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:

Short answer: yes. Almost certainly, yes.

This is one of the most common questions we get, and it makes sense. Your phone number is part of your identity — it’s on your business cards, your storefront, your invoices, and lodged firmly in the memories of customers who’ve been calling you for years. Nobody wants to change that.

How Number Porting Works

The process of moving your existing phone number to a new provider is called “number porting,” and it’s your legal right. The FCC requires phone companies to let you take your number with you when you switch providers. This applies to landlines, cell phones, and yes, VoIP.

You’ve probably heard the term “VoIP” tossed around, maybe from your nephew who works in IT, or from one of those ads that promises to cut your phone bill in half. Let’s break it down without the tech jargon.

VoIP in a Nutshell

VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. That’s a fancy way of saying “phone calls over the internet.” Instead of your voice traveling through old copper phone lines, it gets converted into data and sent over your internet connection — the same one you use for email and watching cat videos.