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4 Reasons You Don’t Need to Pay a Live Attendant
Tuesday, February 12, 2013 – posted by Rebecca Daneault
In today’s economy, businesses of every size are struggling
to find ways to cut costs in order to stay afloat. Perhaps nobody feels this
pressure more, though, than the small business owner. One of the easiest ways
to reduce expenditure is to cut staff, but actually doing so when you’re
already operating on a small team can be challenging. When it comes to staff
reduction, how do you choose which role to eliminate? The good news is, with
today’s technology, you don’t have to hem and haw too much.
Here are 4 reasons
you can trim your payroll by not requiring a live attendant to handle your
incoming calls.
Robust Phone Trees – If your business is large enough that you
have multiple team members and departments, you may think you need a
receptionist to direct calls as they come in to ensure that they reach the
appropriate department. With a virtual phone system, you get the option of
building out robust phone trees and using an advanced IVR to allow callers to
select from self-service options.
Find Me/Follow Me – Many small business owners feel the need to
hire a live attendant to be able to track them down when someone calls while
they’re out and about. After all, to be successful, you can’t be tied to your
desk, right? Of course! But that doesn’t mean you have to dish out a salary to
have someone field your calls to you while you’re on the road. Find me/follow
me can do that job for you, instantly connecting incoming calls to you wherever
you are – office, home or cell – eliminating the need for a live attendant.
Time Based Call Routing – As a busy small business owner, you
know your schedule can change at any given moment as you’re being pulled in a
dozen different directions. You may think that you need an assistant to manage
all of these schedule changes so callers can be directed to where you are at
any given interval throughout your day. Not necessarily! With a phone system
that has a time based call routing feature, you can pre-program how calls will
be routed based on your specific schedule.
Live Reception Service – For those business owners that simply
can’t bring themselves to go completely technical, you still have options that
don’t involve placing another person on your payroll. Live reception, for
instance, allows you to essentially outsource your phone coverage to a
professional service. You choose the hours (even 24/7/365 if you want) and
provide the details for how calls should be handled and you’re good to go!
Carrying extra staff members can be a huge financial burden
on a business, especially in today’s economy. With a feature rich virtual phone
system, you’ll have a little more breathing room in terms of salary. Instead of
needing to hire a live attendant, you can use your business phone system to
always stay connected, any time, any place and save money in the long run. What’s
not to love?
To learn more about how a virtual phone system can change
the way you do business, click here or
call (800) 750 6878 to get started today.
Labels: business in the cloud, live receptionist, small business tips, virtual phone system
The 3 Models of Cloud Technology
Wednesday, August 8, 2012 – posted by Rebecca Daneault
These days more and more businesses are choosing to forgo
expensive and antiquated computer systems and move instead to innovative cloud
technology. In past articles we’ve gone over exactly what cloud
technology is, as well as how
it can help your small business. Now it’s time to take it a step further
and delve into the three main implementation models of cloud technology, what
they are, and what they may mean for your business. That way if you’re
considering migrating to a more modern virtual office environment, you’ll have
the knowledge to make an informed decision as to which model is right for you.
Public Cloud
The public cloud provides an external location where you can
store large amounts of data. The benefit of the public cloud model is that it
is cost-effective – some public cloud services offer a certain amount of
storage for free, and anything you use above and beyond that you pay for, but
only for the amount you need. The word “public” makes many small business
owners wary because it implies a certain lack of security, but this is actually
a misconception. In fact, public cloud storage is generally more secure than
personal data storage because providers specialize in data security, making
them less vulnerable to hackers. Additionally, because all data is ready and
safe whenever you need to access it, and from wherever you are able to connect
to the internet, public cloud technology is convenient and flexible.
Private Cloud
The private cloud, sometimes called the internal or
corporate cloud, is the perfect business solution for managing sensitive data,
such as client information or trade secrets. It offers similar flexibility as the
public cloud, but because the business owns or at least controls the cloud
facility, there is an added level of protection. A private cloud facility doesn’t
necessarily have to be a part of the physical business, but it is typically
secured by the company’s firewall. The private cloud provides delivery and
access to servers, storage and applications, whenever and wherever they are
needed, and can be scaled up or down based on business needs.
