Category — Virtual Office

Few would argue that the primary goals of a virtual PBX are to provide a small business owner with a professional telephone answering service and to reduce the costs associated with other useful telephone services. But in developing and marketing today’s virtual office services, many companies have masked these fundamental goals by offering a laundry list of ‘fantastic’ features that may detract consumers from determining which services they really need. As savvy consumers and business owners, however, it is our obligation to see through these marketing ploys, so that we don’t overpay for services we really won’t use.

Still, while many virtual PBX features may seem extraneous, there are some ‘extras’ that can be surprisingly useful. Here are 5 virtual office features that can contribute greatly to the professionalism and efficiency of any small business.

1. Call recording. Even if you think that you’ll never need to record a call, you may be amazed at how useful this feature can be when making verbal agreements- and making sure that they are implemented properly.
2. Calling cards. You may not be traveling a lot (or at all) for business right now, but even for the once a year that you go on vacation, having the ability to use your virtual PBX service from anywhere can really be useful, and can save you money on your travel phone bills.
3. Call logs. While you may not be concerned about using your call logs to keep track of your minute usage, call logs can be useful for looking up lost or misplaced phone number of people that have called in- or that you’ve called and need to contact again.
4. Call handling rules. Sure, it’s nice to forget about work when you’re away from your desk. Unfortunately, small business owners often don’t have that luxury, as a missed call can mean lost business. When set up properly on your virtual PBX, call handling rules enable you to reroute your business calls to your cell phone, your home phone, or any other phone that you desire, so that you are always available when your clients need you.
5. Email and SMS voicemail delivery. It may be easy to press the play button on your answering machine, but that requires standing near the machine. With email voicemail delivery, you can receive messages from your virtual office service wherever you have internet access, which is incredibly convenient for small business owners who don’t spend much time sitting at their desk.

Congratulations, you’ve decided to open up a small business! Whether it’s your first foray into the business world or you’re an experienced entrepreneur, you’re probably already thinking about startup expenses and the costs associated with financing a small business.  With so many factors to consider, small business finance can be extremely stressful (if not downright overwhelming).  Fortunately, there are many new services and technological advances that can keep small business expenses to a minimum.   Here are five of our favorites- we hope that they’ll help you launch a successful and financially stable business.

1. Virtual Office Services. Most businesses require a voicemail, a fax machine and a telephone plan.  They may also require multiple extensions, an auto-attendant (automated “receptionist”), conference calling and other upgraded phone service features.  With a virtual office package, all of these services can be purchased for a low monthly fee.  If you want to create a professional image without spending a fortune on individual services, a virtual office should be on your list of necessities when financing your small business.
2. Do-it-Yourself Websites. These days, every business needs a great-looking website.  And, while you can hire an expensive design and programming team, there are also many websites that enable business owners to build their own website at a significantly reduced price.  Do-it-yourself websites can support everything from ecommerce platforms to artistic portfolios and can enhance the professionalism of any enterprise.
3. Online Backups. The last thing any business owner wants to worry about is losing vital information in a computer crash or chance act of nature.  Keeping an online backup is a great way to protect your business’s important information.  If your company doesn’t have many files from its inception, you can begin with a free online backup service, and expand to a paid subscription when you’ve amassed enough files.  This can be a great way to save money while making sure that your data is protected.
4. Reliable accounting. If you’re the creative genius behind your business but aren’t strong in the math department, you’ll need a reliable accountant that can help you keep your facts and figures together.  Depending on the scale of your business, you may want to hire an accountant who can explain the necessary processes and filings with you.  If, however, you are starting as a solo enterprise, you can take advantage of online accounting software that can keep your books balanced and, hopefully, ensure that your company will become profitable.
5. Stationery and printed materials. No matter what type of business you’re in, you’ll probably need some sort of printed materials.  Personalized receipts, business cards, and even shopping bags can help a business markedly advance its branding efforts.  And yet, while personalized and printed items can be expensive, they don’t have to be.  Ordering these items online can save the business owner money and time, as it eliminates the need to travel to and from the printer’s office.

