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GH in the news- @Grasshopper
- Interested in getting an 855 number? We're taking reservations now - http://bit.ly/ailETt
- RT @chrisgeyer: excited i get to talk with more of our @grasshopper customers today as well
- RT @melilitts: I use @grasshopper as the main means of communication within my business, since our team is spread all over the US!
Company Blog
Sound Professional and Stay Connected. That's our core purpose and the company blog is dedicated to helping you do just that. Get information on the Grasshopper virtual phone system and find additional tips & tricks for small businesses.
Reserve an 855 Number Here!
A few weeks ago we let you know that 855 numbers were set to be released in October. Today we can officially announce that we will begin taking 855 reservations.
How Can I Reserve a Number?
At midnight on October 2nd, the Grasshopper team will be working with our number carrier to reserve specific 855 numbers for our customers before they become available to the general public.
For $650, Grasshopper will make sure your number is included on our reservation list. If we are unable to obtain your specific number, you will be refunded $600.
We will notify you within 3 days (of October 2nd) as to the status of your reservation & if acquired, your number will be ready to go within 7 business days.
Grasshopper customers will have the option to pay via credit card while non-customers must pay by check. Payment must be received by September 16th in order to secure your reservation.
While there is no guarantee that we will get every number, this is the best opportunity for those looking to get high-demand vanity numbers.
If you don’t need to be first in line or are simply looking for a standard 855 number they will be available to the general public on Oct 15th.
How To: Set Up Your Virtual Office in Under an Hour
Back in May, we wrote about why you should pick a virtual office over a physical one. In that article, we demonstrated why virtual phone systems, virtual assistants and professional addresses save time and money versus traditional, in-house personnel and office space. For cost-conscious small to medium-sized businesses, there is simply no comparison.
Today, we will assume that you support the idea of a virtual office, need no further convincing and would like to get up and running immediately. Here’s how to set up your very own virtual office in under an hour:
Map Out Your Strategy
Not everyone’s virtual office will look exactly the same. Perhaps you do have a physical office, but would like to complement it with virtual assistants. Or, maybe you truly are starting with nothing and want to go 100% virtual from the beginning. No matter what your ultimate goals are, it helps to map out your strategy before diving in.
Possible elements of a virtual office include:
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Virtual receptionists
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Virtual assistants
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Virtual phone systems or answering services
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Virtual call centers
I’m Trying to Reach You: Telephone Songs From the Decades
From Bell’s magnetic arm prototype in 1875 to our fancy smartphones you can get anything you need on today, the telephone has been a key communication device throughout history. It’s helped people connect, businesses evolve, and is the reason Grasshopper is here today.
There have been a number of songs about telephones throughout history ranging from the themes of love to escape, but they all revolve around the telephone’s central purpose: To get a hold of someone.
Here are 10 popular (and some terrible) songs about telephones:
1. Telephone Line (1976)
Starting out with phone noises at the beginning, Telephone Line is one of Electric Light Orchestra’s top songs. It was the theme song of the 1977 Film Joy Ride. A slow-moving and “romantic” song, it talks about a man trying to reach his girlfriend so he can hear her voice….Kind of creepy if you ask me!
This song was used in Adam Sandler’s 1995 hit Billy Madison at the part where Billy calls an old classmate to apologize for making fun of him in high school ten years earlier.
Local Numbers Have Benefits Too Ya Know
The first thought that comes to your head when you hear the term “virtual phone system” is probably not “local numbers.” You’ve heard us talk all about the benefits 800 numbers offer, but what about local numbers? They can do more for your business than many people realize.
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Local numbers make your customers feel more connected to you.
Clients often prefer to deal with businesses in their own locale. An 800 number may make your business seem too impersonal or large. Customers can have the convenience of making a call to a local number as opposed to an 800 number or an unrecognizable area code.
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More than one number
Depending on your business size and needs, you may need more than one local number. For example if you run a business out of Massachusetts that is partially in Boston and partially in Western Massachusetts, you may want both a 617 and a 508 number for your customers. If you’re doing business in multiple cities across the country, having more than one local number is a good idea too to give your business a multi-city appeal.
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Outside international calls
International callers often cannot dial toll free US 1-800 numbers, but can dial local numbers. This is beneficial for your company if they conduct a lot of international business.
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Same great features!
If you have a local number you would like to keep, Grasshopper can easily port it. And with a local number comes all of the same great features like unlimited extensions and custom greetings.
Our own company is an example of having both a toll free and local number. We have a direct 617 Boston area code for local and international customers and an 800 number for customers who prefer toll free. Search for available local numbers!
855 Numbers to be Released in October. Don’t Miss Out!
A few months ago we announced that 855 numbers were on the verge of being released, we just didn’t know the exact date. Well, a date has been set and 855 numbers will finally be released to the public on October 1, 2010.
