Why VoIP Should Get VIP Treatment in Your Small Business

Over the past few years, an increasing number of small and midsized businesses have been dumping their traditional phone systems in favor of VoIP (voice over Internet Protocal) and IP-PBX (Internet Protocal private branch exchange). And this trend only promises to get stronger in light of the current economic climate where a small business’ flexibility, efficiency, and productivity is all the more critical to its survival.

If your small business has yet to adopt VoIP technology, you may want to give it some serious consideration. The following are some of the benefits of upgrading to a VoIP system:

Cost Savings: For many small businesses the biggest draw to VoIP is its low cost. At the most basic level, VoIP has minimal hardware requirements: a sound card, speakers and a microphone. For more advanced services you may need headsets, IP-enabled phones, and a physical IP-PBX box.

Calls made over VoIP are dramatically cheaper than those made via a PSTN phone service. Businesses can use VoIP between computers with downloadable free software like Skype or Asterisk. For more feature-rich services, there are several commerical options, such as the Asterisk Business Edition, but even the cost of these for-pay services are generally much lower than the equivalent standard phone service.

Simplicity: The combination of an IP PBX system with a VoIP telephone service allows voice and data to be handled by one set of network protocols and wiring. As a result of this unified system, your company can benefit from lowered expenses, simpler management and greater functionality in general.

Features: Many VoIP systems are rich in features. Some common features include: off-site call forwarding, extension dialing, voice-mail boxes, audio conferencing, and auto attendants to answer the phone and direct calls.

Flexibility: VoIP will give your employees the ability to work from anywhere that has a fast and reliable Internet connection. You can use VoIP to make both national and international calls from one PC to another or from a PC to a landline. You can even have a VoIP account on your mobile phone.

 

Cut Costs by Using HP to Bring Your Marketing In-House

One of the most important keys to running a successful small business is effective marketing. But you may think that investing in professional-looking fliers, brochures, newsletters, and letterheads will be a big strain on your operating budget. According to HP, it does not have to be…

HP is making it easier (and more affordable!) for small businesses to create their own low cost marketing materials. Recently, HP introduced two new color laser printers, HP Color LaserJet CP2025 Printer and the HP Color LaserJet CM2320 MFP that were specifically designed for the small and growing small business. These machines are the latest in HP’s line of low budget equipment and tools that includes a series of Officejet All-in-One devices, an online community called the Marketing Impressions Portal with helpful marketing tools, guides, and templates, as well an In-House Marketing Starter Kit.

According to a recent study of printing costs in the US, HP claims that small businesses can save as much as 50% with in-house printing as opposed using professional printing services.

In-house marketing is also brings to smaller businesses an added measure of flexibility and versatility that gives them a competitive advantage over bigger businesses.

 With benefits such as these, it’s definitely worth looking into.

Xerox DocuShare Express: Affordable Content Management for Small Businesses

Earlier this week Xerox, promoted the latest addition to its line of DocuShare software solutions, and it comes as welcomed news for small and mid-sized businesses struggling with information overload.

DocuShare Express is a Web-based electronic filing system specifically designed for smaller businesses that provides storage and retrieval for a wide range of paper and digital content, such as Microsoft Office files, scanned documents, e-mails, blogs, and wikis. The application comes with a quick install process and seamlessly integrates with Xerox hardware using the new Extensible Interface Platform (EIP) connector. This feature allows scanned documents to be stored, viewed, and even edited.

With the release of DocuShare Express, smaller businesses will now have access to a savvy, multi-featured content and document management solution at an affordable price. (The entry-list price for businesses in the U.S. is $1,800.) There is even an option to upgrade to the more advanced versions of DocuShare family, such as DocuShare CPX.

Got the Picture? Check Out bMighty’s New Imaging How-To Center

If you dream of freeing your small business from a seemingly endless stream of documents, memos, reports, and invoices, then bMighty’s new Imaging How-To Center may be just what you are looking for.

Coming in the wake of its informative Server How-To Center, bMighty has created another guide for small and mid-sized businesses that offers practical information on using document imaging to save money and maximize workflow efficiency.

The site contains several free downloadable guides, with titles such as “Document Imaging, Simplified,” and “7 Steps to Document Imaging” as well as a growing collection of pertinent articles and resources culled from the Web, case studies, videos, and other useful information.

If you are thinking of bringing document imaging into your business this site is definitely worth checking out.

Home Office Ergonomics: Treat Your Body Right

As traveling expenses continue to skyrocket, many people are finding it more cost-effective to work from home- whether as a telecommuter or as an independent small business owner. For these homebound workers, the quality of their work experience will be greatly effected by the equipment they use and the work environment they are able to create within their living space.

When designing a home office, acquiring equipment and other furnishings, that are ergonomically sound should be made a priority- even if it means paying a little more for these items. Not only will it help to increase job efficiency and performance, but it can also positively effect a worker’s attitude on the job.

Here is a list of the major items in a home office and what you should look for in terms of essential ergonomics:

The Office Chair: Look for a swivel chair that can be adjusted for height, arm height, lumbar and lower back support. The chair should be adjusted so that your feet can rest flat on the floor or on a footrest.

The Desk: If you are using your desk for writing or drawing, look for an inclined surface as opposed to a flat one. If you will be placing a computer on the desk then choose one with an adjustable keyboard shelf. A matted surface will also help to reduce eyestrain from glare.

The Telephone: To reduce neck strain invest in either an handsfree head set or a speakerphone. Alternatively, you could fit your phone with a shoulder cradle to support your head and neck.

Lighting Fixtures: Use halogen or other bright lights as task lighting making sure to direct it away from your computer screen to eliminate glare.

The Computer Monitor: Flat panel screens are known to reduce glare. Make sure your monitor can be easily adjusted for height and tilt.

The Mouse and Keyboard: If you need to use your mouse a lot then look for alternative input devices such as a trackball or a touch pad. Look for a keyboard that ergonomically designed and add a wrist pad for extra support.

The Laptop: Make sure to use your laptop on a hard, flat surface (preferably an ergonomic desk!) If you mostly work from a laptop and not a desktop computer the consider getting a docking station. This will allow you to plug your laptop into a full-sized monitor and keyboard.