Is there another business expense that you considered a critical when financing your small business?  We’d love to hear about it!

Thinking about getting a VOIP phone for your small business, but still not sure?  Why not take a step back, and consider the hidden benefits of having a virtual office service or even just a VOIP phone; the ones that don’t pertain directly to your business but can still be a tremendous asset in your life.  There are so many ways in which running your business is stressful, time consuming and challenging- if the perks can present distinct advantages to your home life, why not enjoy them?  Of course the hidden advantages of having a virtual office may not be immediately obvious, but that’s why I’m here to help point them out.

My favorite benefit of having a virtual office is the inexpensive or free international calls to many countries, depending on the plan you choose.  This may not sound like a necessary feature if your business is domestically-based, but if you have friends or family overseas, you can use your business VOIP service to connect with loved ones without overpaying.  Why wait for a tragedy to strike before reaching out to those you care about?  With the ability to make free international calls to loved ones, you’ll restore that part of your life that you may not have even known you were missing.

Another distinct advantage of having a virtual office for your business is the ability to receive and send online faxes, even if you don’t have a fax machine in your home.  While many individuals don’t see the need to invest in a fax machine for their own home, there are often times in which it is necessary to share data for personal use.  By investing in a virtual office service for your small business, you’ll be able to utilize the online fax services from your home as well- so you’ll no longer need to stand on line at the copy shop in order to send or receive a fax.

Surprisingly, having a toll-free number can also offer a unique advantage for family use, because it can be used by children who need to call home and may be out of area, such as away at sleep away camp.  Why send your child to camp with a cell phone, when you know they can call you from any landline or pay phone?  Similarly, calling card abilities can enable your child to call home from for free from anywhere- even if you don’t have a toll free number.  Having calling card abilities which enable you to use your VOIP service to make calls from anywhere can be extremely useful for those who travel regularly and aren’t excited about using up their cell phone minutes while they’re away from their regular phone.

There’s no question that virtual office services offer fantastic services for small businesses- but the advantages to the business owner’s family should not be overlooked.  Why spend money on these services at home and in the office, when your virtual office services can be easily used for occasional private use?  Even the comfort of knowing that you have these services available is extremely worthwhile- and you may be surprised at how often you actually enjoy them!

Few would argue that the primary goals of a virtual PBX are to provide a small business owner with a professional telephone answering service and to reduce the costs associated with other useful telephone services.  But in developing and marketing today’s virtual office services, many companies have masked these fundamental goals by offering a laundry list of ‘fantastic’ features that may detract consumers from determining which services they really need.  As savvy consumers and business owners, however, it is our obligation to see through these marketing ploys, so that we don’t overpay for services we really won’t use.

Still, while many virtual PBX features may seem extraneous, there are some ‘extras’ that can be surprisingly useful.  Here are 5 virtual office features that can contribute greatly to the professionalism and efficiency of any small business.

1. Call recording. Even if you think that you’ll never need to record a call, you may be amazed at how useful this feature can be when making verbal agreements- and making sure that they are implemented properly.
2. Calling cards. You may not be traveling a lot (or at all) for business right now, but even for the once a year that you go on vacation, having the ability to use your virtual PBX service from anywhere can really be useful, and can save you money on your travel phone bills.
3. Call logs. While you may not be concerned about using your call logs to keep track of your minute usage, call logs can be useful for looking up lost or misplaced phone number of people that have called in- or that you’ve called and need to contact again.
4. Call handling rules. Sure, it’s nice to forget about work when you’re away from your desk.  Unfortunately, small business owners often don’t have that luxury, as a missed call can mean lost business.  When set up properly on your virtual PBX, call handling rules enable you to reroute your business calls to your cell phone, your home phone, or any other phone that you desire, so that you are always available when your clients need you.
5. Email and SMS voicemail delivery. It may be easy to press the play button on your answering machine, but that requires standing near the machine.  With email voicemail delivery, you can receive messages from your virtual office service wherever you have internet access, which is incredibly convenient for small business owners who don’t spend much time sitting at their desk.