Do you really need to take time away from creating a business conception, a marketing scheme, a personnel hiring strategy, and other really fun stuff in order to evaluate your options for the steal of a phone system for your small business? The simple answer to this question is yes if your business will need an efficient and effective way to initiate and maintain contact customers, vendors, employees, or any other members of the business population who may impact your bottom line. Sources including Gartner and the VOIP Resource Center suggest particular guidelines that will wait on your efforts to ensure the effective communication by your business with the world at gargantuan.
1) Identify both your novel and long term requirements. Experts suggest that a 3 year planning horizon is appropriate for most businesses. This time frame will ensure that you avoid the mistake of planning only for your immediate requirements rather than for the growth of your business that will occur during the 3 year period. This longer time frame will also ensure you benefit from more economical pricing for your phone system in that the duration of the service contract is a major factor used by the service provider in the calculation of your company’s rate. You should select care to stay within the 3 year planning horizon to ensure the flexibility to upgrade your system to avoid technological obsolescence. You will want the flexibility to change your phone system if required to gain access to any unique technological advances that will help your company grow.
2) Gain an understanding of the methods used by the various phone systems to add additional ports, lines, and phones to an existing system. A PBX system is designed to accommodate a particular number of ports rather than the number of outside lines and number of extensions. The number of lines and telephones that can be accommodated by the PBX system is determined by the system’s number of ports. For example, if the system is configured with 45 ports, the system can accommodate any combination of lines and extensions that in total equal 45. The true number of lines for the phone system is determined by the manufacturer during the construction of the particular circuit board.
3) Determine the specific phone system features that will be required by your business. Most phone systems incorporate a particular set of features. Therefore, be sure to compare the features that are required by your business model with those features of the systems offered by various vendors. The features worthy of consideration include:
a) Voice mail. Voice mail records messages from business partners in the event you or your employees are unavailable to accept the call personally. Each employee or department is assigned a mail box which serves as a receptacle for incoming messages. The phone system you select should be configured with a sufficient number of ports to accommodate the maximum number of simultaneous incoming callers that may select to record a message on your system in addition to the maximum number of employees that may select to simultaneously access their messages.
b) Call Hold. The call hold feature enables an employee to place an incoming call on hold in order to perform a related task.
c) Call Forward. This feature enables one employee to transfer a call to another employee, a voice mail box, an auto attendant, or to what is known as a hunt group which is a logical collection of employees with the responsibility to acknowledge to incoming calls on a first come first aid basis.
d) Conference Calls. The Conference Call feature enables the simultaneous communication of a group of individuals at different locations. This one system feature incorporates a number of separate features such as the number of users that can participate in the call as well as the particular function of the conference call itself.
e) Speed Dial. This function enables the user to select a code of one number or a combination of numbers on their phone set as a representation of a phone number that they frequently dial. They can then dial their business partner using this code rather than being required to enter the entire 10 digit phone number.
f) Redial. The Redial function is used to dial the last phone number entered by the user on the system.
g.) Auto Attendant. The auto attendant plays a recorded message to a caller and provides them particular service options in the event an employee is unavailable to accept a call personally. The ability to route the call to a specific employee or a specific mail box are examples of such options.
h) Paging. The paging feature is former to broadcast a message using the speaker of another employees hand position.
i) Location features. This feature enables seamless connections between the systems of local employees and those in another dwelling on either a temporary or permanent basis.
J) Computer Telephony Integration. The CTI feature allows the interaction of software applications and your phone system. This feature is commonly used in customer service operations as well as to provide support to day to day functions such as locating and dialing the number of a business partner.
K) Find Me/Follow Me. This feature enables the re-routing of incoming calls to a different phone number specified by the user.
4) Identify the trade offs in product features and services that you will be willing to make. Although, core functionality will be offered of each PBX system, these features will vary in some ways from vendor to vendor. In addition, each vendor will offer a unique set of products and services in a number of different packages.
5) Review vendor references. Contact your peers in order to obtain feedback regarding their experience with a particular vendor and product. In addition, data presented in trade publications and by industry analysts will identify key features of products and the effectiveness of the product in meeting particular business needs.
