5 Key Questions For Choosing a Business Mobile Plan

Business mobile phone’s are essential to keep connected to your team

How can you find the best contract for your business?

In days gone by, having a business mobile phone was seen as a luxury – something only big corporations could afford. However, with this technology being so accessible now, the mobile phone has grown into something that not only benefits business, but is a vital asset. However, we all know just how advanced mobile technology is now. From being able to make calls over the internet to a plethora of applications at our fingertips that facilitate pretty much any task – there isn’t much that cannot be done through a mobile phone. Business mobile contracts reflect this technological progression. With so much choice when it comes to features, tariff allowances and deals, it can be compared to being a kid in a candy shop when it comes to choosing the best business mobile contract for you. It can be tempting to go for the most flashy contract that is packed with large allowances and features – but this isn’t always the most suitable and can lead to paying for features you don’t need. On the other hand, if you’re on a budget, you may think it wise to go for the most basic packages, but you may find yourself overspending due to going over your limits or having to purchase add-ons in order to meet your needs.

The key to finding the best business mobile phone plan is researching and analysing your current or planned use of business mobile phones. Once you know precisely what you need from a mobile phone contract, you can take this information and compare it to different phone plans to find the one that most benefits your business. This takes the guesswork out of the process and helps you to avoid plans or deals that may look attractive, but aren’t practical in reality.

At Elite, we know how tricky it can be to find your perfect business mobile plan – it can be hard to know where to begin when it comes to figuring out what you actually need! So, we’ve collated 5 key questions, to help you assess what you need from your business mobile phone contract.

1)    What’s your budget?

The first question is, how much are you looking to spend on your business mobile contract? Having a firm idea of the amount you can invest in your business mobile will help when it comes to searching for suitable packages. It will also help you to be realistic when identifying how many phones your business actually needs and the types of handsets you want to buy. When it comes to finding the best deal, knowing how much you want to spend can help you to narrow down all package options that give you the most for your money.

2)    How many business mobile contracts do you actually need?

Although you may identify that a number of your team could use a mobile phone at some point – how frequently would they need to use one? It could become frustrating if you invest in business mobiles that some members of your team don’t actually need. It also will bump up the cost of your business mobile contract, unnecessarily. If you already have a mobile fleet, it would be really useful to analyse how frequently they are actually used and what they are used for. You may find that some team members don’t utilise a mobile phone as often as you thought they did, which means you can strip back your mobile fleet to people who actually need them and save yourself some money. It could be possible for your team to use laptops or tablets as softphones, using the internet, which could decrease the amount of mobile phones you require. In short, to correctly identify the final number of mobile phones you need, you have to know:

• Who already has a mobile phone and why?
• How often are they using this mobile and in what circumstances?
• Who could work without a mobile phone or swap to a desk phone or softphone?

Once you’ve finalised the amount of mobile phones you need, you can move on to the next question.

3)    What do you need from your business mobile plan?

Nowadays, we don’t just use mobile phones for calling and texting. Most mobile contracts include unlimited call and text tariffs as standard because the main feature that everyone cares about, these days, is the amount of data that is included within your package. This is one of the main variables when it comes to picking a business mobile package and one of the main considerations you will have to take into account when choosing your contract.

If your use consists of mostly traditional calls and texts with some internet access, then you could, potentially, get away with a lower data allowance. However, if you underestimate the amount of data you use, this could become a costly expense as you will have to pay extra for going over your allowance. On the other hand, be careful when considering unlimited data tariffs. They may seem more cost-efficient, as it’s unlimited, therefore you won’t have to worry about going over your allowance, but an unlimited tariff can be costly and unnecessary in most circumstances.

The amount of data that you need is determined by how you use your phone – as outlined in the first question. For example, if you’re likely to be making a lot of video calls, streaming conferences, downloading documents or weighty email attachments, this is going to eat up a lot of data, so a larger allowance will be more suitable. Whereas, if you’re relying on data to send emails, use maps or browsing the internet, you may only need a small data allowance. Many of us use online messaging and call applications, such as Whatsapp, Skype and Microsoft Teams on our mobiles to communicate with each other, which can have an impact on your data usage, particularly when video calling. So, if your company does tend to use online communication applications frequently, this is something to take into consideration when choosing a business mobile plan.

