Voip For Business: Uncovering Your Options

The emergence of new technologies has benefited businesses
tremendously. The internet has brought together customers from
around the world; laptop computers have made it easier for
employees to work remotely; and company phone systems have
become completely automated. In each case companies have
realized sharp gains in worker productivity while trimming
overhead expenses significantly. One area that has recently
experienced a revolutionary change is Private Branch Exchange
[PBX] telephone systems. Please keep reading and we shall
explore how a VoIP PBX system can benefit your company while
cutting costs.
 
There is no doubt about it that your phone system is a costly,
but necessary part of running your business. If you have
multiple locations and have workers who frequently work from
home or off site, then you know that phone charges can be a
substantial expense -- one that can affect your bottom line.
Running separate PBX systems at each location adds up, but a
Virtual Office VoIP PBX system can trim these expenses
significantly.
 
Instead of having multiple PBX systems in place, a company can
install a single internet protocol [IP] PBX system at one
location - such as corporate headquarters - and send calls out
to IP phones or regular phones with IP adapters everywhere. No
expensive hardware costs are incurred as a simple software
update enables the system to become active. Indeed, expensive
switching equipment is not needed as all calls are routed
through the internet. Significantly, employees can make
intra-office, inter-office, and international calls through the
internet for just pennies per call.
 
In addition to the technological benefits, a Virtual Office
VoIP PBX system will:
 
--Eliminate the contract costs associated with buying and
maintaining PBX hardware.
 
--Reduce intra-office toll charges, even eliminating them
altogether with some plans.
 
--Provide a unified corporate image as all calls worldwide are
routed through the same system.
 
--Improve productivity benefits as off site workers [work at
home or on the road] can have access to the same system
available through the office [i.e. voice mail, caller id, call
forwarding, music/message on hold, ring tones, ring groups, and
much more].
 
--Lower hardware costs and charges as employees are added,
transferred, or dismissed.
 
Has your appetite been whetted for a Virtual Office VoIP PBX
system yet? It should be! Moreover, you desire to compare
available packages on the market so let's take a look at what
three important providers have to offer to your business:
 
Virtual PBX - As the company's name implies, you won't be
buying and maintaining any PBX equipment which can cost over
$500 per user for equipment, installation, lines, and support.
Instead, Virtual PBX charges a small set up free of $100 or
$250 based on the size of your company with a nominal $12 per
month charge for live extensions. Calls are billed separately
at about 6 or 7 cents per minute, meaning that the employee who
uses 2000 minutes per month could cost over $130 per month.
 
Aptela Connect Business VoIP Unlimited - Choosing to offer a
flat rate charge per user, Aptela's premium plan costs only
$49.50 per user, per month. This unlimited usage plan includes
all calls to Canada, in-network calling and voice mail. For
users needing minimal phone access, the company offers a plan
for $24.95 per month which includes 500 minutes free. Overages
are charged only 2.9 cents per minute.
 
Packet8 Virtual Office Unlimited Extension - For $39.99 per
month the Packet8 plan is the most cost effective plan of all.
Unlimited calls can be made throughout the US and to anywhere
in Canada, free calls can be made to other Packet8 subscribers,
a unique Direct Inbound Dialer number is given to each user,
business class voice mail, and auto attendant are some of the
many features offered through Packet8's best plan.
 
When choosing a Virtual Office plan, there are some other
things to consider as you make the switch over to a Virtual
Office VoIP PBX system:
 
--The purchase of IP compatible phones or phone adapters for
each user.
 
--The cost of support and maintenance contracts.
 
--Internal training for IT staff and users.
 
--Accounting costs associated with writing off previously used
equipment.
 
--Reliability of VoIP service providers: get references!
 
--Implementation costs.
 
Most definitely, when you weigh all of the considerations, VoIP
for business still has a nice ring to it. By carefully comparing
plans, examining costs, maximizing training, and smoothly
implementing the new system, a VoIP PBX can help your company
trim costs, maximize productivity, and maintain a uniform
appearance around the globe. Clearly, VoIP for business offers
so much more for much less money and is a laudable choice for
businesses everywhere.


About The Author: Click here to learn more about VoIP PBX
products and services:
http://www.packet8.net/about/virtual_office.asp Britopian
Marketing offers social media optimization and Internet
Marketing services for small business: http://www.britopian.com

Using Forums And Business Networks To Market Your Business

Copyright (c) 2006 Constantin Chersin
IT Pro Vision
http://www.itprovision.net/

 

Forums are a very important part of your business that many
people overlook. They are good sources of knowledge. A place
where you can show your expertise and yes there are ways to
market your business without blatant advertising.