6) Calculate the mark of the proposed phone system. The actual cost of your system will depend on the features you catch, the vendor who provides the service, your business location, and a number of other factors. Other factors are the number of system users and the size of the system purchased with impact your cost. Your equipment can be purchased separately or incorporated into the monthly cost of operating your system. However, whatever the system configuration you recall, be sure to identify what specific elements are included in any phone system package and what elements are considered to be in addition to the package, i.e., add-ons. Beget the calculations necessary to determine your total cost of ownership which includes maintenance fees. Also consider implementation costs, consulting fees, training costs, maintenance requirements, any yearly increases in costs, payment schedules, and any additional fees.
6) Understand the ability of the vendors to provide any needed services. The availability of services is crucial to the successful implementation of the PBX system. In addition, the maturity of the services provided by the vendor as well as the manner in which they provide customer service should be determined. The firm’s ability to address software bugs, perform system upgrades, and operate a help desk are critical considerations for the selection process.
7) Vendor Selection. Identify a short list of vendors who offer products that best meet your business requirements. Services narrate the most uncertain element of the PBX selection process as well as the most expensive element of the process. Submit a request for a quotation to the vendors and compare their responses in terms of both product offering and costs. Both vendors with a spacious presence in the market and smaller companies should be considered in this process to ensure you identify the vendor that is best qualified to meet both your needs and the limitations of your budget. You should also think the cash position of the vendor, the track record of the firm’s management, the stability of the work force, the product’s release schedule history, the effectiveness of the company’s market spot.
Regardless of the information related to the individual systems that you disclose during the process, the key interrogate remains “How do I match the requirements of my business to one particular vendor’s PBX product and services? ” A thorough review of a product’s functionality, investment, interoperability, services will best ensure you remove the best product for your organization. In all cases, the product and vendor evaluation process will lead to a more objective evaluation process, specific selection criteria, stakeholder consensus, and a more efficient implementation of the selected product
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Filed under Small Business Phone Service by on Dec 1st, 2010. 
Dell has released a fresh line of computer with limited businesses in mind. There is a wide variety of machines in this line to fit any spot that you may have. There are desktops and laptops both, with the desktops being lauded as having the power to be a small server for your company. This may all sound good, but is it really true? There are many critics out there, but there are two sides to every story and that includes tech reviews. Keeping in the realm of cramped business, we will take a study at the basic version of the Vostro laptop. Most entrepreneurs are looking for the cheapest solution to a problem. The Vostro 1014 and 1015 have answered this call. These are referred to as the “primary” versions on the Dell website. These two do not have any color options for the exterior, but black matches everything, right? The biggest difference between the two machines is the size. The 1014 is slightly smaller and lighter than the 1015. Appearance should be tossed out when you need performance though. Here is a look “under the hood” on these two models to see if they can really stand up to the test.
When it comes to the tech specs, there is really only one difference between the two models. The memory on the 1015 is up to 8 Gigs, while the 1014 is only upgradeable to 4 Gigs. Other than this, the two machines are identical. They both have a 320 Gig hard drive and 8x DVD +/- RW. They also have the same Core 2 Dual processor and all other components. There is very little difference between the two base models, and at the same price, it would be better to go with 1015 for the extra memory space. Since most people do not upgrade the memory anyways, there is really no difference other than size. The price is also identical at $399 each for the base model.
Now that we have touched on the tech specs, how does it really work? Is it worth my investment? These are likely the questions on your mind. This really depends on what you need it for. The base models do not have Bluetooth installed. You have to upgrade to this. This can be crippling to a small business. If you want to sync these machines with your phone, or even use a wireless mouse or docking location, you will have to upgrade. The other downside to this machine is the sound. If you do not have headphones, do not get this machine. No matter how much you upgrade it, the sound stinks. It has a single speaker mounted in the bottom and you can not hear anything, even at max volume. You will have to use a third party amplifier, and these have been known to blow speakers, crash the system, eat up all of your memory, cause streak, etc. If you make a lot of conference calls or video messaging for your business, be prepared to toss more money on the brand price. There is no built in microphone or camera. Both of these will need to be added. Once again, the sound does not earn loud enough for a favorable conference unless you use headphones.
