With the rise of remote work and the increasing ease of digital communications, it's condign more and more than common to employ video conferencing for business. And for minor businesses, it tin be a great option, helping you save on costly travel—or eliminating the demand to have an role space at all.

Video conferencing gives you the ability to touch base with clients and teammates across the country (or even the world), while still getting the interpersonal advantage of seeing and hearing them contiguous.

That is, equally long as you have the best home video conferencing setup that makes sure the other political party can always encounter and hear you.

Trouble is, it can be hard to know what you lot actually demand for success, especially if you're running a small business organisation that might non demand all the bells and whistles.

That's why we'll testify you how to become your unabridged team ready for professional person video conferencing and more effective meetings —without breaking the banking company.

Want to skip ahead? Hither's the road map for what nosotros'll cover today:

  • What kind of video conferencing setup exercise small businesses need?
  • Your video conference room setup checklist:
    • For everyday internal virtual meetings
    • For meetings with clients and customers over video
    • For preparation, webinars, or recorded meetings
    • For interviews or virtual presentations

Keep reading to build a conferencing setup that'due south a Goldilocks solution for your small business: not too basic, not over-the-top for your bodily needs, but but right.

Shopping for a video conferencing tool? (Or just curious virtually what to look for?) Take hold of this costless checklist to assistance you choose the right ane for your team or business.


What kind of video conferencing setup do pocket-size businesses need?

When you run a small business and have a remote squad, video calls quickly become second nature. Your weekly all-easily meeting, hiring interviews , client calls, fifty-fifty everyday networking—they can all be done easily and efficiently over a video conference call.

And when yous're on video calls all day, information technology's important to make sure you're doing them right. Do you have a good backdrop or uncluttered workspace? Could you invest in equipment or software to make sure your meetings run more than smoothly?

The good news? Small businesses don't need a ton of fancy equipment or specific products to make their video conferences more professional.

In fact, if you lot're by and large just using video for internal calls, your laptop webcam, a make clean groundwork, and the right video conferencing app  might exist all you need. If, on the other hand, y'all're going to use video for client calls or presentations, you might want to invest in some (not-too-expensive) equipment.

The type of equipment your pocket-size business concern will need volition vary, but here are the main video conferencing setup requirements to consider:

Video quality

Of course, you desire to be clearly seen on video! Video quality is impacted by both your technology and your environment. It'southward easy plenty to upgrade your video with a better webcam, just if y'all don't also have a professional person surroundings and at least some lighting on your face, it won't make much of a deviation.

Other than the camera, your video conferencing software tin also touch on your video quality. For example, certain tools (like RingCentral Video ) give you HD video on your calls:

Audio quality

Sound is manifestly extremely of import for getting your message across. You can invest in a small USB microphone to be sure yous can exist clearly heard. Again, don't forget about your environment—block distracting noises and annoying echos by using headphones or only turning off fans and closing the door while you lot're on a call.

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Software and other technology tools

Of course, it's crucial to invest in a video calling platform that'due south reliable, easy to use, and allows for high-quality video. But well-nigh businesses will need other features too, like screen sharing and robust security . (If you remember yous'll need these, don't just choose the first free selection you lot see!)


Your video conference room setup checklist

While about minor businesses don't crave expensive equipment for a weekly all-easily coming together, there are some scenarios where you may need something a little more than professional.

You may have some team members that are all fix with a webcam on their laptop, while other client-facing folks might need upgraded equipment if they're talking with VIP clients all day.

Because it's not a one-size-fits-all state of affairs, we'll share a few options tools so y'all tin can see the nearly mutual use cases where you'll need to take video meetings.

Here's how to optimize for the best audio quality, video quality, and applied science tools for each of these different types of video calls and recordings.


How to ready upwardly video conferencing for everyday internal meetings

For your standard daily meetings, hopping on a video phone call to respond a coworker's question, or your weekly team check-in, you probably don't need any boosted equipment as long equally your laptop has a built-in photographic camera.

That said, there are steps you tin can take (and virtual coming together guidelines you can share with your team) to ensure the best possible call experience for everyone.

