By Nick Pell

4 Fashion Must Haves  -- - and How to Care for Them

Working remotely is a growing trend that allows small businesses to save on the costs of an office. New technologies like video conferencing make it easy for your team to get together and brainstorm without having to be in the same room as one another. With all that said -- is it time to ditch the landline completely?

The Benefits of Going Wireless

In a virtual office, having no landline might be essential -- there could literally be no way you can set up a phone system that will elegantly connect all of you. What's more, multi-line business-class phone services can be prohibitively expensive, especially for small businesses operating on thin margins.

Your options aren't necessarily between mobile and landline: a third alternative exists. A technology known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) offers many of the benefits of a landline, with a significantly diminished cost of services like long-distance calling. For a small business with a national or global outlook, the choice between VoIP and a traditional landline -- or mobile and a landline, can be a no brainer.

The Benefits of Having a Complementary Landline

Denise Clements is the CEO and founder of Community Recruiting, as well as the chair of the Board of Directors at EmpowHer Institute. She's loath to sound the death knell of the landline just yet. "My business is recruiting and the phone is huge," says Clements, adding that while everyone on her team has a cell phone, they've also got a company landline. This allows for multiple avenues of communication. "It allows someone to get me off of a call if they have something really important."

"I wouldn't want to be without either one," says Clements, "In my business it's essential that I have both."

What it boils down to is taking some time to evaluate whether or not your business can run effectively and efficiently without the old-school technology of a landline. If you decide you can't live without a landline, US Cellular offers a $149.99 phone for free with a $40 account fee for new customers. If you can stand to do without it, it may be worth streamlining your communications setup.

Nicholas Pell is a freelance small business and personal finance writer based in Southern California. His work has appeared on MainStreet, Business Insider, WiseBread and Fox Business, amongst others

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How Going Wireless Benefits Your Small Business