Businesses are switching to SIM-only deals. Here’s why

Communication is an important part of doing business, with retailers needing to stay in touch with their customers, suppliers, employees, and other third parties. 

Staff members also need to communicate with other staff members, as well as their superiors and customers. 

There are numerous ways of bridging communication between parties, but mobile phones and email have remained the most popular because of how convenient and accessible they are. 

When choosing a way to communicate to different parties, businesses must choose a reliable and affordable way of ensuring connectivity. SIM-only deals specifically tailored for businesses are a popular option, with more businesses choosing them over available alternatives.

What Is a SIM-only deal?

Traditionally, people bought a mobile plan that included a phone, SIM card, and the tariff that best suited them. 

However, this is an expensive option for businesses due to the added cost of the mobile devices against the overall cost of the plan. 

SIM-only plans, on the other hand, provide only a SIM card with allowances for data, texts, and calls depending on the SIM card provider and the plan a business chooses. 

Because there is no phone included in the plan, these plans are often cheaper than mobile plans, making them suitable for businesses, especially those that have lots of employees.

As there are so many businesses switching to SIM-only deals, it stands to reason that there are benefits to making the switch. Here are some of the more notable ones.

SIM-only deals are cheaper

As mentioned above, the cost of the device is not factored into the cost of these plans, making them cheaper over the two years a business would be on a monthly contract that includes the device and a SIM card. 

If a business has devices that employees can use, they do not have to incur additional costs, especially in cases where the business does not want employees using their personal phones for business purposes.

Businesses do not want to be tied down

Many businesses do not want to get into lengthy contracts, some of which can be as long as two years. SIM-only deals remove this restriction and allow businesses the freedom to choose a plan that is just right for them. 

Providers like Lebara allow businesses to sign up for 30-day plans, which are billed on a rolling basis. This means businesses can pay monthly for as long as they like and get off the plan when they no longer need the service. 

By signing up for a SIM-only deal on Lebara.co.uk, businesses can also choose between plans that offer different data, text, and call tiers, depending on their needs. 

There are also no credit checks for Lebara’s SIM only deals, which makes their sign-up process easy and convenient, especially for businesses that would like to get SIM cards for lots of employees.

Flexibility and freedom

While there are different SIM-only plans available in the market, they are not all the same.

All of them provide different amounts of data, call minutes, and tests so businesses are better able to match their requirements to a provider who best suits them. 

This flexibility allows businesses to shop around for the best provider as well as switch between different plans as their requirements fluctuate. The flexibility and freedom to choose the best provider, as well as the best plan, is a sensible choice for businesses that go this route.

Freedom to choose any phone

A lot of businesses who opt for SIM-only plans let their employees keep their existing phones if they like or if they have dual SIM phones. 

Employees can change or upgrade their phones as they like because they are not tied to a single phone like they would if their employer put them on a mobile contract plan.

This way, employees can use the latest and greatest phone if they like, or any phone that is capable and adequate for what they need.

Additionally, employees who get a SIM card from their employer do not have to declare any information to HM Revenue and Customs because they are not entering into any contracts with the SIM card provider. The employer is entering into these contracts on their behalf.

For businesses whose contracts are coming to an end, they may have to switch to a new phone that may not be suitable for their employees.

With a SIM-only plan, these businesses can wait as long as they like to get the new phone, or even get a new one anytime they like if it fits what they are looking for in a phone.

No need to transfer or change mobile mumbers

Businesses that want to upgrade their phones but still keep their phone numbers are best served by SIM only deals. 

All they have to do is swap their SIM cards from their old devices, insert them into the new devices and they have the same number on these devices. 

If you do this, clients and customers will not have any issues getting in touch with you or your employees when you purchase new mobile devices or switch to a new plan.

No need for two phones

For businesses that need employees to have a business number, the employees might end up carrying two phones. This can be inconvenient for them, especially if they have to carry two separate chargers for both of their phones. 

With dual-SIM phones gaining popularity in the UK, employees no longer need to have two phones as they can have two SIM cards, one for business and one for personal use, on the same device. It’s the ideal way to manage personal and business devices.

If employees already own dual-sim phones, then the business does not have to incur extra costs purchasing capable phones for them. In many cases, employees have phones that a lot more capable than those a business would buy them anyway. 

This way, employees get to use the best devices and the business saves money not having to purchase phones for its employees.

Taking advantage of 5G

5G is a lot faster than previous technologies, sometimes up to 100 times faster than 4G connectivity. 5G also has lower latency which means fewer delays in businesses that depend on the internet. 

SIM card only plans providers allow businesses to upgrade their existing SIM cards to 5G-capable ones, allowing them to take advantage of the increased coverage, faster speeds, and lower latency that 5G brings. 

These faster speeds allow businesses to take advantage of technologies such as cloud computing, cloud storage, machine learning, and the Internet of Things. 

If you would like to upgrade your business or employee plans to a 5G network, you should talk to your current SIM card provider or shop around because there are no restrictions to doing this when you are on a SIM-only plan. 

Choosing or switching to a SIM-only plan for your business as well as your employees affords your business so many benefit.

It can help your business save money on communication and on buying new devices for employees, it eliminates the need to switch numbers when you upgrade your phone and lets your business and employees take advantage of all the benefits 5G brings with it.