Furthermore, you’ve also got to factor in how often the user is going to need to use data based on where they will be working. If they’re likely to spend a lot of time in places where Wi-Fi is available, then a large data bundle probably isn’t necessary. However, if they’re going to be spending a lot of time out and about then they may be reliant on data in order to stay connected and use the applications they need in order to stay productive.

Moving away from data, there are other charges that could mount up depending on how your business mobile is used. For example, if you plan on sending a lot of multi-media text messages (messages that include photos, videos or audio) this isn’t always included in standard text allowances and you will have to pay an extra charge every time you send one. Furthermore, calls to international numbers may also incur extra charges, so if this is something that your team will need to do regularly, this definitely needs to be taken into consideration when analysing your mobile use and picking your business mobile package.

4)    What handsets will you require?

There’s no denying that the type of handsets available in the modern market are extraordinary. With sleek designs that are packed with a range of exciting features, it can be very tempting to get the latest model with all the bells and whistles, but the question is – do you really need it? Naturally, if you invest in a top of the range model, it isn’t going to be cheap and the features that are included in the handset might not be particularly useful to your business. When it comes to picking a business mobile handset, practicality has to be the number one priority, particularly when you’re on a budget. This is where planning how you are going to use the mobile phone really does come in handy. For example if the business mobile is going to be used by a sales representative, who will be travelling a lot during the day, then a key feature for their handset would be a decent battery life, so they won’t have to worry about having to charge it up throughout the day. If the user was a construction site manager and is going to be using it for video calls when out and about or taking photographs on sites, then having a decent camera will obviously be priority. At the end of the day, when it comes to picking the best handset for you, the most expensive isn’t always the best. Identify the main features that the user will need from their mobile phone and prioritise those.

Remember that the type of phone you use may limit the types of apps that you can run on it. These days, most popular apps are available across all smartphones, but some maybe limited to certain operating systems. For example if there is a specific app that the user will need and it is only available for iOS, you’re going to be a bit stuck if you pick a phone with an Android operating system. So, before you go ahead and pick a handset, ensure that all of the applications you are likely to use are available on its operating system.

Furthermore the environment in which the phone is going to be used may determine which handset would be more suitable. For example, the environment in which a construction site manager works is very different from a sales representative. When analysing how the phone is going to be used, identifying the environment is a really important factor, as some users may need a more robust model than others.

5)    How are you going to manage security?

Although mobile phones are great for keeping important information close at hand, they are vulnerable to data security risks. They can easily be left behind or stolen which can put sensitive information at risk. Most people consider simply having the phone password or pin protected as a suitable measure against data theft, but this isn’t really comprehensive. Unprotected Wi-Fi connections, hacking and physical theft all pose a risk to your company’s data. Email and text scams are also rife – just one click on a dodgy message can leave your device wide open to cyber criminals. Business mobile security should be a key consideration when choosing your business mobile. Implementing device management as part of your package can be really beneficial as it can offer features, such as remote wiping, which allows you to erase the data kept on a device if it is lost or stolen. Encryption on apps is also useful to ensure cyber criminals can’t access the data kept on your device’s application. Finally, training your staff on how to properly and safely use their business mobile is absolutely crucial to ensure innocent mistakes, such as leaving their phone unattended, accidentally opening scam emails and messages and downloading dodgy applications don’t have an impact on your data security. When choosing your business mobile plan, ensure that security is a priority factor that is considered.

Let Elite help you to find the answers

Choosing the best business mobile plan for you can be a daunting task, but you don’t have to do it alone. Elite Group have a team of Business Mobile Specialists, who are experts in their field and capable of analysing your needs and finding a package that fits those needs exactly.  Our prestigious relationship with 3 of the biggest UK networks – O2, EE and Vodafone – means we are in the perfect position to offer you a plan that covers everything you need at a price that meets your budget. Our network agnostic approach means we aren’t tied to promoting one particular network or package, so we only suggest plans that are solely right for your requirements.

With all that being said, there’s only one last question to ask. What makes Elite different? You can get everything you need including your contract, handsets and device management services all in one space. Finally, your dedicated account manager will make sure you are always getting the best deal and will take the hassle out of finding your perfect business mobile package. Top deals, the latest handsets and stress-free account management – this is the Elite difference.

Elite Group is one of the UK’s leading unified communication providers, supplying reliable and professional IT and unified communication services to organisations seeking Business Mobile, Cloud, Networking, Connectivity, and Telephony solutions.

For more information on how Elite Group can power your unified communication solutions,  call us or request a quote today.