Telephony for a small business: a mobile number, a city number or IP telephony — which to choose
Sado AI team · · 4 min read
In short
Choose telephony for a small business by how many calls you get and who answers them. With a few calls a day, a separate mobile number in the company’s name is enough. If calls are shared between staff or several arrive at once, get a number on IP telephony (SIP) from your provider and, if needed, a cloud PBX. Whatever you choose, keep the number in the company’s name, show the same number everywhere and decide in advance who answers at night and when everyone is busy.
Answer four questions first
- How many calls a day, and how many overlap in the busiest hour?
- Who answers: only the owner, one receptionist or several people?
- Where are your staff: in one office or shop, on the road, at customers’ homes?
- Do you need call recordings, call history or a CRM?
If the answers are simple, keep the telephony simple. Equipment can be bought later; a badly chosen number is hard to change.
Compare the options
| Option | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| The owner’s personal mobile | A new business with a few calls a day | Personal and work calls mix, and the number is tied to one person |
| A separate mobile number in the company’s name | A shop or service where 1–2 people answer | One call at a time; the call goes to whoever holds the phone |
| A city or mobile number on IP telephony (SIP) | Several staff, several calls at once | Number of channels, internet quality, the provider’s tariff |
| A cloud PBX | Staff in different places; calls must be shared and recorded | Monthly fee, setup, an app on staff phones |
These options don’t rule each other out: many businesses start with a separate mobile number and move to IP telephony later. What matters is not losing the number customers know.
Common mistakes
- The number stays on the personal SIM of an employee who has left. Register the number to the company from day one.
- One number in the ads, another on Instagram, a third on the map. Customers don’t know which to call.
- The phone is switched off after hours. A customer who called in the evening calls a competitor the next morning.
- The technician can’t pick up mid-job and never finds time to call back the missed calls.
How to work out what missed calls cost you: the missed calls guide.
Example: a small repair service
Tez Usta repairs home appliances: the owner and two technicians. For example, they get 15–20 calls a day, most of them while a technician is working in a customer’s home. One company number is enough, but the question of who answers remains. An AI operator can take it: it takes the request, and the technician calls back after the job with the details ready.
Sado: Assalomu alaykum, Tez Usta, Shohruh speaking.
Caller: My washing machine won’t drain. Can a technician come today?
Sado: I see. What brand is the machine? Which district are you in?
Caller: Samsung, Chilonzor, ninth block.
Sado: Got it. The technician will call you within an hour and tell you when he can come. Should he call this number?
Caller: Yes, this one.
Sado: Great, expect the call. Thank you!
What an AI operator gives a small business
Sado’s AI operator connects to your current city or mobile number through your provider’s SIP telephony (for example Sarkor or UTeL), or to a new number if you don’t have one. Customers keep calling the same number. The operator answers at once, day and night, in Uzbek or Russian, asks your questions, takes requests or books appointments, and transfers calls to a staff phone by your rule.
Each call’s recording, transcript and request are in the portal. You pay only for talked minutes: 800 so‘m a minute, no monthly or setup fee. More: AI operator for incoming calls and pricing. Try it live or call 78 778 01 23.
Questions
Does a small business need a mini-PBX?
Usually not. With two or three people, a separate number and, if needed, a cloud PBX are enough; no equipment has to go into the office.
Can a mobile number be connected to an AI operator?
Yes, if your mobile operator provides a SIP connection for that number. If not, a new number can be connected, and we’ll choose the easier route together. More answers: questions about Sado.
Isn’t an AI operator expensive with few calls?
Sado has no monthly fee, only talked minutes at 800 so‘m. For example, 10 two-minute calls a day: 20 × 800 = 16,000 so‘m.