled over a single internet connection you’re already paying for.

Setting up a new phone system sounds like a big project. In the old days, it was — trucks rolling up, technicians pulling cable, equipment racks bolted to the wall. VoIP is a different story. The hardest part of the whole process might be deciding which desk to put the phone on.

Step 1: Take Stock of What You Need

Before you pick a plan or order equipment, spend ten minutes thinking about how your business actually uses the phone:

If you’re shopping for a phone system, you’ve probably run into the term “hosted PBX” and wondered what it means — and how it compares to the traditional phone service you’ve used for years. Let’s lay it out plainly.

Traditional Phone Lines

This is what most of us grew up with. A pair of copper wires runs from the phone company’s central office to your building. Each line can handle one call at a time. If you want three simultaneous calls, you need three lines. You get a dial tone, you make calls, and at the end of the month, you get a bill with a bunch of line items you don’t fully understand.

A good phone system is like a good fence — you shouldn’t have to think about it much. It’s just there, doing its job, day after day. But when things start breaking down, the signs are hard to ignore.

Here are five signals that your current phone setup has seen better days.

1. You’re Paying for Lines You Don’t Use

Traditional phone systems charge per line, and many businesses end up paying for capacity they added years ago for a situation that never quite materialized. If you’re paying for four lines but only ever use two, that’s money walking out the barn door every month.