Good Strategy For Long Distance Savings
November 4, 2009
Damon Brown wrote a very practical plan to choose the best long distance plan for Inc. Technology. Taking his advice seems fool proof.
“Here are six tips for finding the best phone plan for your business:
Tip #1: Go rate shopping each year
Phone company rates aren’t static. More importantly, the needs of your company will change over time. “It would also be wise to check rates again at least once each year,” says Stephanie Chandler, founder of BusinessInfoGuide.com, a Sacramento, Calif. based newsletter and website for entrepreneurs and start-ups. ”You can potentially save a lot of money by shopping for the best long distance plan on an annual basis.”
Tip #2: Consider a cell phone-based plan
If you have a highly-mobile business or need phones for only a few employees, experts recommend considering cell phones. Furthermore, nearly all cell phone carriers charge the same for local and long-distance calls. “Since cell service gets more reliable every day and most include long distance, this can be a viable option for many small businesses,” Chandler says.
There are a few big disadvantages. One, there are limited minutes during normal business hours, which are 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays for most cell phone carriers. Two, a basic phone line may still need to be installed and maintained for Internet and fax usage (though a local-only line can be significantly cheaper). Three, make sure the carrier’s coverage is good in your office.
Tip #3: Consider Internet-based calling
Vonage and other new phone companies now offer long-distance calling via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which allows your business to call people for less by routing communications through the computer. Monthly fees are around $40, and often include a fax line, call forwarding and caller ID. Unfortunately, the service requires a special phone adapter, broadband connection and, most bothersome, no Web surfing while a call is being made (splitting the modem feed would be required).
VoIP is fairly new technology, but AT&T and Qwest are now offering packages. “If you want to tiptoe in, try a company with a money-back guarantee,” recommends Kim Komando, Microsoft Online’s workplace technology expert. “And make sure you understand the terms before taking the plunge.”
Tip #4: Join organizations for group discounts
The Small Business Association, the National Business Association, and other organizations often offer deep discounts on long-distance services. Networking with other businesses is always a good idea, but weigh the potential savings against the cost of membership.
Tip #5: Separate local and long-distance services
While packages can save money, experts say separating local and long-distance services may save additional money. More creative types can use a flat-rate cell phone for long distance and a traditional line for local calls. Also, provided you have the patience to dial some extra numbers, using a phone card will give a cheaper per-minute average. “A prepaid long-distance card can cut costs if you don’t make many long-distance landline calls,” according to Consumer Reports. The publication estimates it can save businesses a few hundred dollars annually.
Tip #6: Ask for estimate based on usage
Measure or calculate your likely call usage. Ask potential providers for a rough estimate of your potential monthly bill. “If they can’t answer this question in advance, then choose another provider,” Chandler says.”
I have always found that shopping around for better prices on things like long distance and insurance have paid off. What perhaps we should do is take a look at them twice a year rather than just once…if you have the time.
VoIP Is The Cost Effective – Smart Choice
November 3, 2009
VoIP is a cheaper option for dialtone both for personal or business use. I know many friends who have already made the switch which was initially because of cost but then they found the features available with the service the reason to stay. For those who are still on the fence, here’s what INC. Technology had to say:
“Small businesses that opt to go with cable firms for their voice service find their monthly bills are about 10 to 15 percent cheaper than with plain old telephone service a/k/a “POTS.” Moreover, few take any issue with the voice quality, especially Mike Arden, principal analyst with ABI Research, of Oyster Bay, N.Y. Arden says that quality is mainly a problem when you contract with third parties. “The really inexpensive services can’t control the quality,” he says.
There are two ways to get VoIP service. One is to get a hosted service. The other is to install a PBX router over a broadband line. Arden says in each case, the grade of voice reception depends on the amount of bandwidth. Arden added that his research showed that small businesses often gravitated to cable-based VoIP so they can get more features for the same price as basic POTS, not necessarily because they wanted to save money.
Such features include things like unified messaging that let employees keep voicemails on their desktop PCs as audio files.”
The VoIP and Telecommuting Connection
November 2, 2009
This article appeared on MSNBC.com and was really informative regarding telecommuting and the possibilities of using ones own VoIP network:
“Victor Cousins has a pretty good gig working for the human resources department at Sun Microsystems, but he doesn’t have an office, just a locker.
Don’t feel sorry for him. He’s not one of those types who measure his career success by the size of his office. In fact, he’s proud to be office-less, and he’s the quintessential telecommuter. He works anywhere he wants – his home in Oakland, the local coffee shop, and at any Sun location throughout the country. When his mother had knee surgery in May he was able to spend time with her, working out of a Sun office in St. Louis.
Welcome to the workplace of the future. Cousins is an example of the mobile worker that will become much more pervasive in the next 10 years.
Finally, telecommuting will become a mainstay in Corporate America but that doesn’t mean everyone will be working at home all the time, a prediction made by many workforce observers just a decade ago. The U.S. worker will be a mélange of office inhabitant and work-anywhere warrior.
Take Cousins. Even though he doesn’t have an office, he reserves office space at Sun’s San Francisco location when he needs to be in house and interact with coworkers and managers. Right now, he splits his time 50-50 between home and in the office, but envisions spending more time away from the mother ship in the months ahead.
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“I like having the balance,” he says about the flexibility and freedom to work from anywhere. He has a desktop computer; a laptop and a high speed Internet VoIP connection at his home. Sun paid more than $3,000 toward the equipment he needed to go mobile.
Today, upwards of 12 million employees telework more than 8 hours per week, up from about 6 million in 2000, according to Gartner Dataquest. The number will hit nearly 14 million by 2009. Caroline Jones, an analyst for Gartner who expects the number to continue to grow, says the rate of increase has been steady for a number of years even though telecommuting hasn’t been getting a lot of publicity in recent years.”
With the growth in VoIP networks and reliability the potential for telecommuting has become more practical and accessible than ever.