Overall, the video and sound capabilities of this machine are very lacking. No matter how much you upgrade or invest into this machine, the sound is sub-par and the graphics seem gigantic and pixilated. For many businesses that rely on communication via the computer, this can be a real dilemma. If you do not need the video conferencing and have some headphones, this is your machine. The basic $399 version is really all that you need performance wise. It has the hard drive to handle all of your customer, supplier, financial, and other databases. The sleek and shiny look are also sure to heed at meetings. The leer and speed of these machines is huge.
The price is another tremendous problem for this machine. Dell has begun to get into the fast food mindset with the dollar menu lures. These machines are priced dirt cheap, but when you actually get into what is included, the price gets pretty high, pretty fast. The $399 version is very tempting, but many people are not comfortable with using Ubuntu Linux. Of course, you can not upgrade simple items like many of the al a cart PC ordering systems. You have to upgrade to a whole new package to get Windows, and another package to get Bluetooth. By adding in some trash you do not need with the tools that you must have, the cost gets out of control quickly. You will want to piece one of these together before you buy one. There are so many options and they are very difficult to customize. If you only want one or two options added, you may be stuck buying the whole package. When you get the perfect combination, the price is no longer perfect and is usually better elsewhere. You could even try piecing together an Inspiron if you are a Dell fan.
Overall, these systems are solid and can handle your business needs. The sound is a huge factor that many people are not happy with. The fact that you can buy a comparable machine for much less at a Best Buy or Office Depot. The base price of this may awe you into it, but it is not as cheap as it sounds. The upgrades that you will need to incorporate will get really expensive, really fast. The sound is also weak and, without external speakers or headphones, will cause you to strain even at max volume. Overall, this is a good computer for a small business, if you only use it for the day to day tasks that you need. If there is any video conferencing or if you need Windows or Bluetooth, there are some better options out there.
Sources:
*The above source was used for technical specs. Evaluation of this products performance was conducted in person by the author.
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Filed under Small Business Phone Lines by on Sep 14th, 2010.
800 business numbers, also called toll free numbers, are ideal for busy small business people who work from home or an office. You can get an 800 number (includes 888, 877, and 866 numbers as well) online literally in a matter of minutes. Using 800 business numbers in the course of business is more efficient than passing out your cell phone or landline number for many reasons:
Business Voicemail
With 800 business numbers you can route your customers to a voicemail system that specifically mentions your business name. For instance, instead of a casual “Hey leave a message” you can say “Thank you for calling Smith & Co. We’re available from 9-5pm Monday through Friday” or a similar professional message.
Free for Customers
If you deal with customers who live in other states, having 800 business numbers is a convenience for them. They don’t have to worry about the cost of making a long distance call. The number is also easier for the customer to remember (7 digits instead of 10).
800 Business Numbers Are Surprisingly Inexpensive
If you think having an 800 number is expensive, think again. Some toll free services charge as little as $2 per month ($2 to reserve the number) plus a rude per minute charge when someone calls your business. You can create a number for each division of your business if you want and still pay unprejudiced a couple bucks a month.
Track Who Calls You on Your 800 Business Numbers
Toll-free providers allow you to keep a call log of everyone who calls your 800 business numbers. Just log onto your legend management hide and click the call history option. You can use this information to determine how many people are calling you from a specific set or area and construct pertinent business decisions. For example, if you placed a radio ad in a small town in Missouri and suddenly you start to gain a slew of calls from your 800 business numbers from that specific town’s area code, then you know that ad is working. So you can funnel more money into that market.
Call Blocking
Have you ever had a client or customer who just doesn’t want to leave you alone, even after you’ve ended your relationship with him? What about when you contact another company to inquire about services, decide on another option, but a salesman from that first company decides to call you every week to try to see if you’ve changed your mind. With 800 business numbers you can block all of those annoying types from calling your company.
Just click the calling block feature in your online 800 business number account, type in the person’s phone number, and save it. Everytime they try to call you they’ll hear a busy signal and you’ll hear… nothing. What a relief. This allows you to focus on the important calls—everytime your business line rings you know it is someone you want to hear from.
These are only a few benefits of 800 business numbers for small companies—there are plenty more. It’s a cheap and effective way to route business-related calls to your landline or cell phone.
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Filed under Small Business Phone Lines by on Aug 23rd, 2010.