Companies We Love
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!
tricks Archive
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!
14 Twitter Feeds Startups/Founders Should Follow
We’ll admit it – the typical Twitter page is more likely to hinder startup success than it is to help. A Google search for “Twitter distraction” generates over 1.8 million results, including in-depth blog posts on how to prevent Twitter from breaking your focus. So we’ll understand if Twitter isn’t currently a big part of your work day. However, it would be unwise for startup founders to unplug completely from Twitter.
In fact, the Twitter accounts of other startups and founders are often treasure troves of relevant, applicable insight. After all, these are folks who have overcome the obstacles you are facing and achieved the goals you are striving for. Who better to learn from? The key to using Twitter productively, of course, is avoiding idle banter and following only those offering concrete, actionable advice. To that end, Grasshopper scoured Twitter for fourteen accounts that any startup founder would be well-served to follow.
Startup Digest
Startup Digest is an awesome service for getting plugged in with your local startup community. They also have a great Twitter list setup for you to follow to filter out some of the noise in your Twitter stream once in awhile and focus on valuable insights from leading tech blogs and entrepreneurs.
Using Phone Numbers to Track Marketing ROI
As a small business it is often hard to track exactly where your customers are coming from; Television, radio, web, partners, etc, etc. While analytics have certainly made it easier to track web traffic, offline efforts aren’t as clear cut.
A great way to track offline marketing efforts and determine ROI is to use multiple phone numbers. Using separate phone numbers for separate campaigns can help you track where your visitor came from and give you insight into which campaign is working the best.
Using Multiple Phone Numbers to Track ROI:
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Place a phone number on your website that is found no where else. This will allow you to track conversions from people visiting the site and then picking up the phone and buying. You can even create use separate numbers for your pay-per-click ads.
How Do I Dial a Vanity Number on My Blackberry?
While this may seem like a no-brainer for some, it’s actually a common question!
“How do I dial a vanity number on my Blackberry?”
If you don’t know what a vanity number is, it is a custom phone number (toll free or local) that spells out a particular word. Here are a few examples:
- 1-800-Flowers
- 1-800-Contacts
- 1-888-BestBuy
So, how exactly do you go about dialing a vanity number on your Blackberry?
Well you could try to figure out what letter corresponds to what number, or you could simply hold down the ALT key. That’s it!
By holding down the ALT key, you can dial every letter on the keyboard, spelling out any number you need, including your Grasshopper vanity number!
How To: Manage, Tag & Map Messages
Instead of the usual Friday Flix videos we present on the team blog, this week we thought we would provide a “How To” on managing messages in your Grasshopper account.
This video gives a quick overview on managing voice mails, including mapping the call to a specific location on a map, adding contact info, sending an email and storing.
Log in to your Grasshopper account to get started. Don’t have one? Sign up today!
4 Tips to Organize Your Business with a Virtual Number
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.
