Hello, and welcome to the Grasshopper blog. We think you’ll like it here. Why?

Simple: we’ll be posting about a wide variety of topics—everything from starting and growing your business to new product offerings, and candid commentary from Grasshopper employees.  There’s something for everyone on our shiny new blog, so stick around a while.

Lucky for you, it won’t just be the two of us (the co-founders of Grasshopper) writing blog posts—it’ll be the whole team. Check out the Grasshopper Labs portion of our blog to find out what web apps our mad scientists are cooking up for entrepreneurs. Then head over to the Team section of the blog, where you’ll get to know the outstanding people who make up Grasshopper. If that’s not enough for you, we’ll also be posting helpful tips and tricks to the Company portion of our blog. This is where you’ll find announcements regarding new features, improvements, as well as helpful info from Grasshopper that will help you take your business to the next level.

We are about a third of the way through the migration of our customers off the old GotVMail platform and onto the Grasshopper platform.  I’m amazed to learn just how inventive our customers are in configuring the old system to do things that were not originally anticipated.  Fortunately, our customers will have many more options to configure their system to meet their unique business needs once they are migrated to Grasshopper.

On the other hand, all of the custom settings and unique configurations that are in use today have certainly been keeping our migration team challenged to ensure a smooth transition between platforms.  Rest assured that we are moving cautiously to handle the many nuisances in configurations and to make certain that our customers’ accounts are being migrated to Grasshopper as seamlessly as possible.

See the 2012 edition: 10 Must Read Blogs for Entrepreneurs (2012 Edition)

#1.  The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur

Site: http://www.toiletpaperentrepreneur.com/blog

What it is:

Mike Michalowicz provides entrepreneurs and small businesses with tips on everything from starting a business to networking to marketing and health care.

Why you should read it:

Mike not only provides great tips but he provides great tips from REAL people.  All of the blogs on the Toilet  Paper Entrepreneur are essentially written by peers and those who have been there.  It is a great blog and certainly provides unique perspectives all on things entrepreneur.

#2.  Small Business Trends

Site:  http://smallbiztrends.com

What it is:

Written by a panel of small business owners, the site offers tips and advice on everything business related.  Need a recommendation on finance software?  They probably have it.  Want to know how small businesses can use social media and search?  They have that too.

Why you should read it:

Small business trends really covers EVERYTHING!  Aside from the main blog, they do radio interviews, have Webinar Wednesdays and write genuinely interesting articles.  They may have also featured Grasshopper a few times so we may be partial.

Your Grasshopper virtual phone system makes it easy to organize yourself AND your small business. There are many simple tricks you can use with Grasshopper to avoid the chaos and clutter often associated with trying to run a company. Below are several tips to help you get organized:

1. Only Give Out One Number

Giving out just one phone number instead of an office, fax and cell phone makes things simple for you and even simpler for those trying to reach you. Clients, colleagues and friends will know they can always reach you when they dial your Grasshopper number.

One phone number can ring up to six numbers including your home, office and cell phone.  And if you can’t take the call (or simply don’t want to), our advanced voicemail and fax handling options allow you to easily check and manage messages.