This is the first time in 10 years that a toll free prefix has been released (866 numbers debuted in 2000) and will result in around 7 million new numbers! This presents a rare and phenomenal opportunity to businesses looking to get a new or better vanity number.
New Vanity Numbers!
Vanity numbers (ex: 1-800-MATTRESS) are a great tool most often used for business. Mainly because a simple thing like a phone number can actually have a pretty significant impact:
- Improved brand recognition
- Increased call volume
- Increases sales & ROI
Think about it, we’re all familiar with numbers like 1-800-Contacts, 1-800-Flowers or 1-888-Best-Buy. These numbers are easy to remember and they describe the business. These are the types of numbers companies would love to have but are all taken…until now. 855 numbers present a whole new opportunity.
Getting an 855 Number
The current buzz around 855 numbers tells us that there’s probably going to be a pretty high demand for these numbers, especially companies looking to secure the 855 version of their current number.
Creating a Dedicated Support Line for Your Business
One of the great things about our phone system is that it can be used in different (and creative) ways. While yes, it’s intended to be used as a full-featured, make your company sound big phone system, our customers have made it their own. Some people use it strictly as a voicemail service, some use it as a call forwarding service and one customer uses it to provide clients with personalized extensions.
A new use we came across recently was a customer using their Grasshopper number as a dedicated support line. What a great idea! We certainly have customers who use extensions for support/sales/departments/etc, but I’d never really thought about using an account just for Support.
As it turns out, there are actually quite a few benefits to this:
Professionalism
One of our main priorities here is to “Help entrepreneurs stay connected and sound professional”. Why? Because to customers, perception is reality.
A dedicated support line certainly shows customers that you are professional, successful enough to have a support team & you are there to help them when they need it. Whether this line forwards to a 100-person support team or your home office doesn’t really matter.
Grasshopper in the News: June-July
Between our rebranding campaign once again being discussed and summer launch parties, these past couple weeks have been big for Grasshopper! Check out where we have been in June and July.
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WorkBar Boston and Grasshopper Partner to Rev Up the BeIn Initiative for Boston’s Startup Community
The Summer entrepreneur launch party at Workbar Boston celebrated Boston’s large entrepreneurial population. Different companies networked and shared advice, good food and drinks. Read Boston Innovation’s recap of the story
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Webcast – Finally an affordable small business phone service for Small Business
Canadian Small Business features Grasshopper as a phone system solution for small businesses. Read the full article and listen to the webcast!
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20 Tips Your Small Business Can Use To Build Web Credibility
Every business today has a website, so how exactly do you make yours stand out? Small Biz Trends features Grasshopper in this article and how it can make contact easy.
- Five Ways to Increase Sales From Existing Customers
Jonathan Kay, Grasshopper’s Ambassador of Buzz, talks about the importance of customer connection via Twitter in Bnet’s article on key strategies to how to get even more sales from your current customers.
What’s Happening at Grasslands?
If you’ve been following our blog over the past year, you may have noticed a few changes lately, mainly we’ve had fewer updates. Well if you didn’t know already, this is due to the launch of Grasshopper Group.
Over the past seven years we’ve gone from GotVMail to Grasshopper, launched Chargify and are releasing our newest product, Spreadable in the next few months. There’s been a lot going on and basically we needed to create a better structure. That’s where Grasshopper Group comes in.
Grasshopper Group is the parent company of Grasshopper, Chargify, Spreadable and any other products we develop in the future. Grasshopper Group will be where we focus our entrepreneurial efforts, allowing our products to improve, evolve and be the best in their respective industries.
What does this mean for Grasshopper?
The only difference is we will have more time to focus on making sure our virtual phone system has everything Read more »
GH Group: Want to be a Word of Mouth Rockstar? Attend this Event!
Word of mouth marketing is key to your business’ success, which is why you will want to attend an event to learn all about it from the experts. Bonus: You can go at a great discounted price! Here’s an excerpt from Jonathan Kay’s post:
So what’s the point? The point is that Word of Mouth will be crucial to the success of your start up (And remember it’s FREE marketing). As you may know, Grasshopper Group’s mission is to create products and services that are necessary to your success as entrepreneurs. This is exactly why we have done two things to help you become a WOM rock star
Read the entire post over at Grasshopper Group
Why Your Business Should Have an 800 Number
In today’s economy, it’s important to make your business seem like number one. That means as a small 1-5 person business, you need to look and sound as professional as the big guys. An 800 number can not only help you sound bigger but can also make life easier for everyone. Here are seven reasons your small business should have an 800 number:
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An 800 number centralizes your business. Even if your employees are located in five different states, you still only need one number.
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It’s easier for customers to remember your number, especially when you use vanity numbers (think 1-800-Flowers).
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Customers are more likely to call an 800 number simply because it’s free!
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You own your 800 number. Change businesses, locations, etc…the number is still yours.
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They are easily transferable. Your business has grown tenfold and you need a bigger phone system but you don’t want to have to change your number. Good news, you don’t have to! Take it with you.