 

Common Reasons Why People Do Not Get Involved In Forums

 

1. No time: This is a common excuse, but you only need 1 hour at
the most to spend on your favorite forums and you are done. Do
not visit too many but try to visit a couple daily

 

2. Do not allow advertising so what is the point? Soft sell is
the key. You will add your small signature and website URL to
every post. Plus you sell yourself as an expert when you answer
questions

 

3. Posts are not related to my market and business. Find the
right Forum that your market will visit

 

4. I just do not like voicing my opinion to strangers! Business
success depends on partnering and being sociable. A stranger
today can be your loyal customer tomorrow.

 

Why You Should And Must Get Involved With Forums And The Business
Community

 

1. No man or women is an island. This includes your business. Go
out there and make contact, because you never know where you
customer might be lurking.

 

2. Learning experience. You will get answers to your questions.
Knowledge is power and you will develop your business more
effectively.

 

3. You will get targeted visitors and even links to your site
-with your sig and website URL after every post. Make
interesting and informative answers to questions and people will
follow your link, and visit your site.

 

4. You will keep up with the trends and hot topics in your
business field. This is very important for your business to
progress and develop. You will be able to stay ahead of your
competition this way.

 

5. Get known as an expert in your field-answer questions

 

6. Get ideas for your next newsletter article. Originality will
keep your readership up and unsubscribe rates low. Readers love
info articles on the latest trends and market fads.

 

7. Website Sales Copy evaluation- do not do this too often but it
can be quite an eye-opener.

 

8. It does not cost you a penny!

 

Some Things Not To Do On Forums

 

1. Blatant advertising. This is a big no on forums you can do
just as well promoting with your signature and website URL at the
bottom of your post

 

2. Voicing controversial opinions: This will lead to lengthy and
time-consuming discussions, you cannot afford the time. You will
also risk making unnecessary enemies, not something to do in
business.

 

3. Getting involved in lengthy discussions

 

4. Getting off topic. Keep on topic do not ramble or tell lengthy
stories. Short stories to illustrate points are good.

 

5. Posting to topics that will not benefit your business. do not
waste your time always have the end in mind, which is to alert
more people to your website

 

6. Not targeting your forum. make sure the forum addresses topics
related to your business and market.

 

Things That You Should Do On Forums

 

1. Answer questions that you know about-help others and prove
your expertise in your field

 

2. Use your signature and website address at the end of every
post-this will encourage people to visit your site.

 

3. Limit your time to just 1 hour a day so that you do not get
carried away and spend too much time on the forums. Remember in
business time is money.

 

Forums are a fun way to promote yourself and your business. When
you follow these simple rules you will be able to have fun and
develop your business into a profitable enterprise.

 

----------------------------------------------------------
Constantin Chersin is an entrepreneur specializing
in software and web development. For more information
about his services and how he can help you promote your
business, please visit http://www.itprovision.net/
Constantin is also the publisher of the
free marketing newsletter "IT Pro Vision."

7 Steps to Business Communication Success

Copyright 2006 Logical Writing Solutions, Inc

What is success? The answer to that question is both
personal and institutional for those of us who work in the
business world. In essence, success is the ability to
accomplish the task at hand. Technically, it is "to achieve
one's aim to prosper".

You need thriving business relationships to prosper. In
fact, we can measure much of our business success in terms
of the viability of business relationships. Relationship
health is directly affected by the quality of
communication. Use the following steps to achieve
communication success and to strengthen your critical
business relationships.

Step 1: Identify a few communication weaknesses.

Can you think of any communication challenges that you
face? It's time to brainstorm and quickly make a written
list.

Here are a few questions to get you thinking about your own
communication challenges: * Are your employees happy and
satisfied? * Are your clients glad to provide referrals? *
Are your partners and stakeholders well-informed and
confident? * Do you feel motivated and inspired? * Do your
conversations flow?

As you review the bulleted list above and consider your
communication challenges, identify each challenge but don't
get bogged down with other details.

Step 2: Decide to address the most bothersome communication
weakness.

This choice is yours to make. However, whatever challenge
you choose, you will find that the other relationships are
naturally strengthened as you develop proactive and
positive communication skills. You do not have to fix
everything at once in order to benefit from this exercise!

Now that you have selected your challenge, it's time to
stop and think about what makes it so challenging. In other
words, if success was easy you wouldn't be working on this
right now. Many leadership or business management
challenges are a result of busy-ness. Leaders don't realize
that others need communication that is: * Professional *
Complete * Positive * Concise, and * Wholly relevant
without any irrelevance

If you are a leader or a manager, communication is your
job. People expect you to do it and do it well. The
responsibility for communicating is yours. It would be
literally impossible for others to compensate for your poor
attention to communication.

