Rising costs across the board plus load-shedding are keeping business owners on their toes this year. Surviving the next three months will be crucial for companies hoping to make it to 2023.“It’s tough out there,” says Euphoria Telecom CEO John Woollam, “but businesses can save costs and help their staff and customers make it through the winter.” He suggests three guiding principles to help SMEs survive:

Take your telephony to the cloud – Internet Protocol (IP) cloud-based phone solutions are substantially cheaper (up to 70% in some cases) than PBX hardware solutions, are flexible enough to let you redirect your calls easily, and enable your employees to set up at home with just a handset and an internet connection. “They’re very quick to sign up and set up too,” adds Woollam. Plus, you’re contactable with or without power at your main business location.

Send your call centre team home – Save on office rentals, and help your people to be happier while maintaining productive contact, irrespective of where they are based geographically. Modern telephony solutions mean your landline can go with your staff wherever they are, on their browser or via a mobile app, so you’re no longer tied down by the need to be at the office. With load-shedding a constant possibility, help them to keep laptops and mobiles charged and look at getting power banks that can keep a laptop powered for several hours. “Power banks for mobile phones are readily available and very affordable too,” Woollam notes.

Have a heart – show your team and customers you care. More than ever, companies that have a human face and support their community are likely to be the ones to have repeat business and retain employees. It need not be expensive either, as long as it’s authentic and not a fake marketing exercise. One of Woollam’s favourite examples is a hairdresser who advertises “silent appointments” for people who are too emotionally drained to manage small talk while having their hair cut. Instead, they can enjoy a new look without the hairdresser forcing them to make smalltalk during the process.

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