Posts Tagged ‘call forwarding’
It seems everybody wants an iPhone, or some other consumer device. Even business users are eyeing consumer technology these days. So says a study from RSA, the security division of EMC.
The survey looks at the rapid use and adoption of consumer technologies like the iPhone and iPad within the enterprise and the pivotal role users are playing in driving this trend. And this trend goes hand in hand with the use of virtual office space.
“The trend toward leveraging non-corporate-controlled assets and using social media for accessing and distributing information is inevitable,” says Security for Business Innovation Council member David Kent, vice president of Global Risk and Business Resources at Genzyme. “It would be a mistake for any company to put its head in the sand or to dig in its heels; because the tide will be working against you. It would be much better to recognize it and then create the parameters to make it work for you.”
Indeed, with so many executive road warriors traveling from city to city to close the next deal, consumer technologies are sexier than many enterprise platforms. But even consumer mobile technologies alone aren’t enough to keep execs up to speed with communications these days. Long flights, and sometimes even longer layovers, demand innovative ways to keep the communication flowing with clients.
Enter virtual office technologies. Virtual office technologies, like virtual office space and virtual receptionist services, give road warriors maximum flexibility in their quest to keep the lines of communication open. With virtual office space in cities around the world, the traveling executive can tap into the convenience of day offices or conference rooms on demand. And with virtual receptionists, mobile execs don’t have to miss any important calls. Virtual receptionists can handle client calls in a professional manner, complete with offering specifics on availability.
Virtual office technologies also let traveling executives have their calls forwarded automatically to any device or any location where they are staying. The caller never knows the difference. Add to that web conferencing abilities like Cisco WebEx and the mobile executive has a cadre of virtual office technologies to at his fingertips to help him stay productive, even during flight delays.
Check out this video about the rise of virtual office space on CNBC:
Will we stop getting mail on Saturdays? Will the U.S. Postal Service raise its rates? The answer to both questions is leaning toward “yes.”
Federal regulators are pondering slashing most Saturday postal deliveries or significantly upping the price we pay for stamps. Cutting out Saturday deliveries would save the post office an estimated $3 billion a year. In the meantime, the Postal Service wants to raise the price of stamps again.
Critics of both plans say that raising rates or limiting delivery service will push businesses toward other options. Critics also warn that it will put a burden on small businesses that are already struggling in a down economy.
While the cost of goods continues to rise with inflation, virtual office systems are helping small businesses slash costs rather than compromising services. Small businesses can turn to virtual office systems to cut down on traditional mail services, as well as traditional travel. Indeed, a virtual office space is a smart alternative to traditional office space, just as e-mail is a smart alternative to snail mail in many cases.
In a knowledge-based economy with technology at the fore, the virtual office system makes smart business sense for companies looking to hedge against other areas of the economy, including postal services, that continue to get more expensive.
What is a virtual office system? It includes live answering and call forwarding services, access to fully equipped conference rooms, mail receipt, an 800 or local phone number, and more. A full virtual office system with all the options, including the virtual receptionist, virtual office, virtual assistant and web conferencing, typically costs less than traditional office space.
So while you can’t stop the price of stamps from increasing, you can curb your office and staffing expenses with a virtual office system—and you’ll enhance your small business image as you tap into these low-cost services.
To learn more about inflation and why it happens, check out this video:
New research from the National Opinion Research Center and the University of Chicago reveals 16 percent of respondents have lost a jobs because they had to take time off work to deal with a sick family member—or their own illness.
Three in four respondents say paid sick days are a basic worker’s right, and 75 percent favor a law that guarantees paid sick days for all workers, and most support pro-rated paid sick days for part-time workers. What’s more, 86 percent back a plan that would require a minimum of seven paid sick days per year, and 33 percent say smaller employers should provide the same number of paid sick days as larger employers.
Congress is considering the Healthy Families Act, which would allow workers at businesses with 15 or more employees to earn up to seven paid sick days annually. The good news for your small business is that when you work with virtual receptionists, you don’t have to worry about sick days—and you also don’t have to worry about lost productivity or covering the phones because your receptionist is out sick.
A vital part of a virtual office package, a virtual receptionist helps you make a good impression on clients without having to hire, train and employ a receptionist on-site. And since you aren’t employing the virtual receptionist, you aren’t responsible for dealing with sick days. If one of Davinci Virtual’s virtual receptionists call in sick, the company simply shifts the calls to another available virtual receptionist. It’s a seamless transition. Your clients will never know the difference because all of Davinci’s virtual receptionists are well-trained.
