Business VoIP and the Small Business: A Winning Combination
Business VoIP was made for the small business. Some might call business VoIP a hosted or cloud solution. That’s what we are talking about - using the cloud for your small business. Laying out a capital expense can be hard for a small business. You do not always have the cash to plunk down for an office phone system. That is when hosted is your answer. There is no need for a large capital outlay; in fact you pay just a monthly fee. So let’s learn more about why business VoIP for small business is a winning combination.
Business VoIP was made for the small business. Some might call business VoIP a hosted or cloud solution. That’s what we are talking about - using the cloud for your small business. Laying out a capital expense can be hard for a small business. You do not always have the cash to plunk down for an office phone system. That is when hosted is your answer. There is no need for a large capital outlay; in fact you pay just a monthly fee. So let’s learn more about why business VoIP for small business is a winning combination. Buy what you want, when you want
Maybe you are growing, and in the next 6 months anticipate adding 3 to 4 people, even a person every 2 months. With a traditional phone system you would be asked for your growth and sold a system that you can grow into for the next 3 to 5 years, requiring you to pay for that system upfront. Don’t get me wrong, a traditional system is great for many small businesses, but the big difference with a hosted/cloud solution is that you can buy just the 4 lines now and grow as you want; many times without the commitments of having to buy more. Just make sure you work with a provider who understands and prices you for starting small and growing at a slow pace.
Get big company features for a fraction of the cost
Maybe you are a small business who has 20 phones, but only 5 of them are used by sales folks. You have decided you need to record the calls of these 5 people. When you purchase a hosted business VoIP solution you have the ability to purchase a la carte options for your staff. One of these options can be recording. So now, instead of spending money to record all staff you only pay for the 5. Other options include contact center and on-demand conferencing. So look at what features you need for your business and then see if the cloud solution is the best one for you.
Still not sure if business VoIP is right for your small business office phone systems? Contact us for a demo or just to talk about a hosted system. We are here to talk to you about the options and we are a vendor that can provide you the right solution at the right time.
About Us
Gaynor Telesystems Inc. has been proudly serving the North State Communities of Chico, Yuba City, Marysville, Eureka, Arcata, Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Redding, and Red Bluff for more than 40 years. We hope the information you found in this blog was useful. To learn more about how Gaynor Telesystems Inc. can help you install, maintain or service business communication solutions, please contact us at 877-Gaynor1.
Tips to Help Your Small Business Phone System Handle Summer
Summer is about beach playing, watermelon, vacations, and heat. As a small business owner, you may wonder if you can take time off while still getting calls answered and having your office run efficiently. Your small business phone system may be a few years old and you don't have a maintenance support plan. Our goal is to make sure bosses and employees enjoy the summer, instead of calling us in a panic about phone system related issues. Here are some tips so you can enjoy the rest of your summer.
Summer is about beach playing, watermelon, vacations, and heat. As a small business owner, you may wonder if you can take time off while still getting calls answered and having your office run efficiently. Your small business phone system may be a few years old and you don't have a maintenance support plan. Our goal is to make sure bosses and employees enjoy the summer, instead of calling us in a panic about phone system related issues. Here are some tips so you can enjoy the rest of your summer.
Make sure your phone system is in a cool place
Offices change and sometimes small business phone systems end up in closets or rooms without A/C. Remember, the phone system is a computer and needs cool air to work best. If you’re concerned about the location, please talk to us or even think about adding some venting. If your system overheats, just like a car, it can stop working. Now that would put a damper on your summer vacation.
Change your auto attendant
Are you short-staffed for the summer? Maybe you only have a couple of people answering your calls. It may be better to change your auto attendant so clients don’t leave messages for people who are not there. Also, if you’re closed, change your main greeting. Let clients know if there are options to reach you in case of an emergency. Your auto attendant is a tool that can be used to help your callers get to the correct person without getting frustrated. Do you need samples of an auto attendant script? Check out these sample greetings.
Try out that mobility
You bought the feature, but never really have used it. You know you’ll have a good signal when you’re at the beach, so turn on the mobility and have your phone calls ring your cell phone. If you don’t answer they go back to your office voicemail. You have the flexibility to choose which calls to answer. The caller ID will pass, so you can skip the SPAM calls and answer that important client. If you have not implemented mobility it’s not too late. Many of the newer systems have the ability to add this feature.
Check your call forwarding
If the worst case scenario does happen and you lose power or your system dies, in most cases you can have your calls forwarded by your telco company (AT&T, Frontier, Telepacific) etc. In order to have that happen it needs to be set up in advance. Now would be a good time to check and make sure nothing has changed with your call forwarding. You may have changed cell phones, so yearly checks on this would be important.
Summer is about fun, not about dealing with small business phone system problems. A little planning will go a long way.
If you’d like to learn more about mobility or are concerned about your phone system overheating, contact us today and we can talk with you about options.
