Guide · for independents & IT shops
How to start a VoIP business without building a network.
You can run your own phone company: your name on the service, your prices, your customers. The question is how much of the network you want to build yourself. Here are the three ways in, and the steps on the one most independents take.
$25 of free credit. No card, no platform fee, no contract.
Three ways to start
White label is the route most independents and IT shops take, because it gets you to a paying customer without building or running a network.
| White-label reseller | Build your own network | Agent / referral | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What you sell | Your own branded phone service | Phone service on your own network | Someone else’s service |
| Who owns the customer | You | You | The provider |
| What you have to build | Your brand and your price | Servers, carrier contracts, numbers, 911, billing | Nothing |
| How you earn | Your price minus the wholesale rate | Your price minus everything you run | A commission, on their terms |
| Who supports the customer | You, with the platform behind you | You, for everything | The provider |
What you actually need
On the white-label route, the list is short.
Customers who trust you
The businesses you already help with computers and networks are the easiest first sales.
Someone who can install a desk phone
Phones set themselves up once plugged in; you handle the visit and the customer.
A platform with published rates
So you know your cost before you quote. On SimuWave: $4 a seat, $1.50 a number, 1.9¢ a minute, no platform fee.
Steps to your first paying customer
Pick who you sell to
Start with businesses that already trust you: the ones whose computers, networks or offices you already look after.
Set up your brand
Sign up for a white-label platform, choose your portal address and add your logo, colors and support email.
Run your own office on it
Put your own phones on it first. You learn the system, and it becomes your demo.
Set your price
Per seat per month is the simplest. Price against what your customer pays today, not against your cost.
Quote your first customer
Count the seats, the numbers they want to keep and every location. Each location needs a 911 address.
Move them over and bill them
Port their numbers, plug in the phones, build their call flow, and send your first invoice at your price.
Not doing this alone: call us for help with your pricing, your first quote or the install.
Free guide · not ready to start yet?
The Beginner's Guide to a Profitable VoIP Business
- ✓How to price business phone service so it pays
- ✓What to put in your first customer quote
- ✓Where the margin comes from, seat by seat
Questions
How do I start my own phone company?
The fastest way in is white label: you sell phone service under your own brand on a platform that already has the network, carrier connections, numbers and 911 registration. Building your own network means servers, carrier contracts and 911 compliance before your first customer.
How much does it cost to start a VoIP business?
On a white-label platform with no platform fee, you pay only for what your customers use. On SimuWave that is $4 a seat, $1.50 a number and 1.9¢ a minute, with no platform fee, no minimum and no contract, and you start with $25 of free credit.
Do I need a license to start a VoIP business?
On a white-label platform the provider carries the carrier relationships, numbers and 911 registration. Telecom taxes and fees still apply to what you bill, so ask your accountant how they work in your state.
Can I start a VoIP business by myself?
Yes. The platform runs the network; you sell, install and support your customers, which is work a small IT shop already does.
What is the difference between a VoIP reseller and a VoIP agent?
A reseller owns the customer, sets the price and sends the invoice. An agent refers customers to a provider for a commission, and the provider owns the relationship.
Related
Start your phone company
Set up your brand and build a working phone system on your own account with $25 of free credit.
Questions? Call (479) 510-2700. A real person answers.