  • Consider your background

Of course, ideally, everyone would take a home role featuring a professional groundwork for video calls, only that'due south not e'er the case.

Try to find a neutral properties for your video call, ideally a bare wall without a window (so you don't become the shadow). Close any doors that tin can be seen on the call and exist sure to shift any distracting clutter offscreen.

  • Look into the camera

Optimize for the best video feel past finding a skilful angle for your camera. That might hateful boosting your laptop a bit on a stack of books, since you should aim to have the camera right at eye level, if possible. Position yourself so that your shoulders to your head can be seen—non too close and not likewise far.

  • Cut downwardly on groundwork noise

As far equally audio goes, the most of import thing is to eliminate background dissonance. That might just mean turning off a fan or moving to a space farther from your washing auto. Shut the door and try to keep anyone else in the house out of your work space.

If your environment is inherently noisy, try wearing headphones on your call to cut down on background noise distractions and be certain y'all can be conspicuously heard.

  • Choose the right video conferencing platform

While you can get away with generally the tools built into your laptop for a standard video meeting, you exercise need to invest in the actual platform for the meeting to take identify on. And, because of how integral video calls are to remote work environments, this is not the identify to skimp.

Be sure to notice a platform that allows for all the features you lot need for internal meetings, including loftier quality video, the ability to run into from any device—computers, tablets, or smartphones, and screen sharing.

For example, RingCentral allows you lot to share your screen then everyone can stay on the same page, sharing presentations and proofs, or presenting technical problems to the group. With avant-garde note tools, everyone can comment on and highlight the information shared:

video conferencing setup with screen share annotations in ringcentral video

Plus, RingCentral is an all-in-one tool—perfect for small businesses that don't want to manage a growing technology stack and expensive subscriptions. Use RingCentral for instant messaging , file sharing, and phone calls, also—all in one place.

🕹️ Go a easily-on look at how RingCentral works by booking a product tour:

💰 You lot can too use this calculator to run across roughly how much your business could save by using RingCentral to support your team'south communication with each other—and clients.


How to set up video conferencing with clients

Once you showtime holding sales meetings or other customer-facing virtual meetings over video, it'due south time to step up the professionalism a little.

Afterwards all, a professional video call can be primal to making a sale or ensuring customer retention—and once it's tied directly to your bottom line, you might notice information technology worthwhile to invest in.

  • Invest in a webcam

On the video side of things, it might be a good idea to footstep up an external webcam in order to evangelize more professional person video quality.

The camera built into your calculator merely isn't going to be that keen, so, if you lot're using video calling a lot, information technology's worthwhile to invest in a amend option to deliver better quality video. It doesn't take to be a huge splurge—you can notice good options around $100.

As an added bonus, you won't have to prop your laptop up to go your photographic camera at a natural eye level.

  • Notice your light

Another pace to improve the video quality on client-facing calls? Beginning thinking about lighting.

Try finding a light to direct at your face—you tin buy one specifically designed for the task, but yous could as well just grab your desk lamp and aim it toward your face, simply to a higher place your webcam.

If y'all're just using an overhead calorie-free, your face and the background will be lit the same on screen. By lighting your face, yous aid it to stand out from the background and appear more conspicuously. It's a small step that looks more intentional and professional.

  • Put your headphones on

To take your audio to a more than professional level, invest in a good pair of headphones to exist certain that no background noise is distracting your customer or client, and ensure that you can be heard clearly. In-ear headphones or earbuds are a more subtle choice visually simply notwithstanding let for better sound quality.

  • Cull a secure platform

When you lot're discussing a customer'south specific needs, it'south important to ensure that your video phone call is secure . Whether you have industry confidentiality regulations to consider, or you lot merely desire to be considerate, clients will appreciate that you value their privacy.