Hybrid Cloud
Ah, there’s always a happy medium, right? Many businesses
need the security of a private cloud, but also want the affordability that
comes with the public cloud. Hence, the hybrid cloud, a combination of both
models. All of the business’s sensitive data can be securely stored on a
private cloud, while other information and data that is less critical can be
maintained with a more cost-effective public cloud service. There is also the
option of a virtual private cloud, which provides the safety and security of a
private cloud, but on a public cloud platform. With a virtual private cloud,
the business owner essentially pays a public cloud service provider to use a
private cloud system that is located within their facility. Hybrid cloud
services provide the best of both worlds in terms of security, flexibility and
affordability.
Like it or not, cloud technology is here to stay, and
professionals everywhere are starting to jump on the bandwagon. In fact, a recent
poll conducted by CIO revealed that a whopping 92% of the CIO’s and IT
professionals surveyed believe that cloud technology is good for business. 67%
of those surveyed also felt that cloud technology helps deliver better systems
for less money, which is music to the ears of business owners everywhere! If
you’re ready to take the leap and see for yourself what the cloud can do for your
business, give us a shout. We can help you get started!
Labels: business in the cloud, cloud computing, cloud technology, virtual office
posted by Rebecca Daneault @ 11:46 AM
5 Ways a Virtual Phone System can Make Your Business More Professional
Wednesday, January 25, 2012 – posted by Rebecca Daneault
One of the biggest challenges small businesses face is that their size (or lack thereof) can make them seem less professional. Of course, you know as well as I do that some one-man-shows could run circles around larger organizations, but in business image is everything. That’s where Synclio can help. Here are five ways you can give your business a more polished, professional image using your virtual phone system.
Toll-Free Number – Having your own 800 number can give your business a much more professional image and allow you to compete, both with larger organizations and with those in your industry that don’t yet have their own toll-free number. Show your customers and potential customers that they’re dealing with a real, solid business – not some fly-by-night firm.
Robust Phone Trees – Even if you’re the only person in the office, giving callers the option to select from a list of extensions and departments instantly gives your business the appearance of being larger, which often equates to legitimacy and trustworthiness. And with unlimited extensions, you can be as creative as you’d like when building out your phone tree.
Find Me / Follow Me – Nobody likes getting voicemail every time they call. But if you’re out on the road, tending to business how can you also be there for your callers? Advanced call forwarding features let you stay connected so that when someone tries to reach you, you’ll get the call wherever you are. Your customers will think they’re your top priority and you’ll never miss an important opportunity.
Custom Greeting – Instead of a stuffy computer generated greeting, create a more personal experience for your callers by recording your own message to greet them when they dial in. If you’re not sure you can pull it off, you can use our professional voice studio and have real professional voice talent record your greeting for you. Have a jingle? You can even incorporate that into your greeting. It’s yours to customize as you see fit.
Visual Voicemail – Traditional voicemail systems often lead to messages being missed or lost, which means opportunities falling through the cracks. Visual voicemail lets you read your messages on your computer or smart phone and organize them just as you would email, making follow up a breeze. Your customers will be impressed with how quickly their calls are returned and you won’t risk missing out on any important leads.
These are just a few of the many ways a virtual phone system can help make a business, no matter how small, appear more professional. The beauty of these systems is their versatility, which means that once you get yours you’ll probably find a dozen other ways it will enhance and benefit your company. If you’re still not sure, why not give our free trial a whirl? We're confident that you and your callers will be impressed with the added level of service and professionalism your new phone system will provide for your business.
Labels: business in the cloud, small business, virtual phone system
posted by Rebecca Daneault @ 12:51 PM
What’s ‘Your Business, Anywhere’ Anyway?
