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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!
Tips & Tricks Archive
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
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.
Is a B Corporation Right for Me?
Traditionally, business owners have had the same few choices when it comes to incorporating. Either go unincorporated (as a sole proprietor or partnership), or form an LLC, S or C corporation. The differences between these various entities typically come down to taxation, the ability to have foreign shareholders and which corporate formalities must be followed. None of them specify what a given company’s values and commitments are – until now.
Enter the B corporation (or “Benefit Corporation.”) It’s a new legal structure that designates a business as “socially responsible.” Unlike a standard S or C corporation, B corporations exist to codify explicit commitments to societal stakeholders.
Origins
The B corporation is a relatively new development. Created in 2006, the entity was first conceptualized by Pennsylvania firm B Lab. Essentially, the B corporation was envisioned as a way for any company to codify and advertise its commitment to “socially responsible” business practices. Becoming a B corporation occurs only after a lengthy certification process during which companies are evaluated on social and environmental matters.
Setting Up a Virtual Office: Best Posts from Around the Web
Working from a virtual office can be difficult, especially when that virtual office is your home. Maybe you don’t have a separate office space, your kids are running around, the dog wants to go out, you’re hungry, etc.
We’ve put together a few posts over the past couple of months to help you create a successful virtual office but we thought we’d share some other great posts from around the web that can help you not only create a virtual office but get your work done. Check them out!
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Virtual Office is What You Make It
Well known blogger Penelope Trunk writes a great post on Boston.com about the rise of the virtual office and how it can not only save you money but increase productivity.
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How to Set Up a Productive Virtual Workspace
Web Worker Daily covers three main needs of a virtual office and offers a ton of solutions to help solve these needs.
Great 8: Top Entrepreneur Forums on the Web
One of the great things about the entrepreneur community is the willingness and desire to share the trials and tribulations of starting and running a business. From blogs to forums to podcasts and books, there is a lot of really great knowledge out there. We have chosen eight of the best entrepreneur forums where you can ask questions, find info and share your own stories.
Entrepreneur.com – Industry Groups
Link: http://econnect.entrepreneur.com/browse_groups.php
What is it: Entrepreneur.com is a great forum that covers everything around entrepreneurship and business. The forums are even split up into industry-based groups ranging from construction professionals, to franchising, to sales and marketing to online business and young entrepreneurs.
Why you should read it: Entrepreneur.com has long been a trusted source for all kinds of entrepreneurs. Their forum allows people to connect with each other and share their experiences and knowledge. The starting a business section has nearly 1000 discussion topics!
12 B2B Blogs Every Business Should Read
With so many blogs and so little time, it’s often hard to know which ones to read. We’ve listed 12 different blogs based around B2B (business-to-business) marketing, sales, technology and more. If there are any others you think we missed, leave them in the comments.
1 ) Dianna Huff’s B2B Marcom Writer Blog
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What it is: Dianna Huff specializes in B2B web marketing strategy and content development also known as copywriting. In her blog she covers everything related to B2B Web Marketing.
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Why you should read it: Dianna is able to help your business adapt to the quickly changing web marketing world. Her polished writing style makes her blog very clear and an interesting read, while her unique path and creativity gives her a point of view rarely seen by traditional marketers. She is wonderful!
3 Fun Ways to Use Your Virtual Number
One of the things we talk a lot about is using Grasshopper to help your business sound more professional. Yes, it’s true, a virtual number with custom greetings, on-hold music and voice mail can help your business sound bigger and certainly more professional, but it can also be fun.
Having your own 800 number with unlimited extensions, voicemail greetings, custom music…imagine the possibilities!
Here are three fun ways you can use your virtual phone number:
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Joke of the Day
What if you were put on hold, only to be told a joke? Being on hold wouldn’t be so bad would it? Knock knock jokes, kids jokes, puns, jokes about your industry or profession, etc. Just be sure to keep it tasteful.
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Dating Extension
Single? What if you could know it was a personal call before you even picked up? Just like you can create dedicated extensions for specific clients, you can create dedicated extensions for love interests. No more awkwardness, no more wondering who is calling or what you are going to say. When the caller ID shows your dedicated extension, you can be ready.
10 Tips for Writing Better Email
Sonja Jacob, the Founder and Chief Cultivator at The Cultivated Word LLC, and the creator of the Grasshopper “Entrepreneurs Can Change the World” video, gives us ten tips for writing better email.
People receive more email in their inboxes today than ever before–an estimated two million email messages are sent every second–so why not make the email you send stand out for its concision and clarity? By following these ten simple steps, you’ll increase the likelihood that people will understand and act on your email.
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Hit the right note.
Sounding positive over email makes people want to communicate with you in the future. Be aware of how terms such as “good” come across as, “eh, it’s ok” in email. If you’re genuinely pleased with someone’s work, avoid “good” and opt for more effusive language.
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Avoid sarcasm.
Ever joke in an email only to have it misconstrued by the recipient? Email relies on fewer senses to convey messages, so you don’t see any physical clues to the meaning of words. Avoid sarcasm or jokes in email unless you know the recipient well.
Six Feet of Snow? No Problem with a Virtual PBX
As the half the United States becomes inundated with snow today, offices across the country become empty and productivity is lost.
With today’s technology, many people can work from home using a computer and VPN with no problem but what about those important phone calls? Support, sales, etc.
Can you really afford to miss one, two, five days because of weather?
The nice thing about a virtual PBX is that you can forward calls to ANY number on ANY phone. We say it all the time but it really is a great feature for any business.
An employee simply has to log into your Grashopper account and change their call forwarding number to their home or cell phone. All those calls you could potentially be missing are avoided and the employee doesn’t have to worry about giving clients their personal phone number.
As a business, being able to ensure your customers can reach you and no important calls are missed, despite what is happening with mother nature, is a great feeling.
Unlimited Extensions Create Personal Touch with Customers
It recently came to my attention that one of our customers, The KARS Consulting Group, is using our Unlimited Extensions feature in a brilliant way.
As a small consulting company or freelancer with a handful of clients, your relationship with each client is imperative to the success of you and your business. Any extra effort or personal touch goes a long way. So what is this entrepreneur doing that is so great?
Creating personalized extensions for each client.
Each client has their own extension with a personalized name greeting and voicemail. When the client calls in, they’re addressed with a greeting specifically for their company, the business knows who is calling so the call can be routed to the right person, and even when no one can take the call, there is a personalized voicemail message. What a great concept!
By creating these personal extensions, your business is able to accurately track call time through online call reports, save time by automatically directing calls to the right people and eliminate miscommunication issues. All without any extra costs.