That'southward why RingCentral isn't but skillful for internal video calls—it's also the perfect pick for client and customer calls every bit well. With end-to-stop encryption and the ability to command meeting security by locking the meeting, removing members, or calculation a countersign, RingCentral keeps your data safe:

video conferencing setup with security settings in RingCentral Video


How to set video conferencing for webinars and trainings

Nosotros mostly think of in-the-moment video calls to connect, but what nearly creating grooming videos, recording important meetings, or even recording webinars? You can use RingCentral to exercise it all.

And, once you first saving these kinds of recordings to use and reuse later, it'due south one time again fourth dimension to step up your video setup. Later all, if it'due south going to alive a little longer (and potentially be customer-facing), why non exist certain yous await your best?

  • Step up your lighting

Once y'all start saving recordings, we vote that it's time to invest in higher quality lighting. While your desk lamp is probably doing the best information technology can, it's best to notice an option that creates a gentler, diffused lighting issue while still casting light on your confront from the front.

You'll get the best outcome with two or three lights fix upwardly effectually your reckoner.

There are a lot of options out in that location, at a variety of budgets, simply we recommend finding ane that'south color temperature adjustable, so you tin can make the lighting more "blue" or more "orangish." This will allow you to suit the look and find the correct balance so you lot don't expect similar you have an alien gleam or a tanning bed glow.

  • Employ a microphone

When nosotros say that saved recordings should exist of a higher quality, that includes audio, too. Then, information technology'due south fourth dimension to purchase a small-scale external microphone.

If y'all call up y'all take to choose either between your calculator audio recording quality or a total-on podcast setup, don't worry. There's a middle ground of USB microphones that run nigh $50–75 and volition give you better sound quality to ensure your message gets across.

  • Leverage your engineering science

And, if you're using RingCentral, skillful news—assuasive for meetings of up to 500 people, you can even host large-scale training or digital conferences in the same platform you use for your weekly squad cheque-ins.

  • Be sure to tape the webinar or preparation video

Desire to record a coming together, video tutorial, or even pre-tape a webinar? With RingCentral, you can easily record meetings in loftier-definition video with the click of a button.

💡 Pro-tip:

Our customers love to apply RingCentral to simply record themselves past creating a "meeting" of one, so they can share loftier-quality video grooming, complete with screen sharing if necessary.


How to set upward video conferencing for interviews or conference presentations

Finally, if y'all're going to be virtually interviewed on the news, presenting at (or hosting) a virtual conference, or otherwise being seen on a large scale, you'll want to have the all-time possible video quality that will reflect positively on your company and be great PR for y'all.

  • Get a existent camera

Want to have the best possible video image? Use an actual camera (yep, we're talking non-webcam) to record your video to get the best event.

It's going to be a pace upward from the investment you would make in a webcam, merely if you want to be taken seriously and actually expect professional, yous need to take the all-time video conferencing equipment.

You tin can expect up videos online for how to connect your specific camera to your computer to exist used as a webcam (in fact, if yous're buying a new camera, wait upwardly this video first to be certain it will work for you).

If you're using an actual photographic camera for your video recording, you also take the option to bandy out lenses or accommodate your settings and then you tin get that slightly blurred background that volition look really slick and proceed all the focus on you lot.

  • Use a lav mic

On the audio side of things, you can upgrade to a lavalier microphone (they're those little ones that clip onto your shirt) in order to have the best audio from a device closer to your mouth than your USB mic would exist. You can find inexpensive ones that plug into your USB port, or go for a wireless one so you don't get tangled in the cable.

And recollect, if y'all utilize RingCentral, y'all can employ the platform to host the conference or even just record your presentation.

Prepare to design your habitation function video conferencing setup?

What entails the best abode video conferencing setup will vary from person to person. While many team members may exercise well with just the standard laptop equipment, others could utilize an upgrade for customer-facing conversations or fifty-fifty major PR opportunities.

But even if you just use video conferencing for everyday meetings and calls, one affair's for sure: the correct software makes all the difference. And RingCentral is the best option when information technology comes to pocket-size business organization video conferencing.

Now that you're equipped with the right tools for the job, you tin can go forth confidently knowing yous accept the best video conferencing setup for your business concern needs.

Originally published Jul 01, 2022, updated November xviii, 2022