Friday, June 10, 2011 – posted by Maty Grosman
So you’ve seen our motto. Nice eh?
Now you want to know what the heck we mean, so let’s roll up our sleeves and delve in to uncover poetic intentions:
What is Your Business?
What makes your business YOUR business? What defines it and gives it an identity?
If you think of it, a business is really a system of managing resources to deliver a certain service or product.
This gives us three classes of constituents—Resources, Method, and Product.
Resources are the elements you use or manipulate to deliver/produce your service or product. These include Staff, Funds, Equipment, Raw Materials, Real-estate, etc.
Method is the way you go about delivering or producing said service or product. Here you have the back-end stuff (which includes everything from the manufacturing or creative processes to boring old accounting) and the front-end stuff—the last mile that comes in contact with your customers. Your front-end includes sales, support, customer-service, etc, which are inspired by your corporate values and philosophy.
Product/Service is the end value you have to offer.
While all three make up your business, it is the method that shapes out who you are as a corporate entity. And if the back-end is responsible for shaping the tangible aspect of who you are—the ‘what’ you’ll have to offer—the front-end is responsible for the ‘personal’ aspect of who you are—or for ‘how’ you will offer it.
Together, they make up your identity.
So where’s ‘Anywhere’, how do I get there, and how can I bring my business along?
Now that we’ve established what defines your business, let’s examine the second part.
Anywhere is short for any place, any time, any way... let's just call it 'Freedom'.
If your business is defined by your method, taking your business anywhere means maintaining your method no matter where you are and providing the same level of experience to your customers and to your employees regardless of your geographical location.
Traditionally, service-oriented businesses were tied to a physical office primarily because employees had to access the necessary equipment, stay interconnected, and maintain a uniformed front—all to provide a consistent level of productivity and service.
Today, however, much of this has changed. Personal computers have grown robust enough to process the most demanding tasks and affordable enough to become a staple in every purse (this includes male-purses).
So, perhaps with the exception of manufacturing , equipment today no longer poses a problem to mobility. This leaves us with maintaining uniformity and inter-connectivity: letting employees that work from different geographical locations plug into a single hub and collaborate as if they were in the same room.
Cloud technology enables just that.
Many different software programs have emerged to take your back-end up to the cloud—anything from documents (Google Docs, Dropbox) to CRM applications.
A virtual PBX does the same for your front-end, becoming the digital hub your employees can plug into for all their communication needs.
A single toll-free number becomes your uniformed professional front, and all calls are subsequently routed in accordance with your custom call rules to reach the designated person(s).
In an office environment, you sometimes have to transfer a customer to another department, or to put them on hold while you dial a different extension. A cloud-based system lets you do exactly the same thing, no matter if the other person happens to be across the hall, across the road, or across the ocean. Your customers and employees will enjoy exactly the same experience as if he was sitting in the next room using a traditional system.
And because all tools and data are up there in the cloud, you don’t even have to carry around any fancy equipment—just a single device that can get you online.
This not only frees your regular employees to work from home or to stay connected while on the road, it also means you can think bigger and in certain cases outsource tasks overseas, creating your very own transatlantic team that will beat with your core values and philosophy.
Conclusion
Technology is finally ready to unshackle us from old constructs and break the bonds of physical locality. The globe has become a tiny little ball really; snap your fingers, and you'll almost as easily land anywhere you like. Now, your business can follow.
We’ll give you the tools. Just add your personal touch and take Your Business, Anywhere.
Related Articles:
Beat the Traffic—Forever: A Virtual PBX Phone System Can Help You Migrate Your Office to the Cloud
Anatomy of a Virtual Phone System: What’s in it, and why you need it?
5 Reasons Virtual Systems are taking over the Physical World
Labels: business anywhere, business cloud, business in the cloud, cloud business, cloud computing, crm, dropbox, google docs, hosted pbx, virtual PBX
posted by Maty Grosman @ 11:49 AM
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posted by Rebecca Daneault @ 10:34 AM