Davinci’s live receptionists are equipped with advanced answering systems so they don’t miss a call. And since your virtual receptionist only answers the phone for you and up to four other businesses, the call volume is always manageable. Davinci offers a pay-as-you-go phone plan, so you only pay for the virtual receptionist minutes you use. And, again, you never have to worry about your virtual receptionist calling in sick.
I read an interesting study from Robert Half Management Resources. The gist of it was that financial executives can’t resist calling into work when they are on summer vacation. More than two-thirds (69 percent) of CFOs in the survey said they check in with the office at least once or twice a week during their vacation.
“While it is impossible for most CFOs to disconnect entirely, having a strong team in place makes it more manageable to get away,” says Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. “Disconnecting from the office also sets an example for employees, encouraging them to take needed breaks.”
Whether you are the CFO of a large company, or the CFO of your own company, taking downtime is important. Any good success coach will tell you that you need to recharge your batteries and sharpen your saw for continued success. A virtual office system can help before during and after your vacation.
McDonald offers five tips to help managers ensure their time away truly feels like a vacation:
Schedule ahead. If possible, aim to leave the office during a light period or when key staff members aren’t on vacation. Those in the office won’t be stretched too thin by your absence or feel the need to be in constant contact with you.
Decide on a point person early. A few weeks in advance, designate a senior person you trust to manage day-to-day responsibilities during your absence.
Notify contacts and clients. Before you leave, make certain clients and other business contacts are aware when you’ll be gone. On your out-of-office e-mail response and voice mail, include the name of your colleague handling your responsibilities.
Divide assignments. Unless the project requires the focus of your most senior person, you may want to distribute tasks to multiple senior staff members to ensure that work gets completed and to avoid overburdening any single employee. Also consider bringing in project professionals to cover large projects.
Determine your check-in time. If you must check in, try to establish “office hours” prior to your departure. Provide your staff with specific dates and times you will be checking messages. Resist the temptation to always have your mobile device in hand while on vacation.
Don’t forget about the benefits of virtual office technologies…
I think all that is good advice. But there is one more tip that could make your vacation more relaxing, even if you do have to take some calls during your getaway: virtual office technologies. Virtual office technologies can streamline communications during your time away from the office.
Here’s how: A virtual office phone system offers live answering and call forwarding services. So if a client really needs to reach you, your live receptionist can look at the list of people you are willing to take calls from and let the others know you are on vacation. The virtual receptionist can forward the appropriate calls to you and shield you from the rest.
Virtual office providers also give you access to fully equipped conference rooms and web conferencing technologies. So just about wherever you are, from Miami to Los Angeles to Seattle to New York and beyond, you can drop into a Davinci Virtual and rent a conference room with video conferencing or web conferencing capabilities.
On top of all this, a virtual office can make you more productive year-round, so when it’s time to take a vacation you are already ahead of the game. How many entrepreneurs never take a vacation—or even weekends off—because of the workload. With a virtual office system that includes virtual assistants, virtual receptionists and technologies, you can set the stage for a great vacation before you ever step foot out of your virtual office.
Be sure to take a real vacation. There are studies that give you a justification!
Feeling a little groggy in the morning? If you are an American, you are not alone. Almost 20 percent of Americans suffer from chronic “excessive sleepiness.”
So says a study from Stanford University. Another 17 percent in the study said they had trouble staying awake and alert on the job. Could a virtual office help?
“The prevalence of excessive daytime sleepiness is very high in the American population, much higher than what we observed in the European population,” says Dr. Maurice Ohayon, professor of psychiatry at Stanford University and lead investigator of the new study. “Insufficient sleep is plaguing the American population and is one of the leading factors for excessive daytime sleepiness.”
OK, so how could a virtual office help this problem of excessive sleepiness? I see a couple of ways.
A virtual office slashes your commute time. Instead of rising an hour earlier to get to work, then, you have two options: use that extra hour to rest or rise at your normal time and render more productivity in your day.
Another way a virtual office can help the sleepiness factor is by making it more convenient to take an afternoon nap. When you work from home and use virtual office technologies, you can set your phone service to hold calls or ask your virtual receptionist to take a message. No one needs to know you are taking a cat nap and you’ll wake up refreshed—and more productive.
