Mobile phones are an essential tool not only for daily life but to keep on top of business remotely.

From client calls to emails and organisation, it’s vital to find the right business mobile phone contract to help you mobilise your workforce and keep IT costs down.

First you’ll have to choose between a hardware contract where you pay for the handset over time as well as the ongoing tariff, or a SIM-only contract where you pay for the phone upfront then only pay for service usage.

Whichever route you choose, you then have the option of a contract with fixed payments and allowances or Pay As You Go to only pay for what you use.

So which option is best for your business? 

Here’s a quick guide to the benefits of a business mobile phone contract and what to look for to find the best deal.

Do you need a business mobile phone contract?

Many people opt for Pay As You Go (PAYG) because they think it’s cheaper to pay for exactly what they use, and they won’t be wasting money on services they don’t use.

However, mobile phone contracts can work out cheaper because they offer competitive deals.

You can get more in a monthly data package on contract for less money than you would pay if you were charged for everything you used in a month individually at full price.

Contracts allow you to choose the amount of inclusive texts, minutes, and data according to what you use on average.

You don’t have to worry about topping up or running out of credit, because you can still use your phone as normal even if you use up your contracted allowances and be billed for the extra usage on top of your regular payment at the end of the month.

Buying a handset on contract is also advantageous if you aren’t able to pay the lump sum upfront, as high-end smartphones for business can cost up to a thousand pounds or more.

There’s also the choice of a SIM-only contract if you’re not ready to upgrade your handset yet and want to save money paying for the SIM bundle only.

Contracts also often come with incentives that aren’t available with Pay As You Go, like discounts on phone accessories and access to software upgrades.

Looking for a mobile phone contract specifically for business is key, because standard packages normally don’t cover the amount of data connectivity that employees need when using phones as an extension of their office desks.

With a business phone contract, you’ll benefit from things like:

• Costs spread over 24-36 months
• Streamlined bills
• Dedicated account managers
• Excellent insurance coverage
• Fast repairs or replacements
• Handset upgrades
• Pooling usage across employees
• Tax deductibility (for VAT-registered companies)
• Freedom from the hassle of topping up or running short on credit
• Contract rewards like free gifts or exclusive offers

While you might be wary of being locked into a contract for a set amount of time, it simplifies admin and keeps overall costs down. 

What should you consider when choosing a business mobile phone contract?

Before you do commit to a contract, you need to be sure it meets all your business needs, including individual employee needs.

These are the things you need to think about before choosing a mobile phone contract:

• Hardware – do you need a handset on contract or just a SIM?
• Network – which network are you currently on, and will you need to switch and port numbers?
• Coverage – does the network promise the highest download speeds and reliable connection?
• Security – will your phone receive adequate security updates at enterprise level?
• Data allowance – do you need unlimited data, texts, and minutes or will a set amount be enough; how many gigabytes will you need? 
• Insurance – does your contract provider also offer suitable insurance cover?
• Customer support – do business phone plans come with dedicated account support?
• Number of users – how many individual plans do you need, are there bulk discounts available?
• Location – which areas of coverage will you be accessing; will users be roaming internationally?
• Flexibility – is your business growing in scale, and is the contract flexible enough to upgrade as needed?
• Budget – is the contract affordable and not just cheap but good value for the price?
• Broadband – if your phone service provider also offers broadband, can you switch to a combined broadband and mobile contract to save more money?
• Integration – does the hardware and/or software easily integrate with existing communications and applications?

Knowing the answers to these questions can help you to narrow down what exactly you need to look for to find the most suitable tariff.

How to find the best mobile phone contract for your business 

It’s recommended to compare phone contracts before settling on the best one for you.

If you’re unhappy with your current tariff and provider, the best time to start looking is close to the contract ending so you can avoid early termination fees when you switch to a new contract.

It’s best to speak to contract providers directly about contracts for business phones, as it’s possible to arrange a bespoke package for your business.

At Communications Plus, we offer the latest handsets from a range of manufacturers and operating systems, plus a variety of contract options with leading network provider O2 (4-time winner of best network coverage and 2-time winner of best network performance).

Contact us today to find out what Communications Plus can do for you, and start saving money with the best mobile phone contract for your company.