In spite of the advice of gurus world-wide, there seems to
be a reluctance to buy into this idea. We all want to
believe that we can just do our jobs well and receive the
kudos. We want to believe that we are responsible for our
own success. The truth of the matter is that most of us
will be hindered, more or less, when we ignore
communication or become passive.

Communication may not come naturally, and you may need to
work on it. Communication brings power to your professional
and personal life. Critical relationships can thrive with
your attention.

To gain an understanding of how to resolve the weakness,
you need to look at your communication patterns. You will
develop communication that is regular and has flow.
Communication, however, is not just about giving out
messages. Communication is listening and speaking,
receiving messages and conveying messages. Typically,
listening is the thing that gets us into trouble. We don't
do it.

Step 3: Listen to others for a week.

I know you're grumbling! Is a week really necessary? Yes.
We're not just talking about passive listening either; you
will ingeniously create opportunities for listening.
Listening must be practiced, and acting on incomplete
information may be more harmful than doing nothing.

Consider how long you have been without the power of
listening, and realize that a week is a small price to pay.
While you are listening, you are reserving judgment and
allowing the answers to come to you. Others often already
know where the problem lies. They may even have ideas as to
how you can fix the problem. Active listening requires
practice, so be patient.

You may politely and nonchalantly ask for input during this
time, but keep things casual and neutral by not being too
intense and by refusing to form or give your opinion. This
gives others the freedom to develop their thoughts and
express them without disagreeing with you. Be sure to take
notes on potential solutions.

Step 4: Define success and the benefits in this area.

After a week, you will probably have many ideas about how
you could move forward. First, take a moment to define your
ideal outcome. This is your defined target. You may not
feel that you can make the mark on the first try. However,
you need to choose to believe that success is possible and
likely, and that you will have a reasonably positive
response to your efforts. Your attitude affects your
motivation and your outcome.

In addition, think about what benefits you hope to achieve.
How would life or business be better as a result of your
desired outcome?

You are painting the picture of what you'd like to see. For
example, "Our clients know that we value their relationship
as well as their business. We don't tell them this; we show
them. Every call is answered in a polite manner. Each
concern is personally addressed. We listen when they speak.
We thank them for their input. We keep them informed of new
products and company news. We are considerate in our
pricing. We thank them for each purchase. In return, they
have no interest in checking out other providers, and they
remain loyal in spite of the efforts of our strong
competitors. We have steady growth in our revenue."

Step 5: Make your proactive communication plan, being sure
to establish checkpoints.

This plan will come out of your definition of success and
your listening activities. Some examples of proactive
communication would be providing customer service seminars
for your employees, taking on a visible role that reaffirms
your commitment to personal service, starting a service
blog discussing best practices, scheduling individual
meetings to check in with employees, or establishing
standards of excellence and rewarding employees who excel
or improve. Notice that these items are not remedial. You
are not resolving past problems, but establishing a firm
foundation for the future.

Also notice that you would choose one activity to plan. For
example, if you choose to focus on a customer service
seminar, you will define the necessary tasks and place
those tasks in your planner. Choose your communication
activity based upon whether you need a long-term or
short-term effort. Also, consider the availability of
resources and plan accordingly.

You may have to practice needed skills. For instance, if
you are planning to present a customer service seminar
yourself instead of outsourcing, you may need to schedule
time to develop your presentation skills. If you are
nervous about your skills in an area, practice those skills
until you become calmly confident.

Step 6: Implement your plan.

Implement your plan, keeping your ideal outcome in mind as
you go. Review checkpoints frequently to ensure that you
are on track. Involve others in the plans when possible, or
have an accountability partner. As things fall into place,
you may be surprised at how well everything is going! Once
your activity is complete or the communication fix is in
place, it's time to take a realistic look at what you've
accomplished.

Step 7: Evaluate the results.

Congratulations! How did you do? If you look at your
definition from Step 4, you will be reminded of the gains
have you have achieved. You may also note unforeseen
obstacles that you overcame. Remember to thank those who
helped you along the way, and make sure to reward yourself
for your efforts.

Now you've seen the power of communication at work.
Communicating will become easy (or easier) as you go
through the 7 Steps to Business Communication Success
again. Communication is the key to your success.

----------------------------------------------------
Dot Olonovich helps executives and businesses to improve
their relationships and profitability through
professional-quality communication and writing. Her unique
qualifications include an accounting degree and extensive
business knowledge. To learn more about Dot, go to
http://www.logicalwriters.com or contact her at
dot@logicalwriters.com or 610.933.1989.