Before you sign a contract with a business VoIP service provider, get some straight answers to these 10 questions:

1. "Are there any early-termination penalties?"

   No matter how good everything else is about a particular business VoIP provider, if you're locked into a two- or three-year contract (or longer) that's pretty bad. And you're going to find many business VoIP providers do this -- and it's just the way it is. If you don't like it, you can try to negotiate around it; but the bottom line is that you should be prepared to walk away and find another provider.

2. "Are there additional (hidden) start-up costs?"

   If the package price looks too good to be true, it probably is. Find out what it includes -- and what is extra. You might be surprised. But you'll be glad you asked.

   And another thing: if your final decision is based on two competing quotes, go through each quote line by line. Make sure you are comparing apples and apples -- not apples and oranges.

3. "What day-to-day costs are NOT going to be covered by your business VoIP quote?"

   Again, I can't stress enough the importance of writing down everything you think you'll need as part of your business VoIP plan. Then talk to your vendor and make sure these aren't going to be considered "add-ons" or "extras." For example, if you want conference calling, make sure you aren't going to be nickle-and-dimed to death for using it.

   Make a spreadsheet that details all of your actual communications usage and ask about all the items on the list so you can predict your costs.

4. "Can I 'plug and play' my fax machine or not?"

   Look out for faxing on business VoIP systems. A lot of older systems can't deal with it very well without add-on components. Just because you have a phone line doesn't mean you can fax anything. Better to ask upfront what is included in your business VoIP plan that makes faxing possible.

5. "What are the additional costs for upgrading?"

   On one hand you can't expect your business VoIP vendor to eat the cost of your mistakes. But you can lessen the pain somewhat by choosing a provider that is willing to work with you to provide good service.

6. "Will my business VoIP system be able to handle employees working from home?"

   Although you might not have remote or mobile employees now, who knows what'll happen down the road?

   Plan ahead by asking your vendor now whether you business VoIP system will be able to accommodate these sorts of workers in the future. And don't be afraid of thinking outside the box -- sometimes a solution is easier than you think. For example, one solution is to get a single line for someone working from home and then (using your business VoIP call-forwarding) transfer calls to that remote location.

7. "What do I need to do in order to use my old phones on my new business VoIP system?"

   Your business VoIP provider should be able to integrate them into your system without too much problem. And a good thing too -- depending on how many phones you have, it can wind up saving you hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.

8. "Can you guarantee a certain level of Quality of Service?"

   Be blunt up-front. Ask your vendor directly. If their answer sounds fishy, run and find another provider. Life's too short to spend hours on the phone tracking down solutions.

9. "If I dial 911 from my business VoIP phone, will dispatchers know my location automatically?"

   This is a kind of touchy subject with business VoIP providers. Many of them will talk about E911 being available soon. But don't settle for service in some far-distant calendar quarter. If they cannot provide you with E911 service now, they should be able to give you a firm estimate for when it will come online.

10. "How do I know you are going to be around for the entire term of my contract with you?"

    With the collapse of SunRocket and the near-death experience that is Vonage, you have a right to know if your business VoIP provider is in it for the long haul. You also want to know if they will be bought out by a bigger company. Make sure your contract is binding regardless of whose name is on it in the near future.