A virtual office won’t help so much if you are a night owl who has to rise early to meet work commitments. But it can help in some practical ways. Whether you are doing business in New York, the city that never sleeps, or Miami, where many take an afternoon siesta, a virtual office can give you more flexibility with your work schedule.
Check out this quick video on sleep myths and get your sleep facts straight.
Listen up road warriors. The International Agency for Research on Cancer is reporting findings on its latest study about the safety of cell phones. The study has reopened the global debate on the connection between cell phones and brain cancer.
“The study doesn’t reveal an increased risk, but we can’t conclude that there is no risk because there are enough findings that suggest a possible risk,” the study’s chief author, Elisabeth Cardis, told AFP.
If you are a heavy traveler and rely on your cell phone to do business while on the run, these kinds of studies can breed fear. This debate is likely to rage on for some time. What’s not debatable is the safety of a virtual office. In fact, using a virtual office can make your home-based business safer because you don’t have to give our your home address and phone number. Virtual offices offer privacy and security.
With a virtual office, you get an 800 number or local phone number your clients call in. That number can be forwarded to your home phone, your cell phone, or anywhere else you need to receive calls, whether you are in Atlanta, Philadelphia, or some other city in the world. Therefore, no one ever has to know that you are away from home.
Likewise, a virtual office gives you a prestigious business address. That means you don’t need to share your home address with clients, even for billing purposes. Your mail will be collected by Davinci Virtual and you can have it forwarded to wherever you are in the world. It’s an advantage over a P.O. Box and it’s less expensive than maintaining a postal service box with another party.
With a virtual office, you also get a myriad of other benefits and the ability to tap into amenities that can help you work smarter, faster and more efficiently, all while maintaining the privacy and security. So as the debate about the safety of cell phone usage continues, keep in mind what you can keep safe: your home-based business.
You can watch this video on the cell phone cancer debate and decide for yourself:
As flood waters begin to recede in Tennessee, volunteers are coming on the scene to help clean up a devastated Nashville. One organization, Hands On Nashville, is overseeing 12,000 volunteers while Volunteer Tennessee is taking emergency donations to help families whose homes were destroyed by the floodwaters and celebrities are donating monies to help victims.
According to the Army Corps of Engineers, the waters that hit Nashville qualify as a 1,000-year flood, which means it was an event that could be expected to happen once in every 1,000 years. The Army Corps of Engineers said the flash nature of the flood made damages unavoidable. Downtown Nashville has a small advantage because of topography, but flooding has also damaged the city’s core.
Our customers in Nashville can rest assured that virtual office service is not interrupted. With a virtual office in Nashville, clients can still rely on a local or 800 number for clients to call.
Remote receptionists are still scheduling appointments, making outbound sales calls, receiving messages and forwarding calls to victims of the flood. And our Live Web Chat service is still helping Nashville customers generate leads online.
Our Nashville customers affected by the flood can still do business by renting day offices in other Tennessee cities. Davinci Virtual has network partners in Brentwood, Memphis, Franklin and Knoxville standing by with office space. Davinci Virtual also allows customers to tap into Cisco’s WebEx web conferencing technology to avoid complete interruption of business meetings where travel is not an option.
Check out this video that shows the Nashville 1,000-year flood:
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake has hit Indonesia. The earthquake hit the island of Sumatra. The earthquake triggered a tsunami watch. As earthquakes continue to malign various parts of the world, it’s time for businesses to consider disaster recovery plans, which include virtual offices.
A business continuity or disaster management plan is vital for companies that can’t afford business interruptions. You may not be able to stop a hurricane from hitting Miami, an earthquake from hitting San Francisco or a Tornado from hitting Kansas, but you can put plans in place to allow employees to work remotely in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
Virtual offices offer that security. Live receptionists, web chat and other virtual office technologies can also ensure business continues as planned when you aren’t available to deal with incoming calls. With a virtual office space, your employees could be scattered across various states but could still have calls forwarded to cell phones or other places from which they may be doing business.
What’s more, when you rent virtual office space from Davinci Virtual, you can tap into part-time office space at a low cost while you are away from your home base. Rather than working from a coffee shop, Davinci Virtual offers access to meeting rooms and day offices with all the office equipment and Internet connections you need to keep doing business until you can return to the office.
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