Office Productivity
Freedom Voice Celebrates Earth Day with Cost-Saving Tips
Published April 22nd, 2009 by Jennifer LeClaire
FreedomVoice is getting into the recession messaging mix with nine tips that aim to help business owners cut phone costs and increase productivity. The hosted VoIP PBX company figures it’s a good time for companies to reevaluate business phone systems.
“Small businesses in California – and across the nation – are facing this downturn by controlling their costs that are within their grasp,” says Aida Alvarez, the former head of the Small Business Administration during the Clinton Administration. “That’s a sound strategy for weathering 2009.”
FreedomVoice is pushing the hosted VoIP solution as one answer for businesses looking to shave some operating expenses. FreedomVoice CEO Eric Thomas says he’s seen companies reduce phone costs anywhere from 30 percent to 70 percent with its FreedomIQ product. Those are significant potential savings in any economy.
“Hosted PBX is gaining share in this economic turmoil because it increases business productivity and it saves money,” says Peter Radizeski, President of RAD-INFO, Inc., and frequent blogger for TMCnet. “With Hosted PBX, there isn’t a large capital outlay for a PBX phone system, nor is there a maintenance contract to keep that PBX up and running.”
So, without further ado, here’s FreedomVoice’s nine ways to slash phone costs and increase productivity in a recession. Of course, it’s a little self-serving. The company has positioned their FreedomIQ product as the savior. Nevertheless, if you are looking at a hosted VoIP option, no matter what the vendor, then this list may help you decide if it’s right for you.
1. Switch to VoIP
No matter what industry you are in, call costs for VoIP service is significantly cheaper than call costs for analog phone service. What’s more, almost all VoIP providers promote a free 30-day money back guarantee and offer domestic long distance calls at no additional cost. Jay Schukoske, president of Beach Associates Inc., says his company saved over 50 percent by switching to VoIP. That’s a significant savings, to be sure.
2. Use a Hosted PBX Service
Did you know that your phone equipment no longer has to be physically located at your facilities? Electing to go the hosted VoIP PBX provider route allows you to forgo the costs of purchasing an onsite phone system. That’s because the hosting company keeps the equipment at their location and allows you to access it via the Internet. That means you don’t have to set aside office space for the phone system equipment. That might also save you money in the end. The only equipment you need to purchase with a hosted solution is the VoIP-enabled phones. Using a hosted VoIP PBX solution also means your business does not have to maintain expensive on-site call switching hardware.
3. Reduce Staff
If you’re using a hosted VoIP PBX system, then all IT support, maintenance and upgrades will be handled by your solution provider. That lets you reduce your staff and cut IT costs. But making use of a PBX also lets you reduce administrative staff. In fact, with today’s VoIP phone system technology, you’ll never need to have someone answer your phone again – unless you want to. After setting up an automated attendant greeting and automatic call transfer, customers will be easily routed to your line without the assistance of a live employee. This could take a bite out of virtual office providers if companies aren’t looking for the prestigious address and mail services.
4. Avoid System Software Maintenance
Forget purchasing upgraded firmware for your phones. Hosted VoIP PBX providers regularly update your VoIP phones so that you don’t need to. You’ll love having the latest features on a consistent basis. With a traditional PBX, it’s virtually impossible to upgrade to new features and functionality without a forklift to haul out your old system and replace it with the new.
5. Growth Made Easy
Ready to expand? A hosted PBX solution allows you to add or remove phones at your discretion. That means you don’t need to purchase a fixed large phone system in case you grow. Instead, you can simply order a new line when the time is right. If for some reason you experience a loss in employees, canceling a line is just as easy.
6. Encourage Telecommuting
With a hosted VoIP PBX, it’s easy to access the advanced features of your phone system from a remote location. All you have to do is connect to the Internet and log in to their VoIP phone and you’ll be able to use the same digital phone tools available at the office. With no need to commute, you and your employees can save on fuel costs.
What’s more, you can use Visual Call Reports and Recorded Calls to manage remote employees. Many hosted VoIP PBX providers enable call record and call reporting. Recorded calls and call reports allow business owners to closely manage remote employees and resolve disputes. Through these means, employers can ensure employees are doing their job and providing quality customer service.
You can also save Money on office space. Today’s business VoIP phone systems make the virtual office more attractive than ever before. After switching to a hosted VoIP PBX, you’ll be able to work as a team no matter where you and your employees are located. Even if you’re dispersed across the nation, the PBX transfers will lead customers to believe that you’re all working from one office. With no need for an established location, you’ll be able to save on office space costs.
You can also save money on utilities. If your employees are telecommuting, then you’ll be able to cut back on utility usage and reduce expenses. By reducing energy consumption you’ll help the environment. (Oh c’mon. It’s Earth Day. You had to figure I’d slide the green factor in somewhere.)
When telecommuting becomes a part of your companies culture it opens up a world of opportunities, one of those being the opportunity to pull from a greater talent pool. With no need for a central office, you can recruit from locations around the globe. The larger your talent pool, the better chance you’ll have to get the perfect fit for your business. This can also result in reduced costs, as income levels fluctuate based on region.
7. Unify Your Communications
Hosted phone systems let you more easily unify your communications. Unifying communications saves time and increases productivity. OK, that was a short one. Pure and simple.
8. Choose a Softphone
If you don’t want to buy a digital phone, but have access to a computer, many VoIP providers can now integrate with a softphone. Softphones are software applications that let you use your computer as a telephone. Certain softphones, such as the X-Lite 3.0 Softphone from Counterpath, are available at no cost. That goes to the bottom line in a hurry.
9. Increase Productivity with Voice-to-Text
Have you heard of Voice-to-Text technology? It transcribes voice messages and sends them to your e-mail box with the audio file attached. Access to voicemail messages in text form allows you to read what was said in a message. What’s great about that is you can scan voicemails on your phone and PC without having to listen to the actual message.
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About the Author
Rob Zeus April 23rd, 2009 at 8:17 am
I think VoIP is definitely the way to go. The technology at this point is robust and I’m seeing more and more companies adopt it. This could enable virtual offices, or at least telecommuting, at a new level. I think this technology really changes the whole way we look at office phone costs.
Maggie Correta April 23rd, 2009 at 8:23 am
I recently came across the concept of voice-to-text technology. It can definitely save a lot of time if you get a lot of messages. I have a bad habit of not checking my messages until the end of the day because I am on the phone a lot or in meetings. With the voice-to-text technology, it really does boost productivity and keeps you from missing potentially important messages.
Bill Brookshire April 23rd, 2009 at 9:49 am
When it comes to technology, unless you are a really big company, it makes sense to do tap into “hosted” solutions for just about everything, from web sites to applications to phone services. For entrepreneurs starting up, it makes more sense to go the hosted route because the upfront costs are so much lower. Virtual office providers should be offering these types of services.
FreedomVoice Seeks Small Business Gurus September 17th, 2009 at 8:24 am
[...] This is smart business. FreedomVoice is going to raise awareness of its brand, drive traffic to its blog, and position itself as a go-to resource for small business owners looking for ways to do business smarter, faster and more effectively. For a few hundred bucks investment in a netbook – and some labor to read the entries – FreedomVoice is likely to generate tremendous traffic to its Web site and will probably get some new customers out of it. This is smart marketing. [...]
Hoy Henry September 23rd, 2011 at 8:59 pm
This is a company that just can’t seem to get their act together. Everyone from the Owner down to the technical support reps and even the billing department has huge problems supporting customers, getting billing straight or even trying to rectify the situation when they have made blatant and re-occurring mistakes. besides all of that their service is shotty and unreliable.