voip

working-from-home

5 Awesome Benefits of Working Remotely that Everyone Needs to Consider

Whether you’re an employer who’s concerned that your employees might lack motivation or you’re an employee who looks forward to seeing your coworkers every day, you might be feeling some anxiety regarding working from home. Below are five awesome benefits of working remotely that everyone should consider. #1 – There’s No Commute Many people out there don’t really mind getting up and going to work in the morning (or at night). It’s the commute that they dread. Some people drive an hour or more to and from work each way, and it can be difficult staying motivated or entertained. Employees who can work remotely can avoid that commute, and it may even help them feel more productive. If they drive an hour each way, they’ve just gained two more hours a day, and that’s an extra 10 hours per five-day workweek. Remote work has a positive environmental impact by reducing commuting and its associated carbon emissions. With fewer people commuting to and from the office, remote work contributes to lower traffic congestion and air pollution. It aligns with sustainability goals and supports a greener approach to work. #2 – There’s a Bigger Applicant Pool When it comes to the best and brightest talent in all the hottest industries, workplace flexibility is a key consideration. They want the ability to work from home, and if a company doesn’t provide it, they’re likely to keep searching for a job that does. By opening your mind to the possibility of hiring remote workers – or at least giving people the option – you’ll have access to a much larger talent pool. Better still, you can hire someone across the country since commute time no longer has an effect on who you choose to fill positions. Remote work allows companies to tap into a global talent pool, as geographical barriers are no longer a constraint. Organizations can hire the best talent regardless of their location, increasing diversity and bringing in unique perspectives and expertise. #3 – People Can Work the Way They Want When people have the option to work the way they choose, whether that’s in their pajamas with a laptop on the couch or dressed in their best business casual in the home office, they are more autonomous, and that makes them more productive. Employees who work with deadlines rather than being forced to be at a desk from nine until five tend to be happier overall, too. Remote work provides the flexibility to choose where you work, allowing individuals to create a workspace that suits their preferences and needs. Whether it’s working from home, a co-working space, a coffee shop, or even while traveling, remote work offers the freedom to work from anywhere with an internet connection. #4 – Working Remotely Costs Less There’s no getting around it: providing employees with office space is incredibly expensive. In fact, for many companies, office space is one of their largest expenses. When you choose to allow employees to work remotely, you can save money on the office space, utilities, and the overhead costs associated with maintaining a physical office. Remote workers can save on commuting expenses, office attire, and dining out for lunch. Additionally, remote work may open up opportunities for individuals to live in more affordable areas, reducing housing expenses. As an employee, you’re saving money on your commute, your business wardrobe, and even lunches in the office. It’s truly a win-win situation for everyone, even if it is only temporary or only part-time. #5 – You Can Use New Technologies With everything from managed IT service to VoIP and cloud-based apps as a service, there’s truly a technology to make everything possible. When you give your employees all the right tools, they can and will succeed. It’s up to employers to choose the right technologies and the right protections. As an employee, you may find yourself learning how to use new technologies that can benefit not only your work life and your resume, but your personal life, as well. Working from home can be quite the transition, and it can cause anxiety among workers and employers alike. Nevertheless, more people are working from home now than ever before in history, and many of them are succeeding, too. Consider the five benefits above and it will be much easier to decide whether working remotely is the right choice for you. Working Remotely Challenges While there are many amazing benefits of working remotely, there are also some challenges to consider. One challenge can be the social isolation from other employees. Remote work can be isolating, especially for individuals who are used to working in a social office environment. The lack of face-to-face interaction and casual conversations with colleagues can lead to feelings of loneliness and decreased motivation. Additionally, remote workers may miss out on networking opportunities and building strong professional relationships. Another challenge for some employees are the social distractions at home. Some employees who have never worked remotely may have issues with time management or a lack of routine in their day-to-day as it can be difficult adjusting to working remotely for some. Some individuals thrive in a structured office environment, where routines and social interactions provide motivation. Remote work requires self-discipline and self-motivation, as individuals are responsible for managing their own time and maintaining focus. Without a clear routine or external accountability, productivity can be adversely affected. Finally some employers have cited issues with collaboration and team building when employees work from home. Remote workers also may face challenges in terms of career growth and visibility within their organizations. They may miss out on informal opportunities for professional development or networking that are more common in traditional office settings. Remote workers need to proactively seek out opportunities to showcase their skills and contributions to ensure career advancement. Working Remotely Conclusions We have gone over some of the benefits and challenges of working remotely today. Remote work often involves relying on virtual communication tools and platforms. This can sometimes lead to

