What is the best phone system for a small business?

For most offices of 5 to 25 users, hosted VoIP: fixed per-user pricing, no on-site hardware to maintain, and it works with desk phones or mobile apps. If the business already runs on Microsoft 365, Teams Voice is worth a look. We quote two options where there is a genuine choice.

How much does a small business phone system cost?

Hosted VoIP starts around £8 to £15 per user per month, with handsets typically £100 to £250 as a one-off. Microsoft Teams Voice with the carrier add-on is typically £8 to £12 per user per month on top of existing Teams licensing. Multi-year deals usually pull these numbers down.

Can I keep my existing phone numbers?

Yes. Number porting moves your numbers between carriers under Ofcom rules, and most ports complete in 5 to 15 working days. We handle the administration, set the cutover date, and run a temporary divert if needed so calls don't fail during the porting window.

Do we still need desk phones?

It depends on how the team works. Softphone apps on existing mobiles cover plenty of small businesses on their own; reception desks and shared spaces usually still earn a physical handset. We will not sell you desk phones your team will never pick up.

Can I use my personal mobile as the business phone?

Yes, properly. The softphone app puts your business number on your own mobile, so customers see the business line and your personal number stays private. Mobile twinning rings desk and mobile together, and you can switch the business line off at the weekend.

What happens when the PSTN is switched off?

The BT PSTN switch-off lands in early 2027, and legacy analogue and ISDN lines stop working with it. Any small business still on those lines needs a plan this year; a hosted VoIP migration typically completes inside a month, porting included.

Services/Telephone Systems/Small Business

5 to 25 Users

Small Business
Phone Systems.

A phone system for a small business should be simple: calls answered wherever the team is, one number the customer recognises, and a monthly cost you can read without a magnifying glass. CoreComms installs and supports small business phone systems across the North West and West Yorkshire, and UK wide for multi-site clients. Hosted VoIP, per-user pricing, your existing numbers ported across, staff trained before we leave.

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0330 838 1000

THE HONEST ANSWER

What actually fits a small business.

For a 5 to 25 user office, hosted VoIP is almost always the right answer: a fixed monthly cost per user, no on-site PBX, no maintenance contract. Desk phones or softphone apps, mobile twinning so external calls ring desk and mobile at once, and voicemail dropped into the inbox as audio.

We have no tribal preference on platform. We work with the major UK providers, match the system to your team size and call patterns, and quote two options where there is a genuine choice, not the one with the best margin.

And if your business is still on a legacy line, the clock matters: with the BT PSTN switch-off in early 2027, the migration window is closing. Moving on your own schedule beats moving on BT's.

THREE ROUTES

The small business phone system, three ways.

Hosted VoIP

The default for most small offices. Cloud-hosted, billed per user per month, works with desk phones or the softphone app on the mobiles the team already carries. Cheapest to deploy and easiest to support.

Microsoft Teams Voice

If the business already lives in Microsoft 365, Teams can be the phone system itself, with native UK numbering. Where Teams Voice would underdeliver, we say so and recommend hosted VoIP instead.

Simple multi-line setups

The modern replacement for the old 2-line and 4-line office phone system: the same handful of handsets, but hosted, with an auto-attendant so the first ring never gets missed.

THE INSTALL

Installed, ported and working
in a weekend.

A small business phone system install is mostly administration done properly. We run the network readiness check, handle the number porting paperwork so your existing numbers move with you under Ofcom rules, configure the handsets in our office and deliver them ready to plug in, then train the team at handover. Most small offices go live in one weekend cutover, with 30 days of post-cutover support included.

Keep your numbers

Porting usually completes in 5 to 15 working days; we run a temporary divert so calls never fail mid-move.

Handsets that suit the team

Yealink, Poly and Snom desk phones, DECT for warehouses and workshops, or app-only where desks are optional.

Routing that catches every call

Auto-attendant, hunt groups and voicemail-to-email set up on day one, not left as an exercise.

One bill, no surprises

Fixed per-user monthly pricing with the features listed, and a written quote before any work starts.

SMALL BUSINESS FAQS

Small Business Phone System FAQs.

Get a small business phone system quote.

Tell us how many users, how many sites, and what you're paying now. We'll recommend the platform that fits, quote it fixed, and handle the porting end to end. Free consultation, no obligation.

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Small BusinessPhone Systems.