5 Awesome Benefits of Working Remotely that Everyone Needs to Consider Read More »

VoIP Phone Service

5 Things VoIP Can Do that a Traditional Copper Telephone Line Can’t

If your small business still relies on a standard copper telephone line, you may be missing out on some very important benefits. In fact, VoIP is far superior to a traditional landline in several interesting ways. Below, you can learn about five of the most important things VoIP can do for you and your business that a traditional copper telephone line cannot.  #1 – Save You Money If there’s one thing that VoIP can do for your business that a standard telephone line just can’t, this is it. From setup to running cost, utilizing VoIP telephone service is far, far more affordable. Installing a single copper-line based telephone jack can cost you well over $100, but with VoIP, you can attach as many phones as you need as long as you have the right modem and router setup. What’s more, with standard phone service, you are charged a great deal for every single line you have. This simply isn’t the case with VoIP. You could save as much as 50% on your running costs by switching to VoIP.  #2 – Transmit Multimedia With VoIP, you can do a lot more than just make telephone calls. You can transfer video or any other type of multimedia just as you would over the internet. This simply is not the case with traditional telephone service. Though you can sign up for DSL internet service, or internet service delivered to you via a copper telephone line, it is a completely separate service – and it isn’t cheap, either.  #3 – Features are Free If you utilize things like call waiting, caller ID, call forwarding, call parking, and others with your traditional landline, then there’s a very good chance you’re paying a great deal extra for them. If you have more than one telephone line, you’re probably paying for these services for each line, too. With VoIP, these features are typically included in your package. Better still, because VoIP is delivered over the internet, you gain access to numerous other features that are incredibly easy to set up, which include automated answering and the ability to give your customers the option to press a button to connect to the right department – all without exorbitant fees.  #4 – Scalability If you work out of an office building with a single telephone line, expanding your operations to include three or four more telephone lines for separate departments as your business grows can be a complex, time-consuming, and expensive ordeal. A technician will need to come and install the jacks and wires, and you will need to pay separately for each individual line in your building. With VoIP, all you have to do is contact your service provider and tell them you need access to more phone numbers, then connect the phones. It really is that easy for your phone network to grow along with your company.  #5 – Improved Productivity Last, but most certainly not least, switching from a standard landline to VoIP can help your employees become more productive. A survey conducted by Cisco Unified Communications found that people who used VoIP at work spent an average of 32 fewer minutes on the phone each day. That’s two and a half hours per work week! What’s more, 74% of employees use a mobile app to take business calls with VoIP service, which not only improves productivity, but also improves customer service.  In today’s high-tech day and age, there is really no good reason to continue paying exorbitant fees for traditional telephone lines – especially if you plan to expand your operations in the future. Instead, switch to VoIP so you can enjoy a great deal of savings, improved productivity, free features only VoIP can provide, and so much more. 

5 Things VoIP Can Do that a Traditional Copper Telephone Line Can’t Read More »

voip-vs-mobile

VoIP vs. Landline vs. Mobile – Which is Best for Your Business?

Whether you run a small to medium business or you’ll be getting one off the ground soon, telephone service is a big consideration and something that is best to plan early on. The three options available to you include Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), landline, and mobile, and the information below will help you make the best possible decisions based on your company’s needs and budget.  Mobile Phone Service There’s no doubt that mobile phone service is the most broadly utilized service of the three in today’s high-tech day and age. It is estimated that some 66.6% of the global population and 96% of Americans have mobile devices. Despite their popularity, it is important to remember that mobile phones are only best for individuals and many of the benefits that make a cellphone attractive to a single person simply do not apply to small businesses. After all, the last thing you want is a dropped call or poor call quality due to touchy reception. It may not be a big deal when chatting with a friend, but when it’s a client or customer, it means everything.  Traditional Landline Phone Service Prior to the incredible penetration of mobile service into the everyday lives of global consumers, landline service was considered the norm. Almost every household in the nation had at least one telephone line and number, and many had more than one to accommodate teens, home-based businesses, and more. Even medium and large businesses utilized numerous lines of traditional phone service in one location to keep their businesses connected with each other and their clients and customers.  However, landline service is very expensive for businesses of any size. Each line has its own associated set of costs, and those don’t account for hardware installation, wiring, and more. Now, barely 40% of Americans utilize landlines. Though businesses are moving away from landline service more slowly, the introduction of “softphone” services delivered via VoIP is slowly phasing them out.  VoIP Phone Service For many businesses – especially small and medium-sized businesses interested in scalability – there is no better solution than VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol. To put it simply, VoIP is voice service that is carried on your data network rather than through copper wires. The result is phone service that is far more affordable and often even easier to use than complicated landline networks. VoIP makes it possible to add lines of service in seconds, activate call forwarding in just a few clicks, and take a telephone number anywhere as long as there is internet connectivity. VoIP continues to grow in popularity and is slated to help phase out landline service in the next few years.  There’s little denying that VoIP is the way to go for businesses of all sizes. Though it can help small to medium business save money on things like installation costs up front, even larger businesses can benefit from transitioning their landlines packed with fees and charges to VoIP lines that are scalable, functional, and easy to use.  Benefits of VoIP Phone Service Lower Costs – Clients on average see a savings of 60% versus traditional telephone service. Service Mobility – Users can take their phone and plug it in anywhere they have an Internet connection. This is especially helpful with users who work remotely or from home. Excellent Phone Call Quality – Today’s VoIP phone service has surpassed traditional landline in terms of call quality. Easier to Scale – Adding new phones and users or even scaling back can be done quickly and efficiently compared to traditional telephone service. Advanced Features – VoIP today has many advanced features including auto-attendants, call queuing, voicemail transcription, and more. If you are interested in VoIP phone service, contact us today for a free quote and see how we can help your business save money by moving to VoIP!

VoIP vs. Landline vs. Mobile – Which is Best for Your Business? Read More »