About Us
Gaynor Telesystems Inc. has been proudly serving the North State Communities of Chico, Yuba City, Marysville, Eureka, Arcata, Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Redding, and Red Bluff for more than 40 years. We hope the information you found in this blog was useful. To learn more about how Gaynor Telesystems Inc. can help you install, maintain or service business communication solutions, please contact us at 877-Gaynor1.
3 Features of NEC Phone Systems Small Business Owners Will Love
NEC Phone systems have been available for over 50 years and Gaynor has been a partner of NEC for over 40 years. This is a winning combination for small business owners who are looking for new small business telephone systems.
NEC Phone systems have been available for over 50 years and Gaynor has been a partner of NEC for over 40 years. This is a winning combination for small business owners who are looking for new small business telephone systems.
NEC believes that no small business owner should be left behind. Here are some features small business owners love.
ACD – Automatic Call Distribution
Not just for the big companies, but for the small business telephone systems, the new NEC SV9100 has ACD with small business in mind. This NEC phone system, with the base purchase of the ACD, can have up to 20 agents.
What that means to you: if your billing department has 5 people and your dispatching department has 10, both can be part of an ACD solution, and you do not have to worry about buying extra seats or licenses as you grow.
For example, with the ACD in the billing department, you can see how many people actually call billing, what days of the week are busiest, and then can staff accordingly. ACD gives reports for managers to enable better customer service and better employee productivity.
Mobility
Staff today want the option of mobility. Not all staff will use it and not all staff will like it, but more and more business owners are looking at mobility. NEC phone systems have mobility built into them. They have the ability to allow your smart phone to ring when your desk phone rings. Simple and straightforward. NEC calls it mobile extension. The staff at Gaynor use it and we love the ability to call one phone number and know it will reach our team member.
Start Small and Grow Big
Small business telephone systems start small, but have the ability to grow big. NEC invests in small business. It knows that small business can turn into big business – why waste money just because you’re growing?
With the NEC SV9100 solution, you can start with a digital system of 6 phones (or smaller), but when you’re ready you simply add some software and a little hardware and now you can have a VoIP phone system. No need to throw out what you had, you just grow with VoIP phones, multiple sites, and larger ACD systems. NEC phone systems grow with you. You can invest in only what you need now and not what you need 2 years from now.
Do you need more information about the NEC phone systems available today? We are happy to provide any demos on small business telephone systems. Just click on our request a quote link below, and we will be happy to assist you.
About Us
Gaynor Telesystems Inc. has been proudly serving the North State Communities of Chico, Yuba City, Marysville, Eureka, Arcata, Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Redding, and Red Bluff for more than 40 years. We hope the information you found in this blog was useful. To learn more about how we can help you install, maintain or service business communication solutions, please contact us at 877-Gaynor1.
Why to Include NEC in Your Search for Phone Systems for Small Business
Small business owners have special needs and wants. Most small businesses don't have a full time IT person or department, and most outsource some of the business functions, such as payroll.
Small business owners have special needs and wants. Most small businesses don't have a full time IT person or department, and most outsource some of the business functions, such as payroll.
When it comes to buying a new phone system, small business owners are often left wondering what they should do. Phone systems for small business are what NEC is all about. Below is how NEC offers business communications solutions for your small business.
Grow With You
NEC has long been one to grow with clients. It believes you can buy small, and as you grow, add your licenses, parts and phones. No need to over-buy and no need to forklift when you grow.
The NEC SV9100 is a wonderful option for phone systems for small business, providing small phone packages with 4 phones. But imagine the growth that might happen in 1 to 2 years - with this package you can grow to 20 phones. There’s no reason to change your business communications solutions in just a couple of years.
Affordable Call Center
You may think call centers are only for large companies like Amazon, but the truth is, all businesses have a mini call center. Think about how you answer your phones. Do you have the two ladies in the front answer? That can be a call center.
The benefits of a call center for phone systems for small business is the fact you get reports. These reports tell you how many calls you’re getting, how long people are waiting etc. This can help you determine when your business is growing.
Digital Systems That Can Become VoIP Systems
NEC knows that small business owners most likely will be replacing older phone systems that were bought in the 1980’s or 1990’s. That means the cabling is not ready for VoIP. The NEC small business packages address the need of being a digital system in a VoIP world.
The SV9100 system comes in digital with the ability to grow to VoIP. When you want an IP phone at your house it’s possible. The system will be ready. Phone systems for small business by NEC are really just mini versions of medium to large phone systems.
So are you ready to learn more about what NEC offers for the small business? Today’s business communications system are indeed available in size and budget for the small business. We believe the NEC is the right solution for phone systems for small business.
Learn more by scheduling a demo with one of our experts.
About Us
Gaynor Telesystems Inc. has been proudly serving the North State Communities of Chico, Yuba City, Marysville, Eureka, Arcata, Sacramento, Davis, Woodland, Redding, and Red Bluff for more than 40 years. We hope the information you found in this blog was useful. To learn more about how we can help you install, maintain or service business communication solutions, please contact us at 877-Gaynor1.
What You Need To Know About Moving Office Phones Systems
It is always exciting to move into a new fresh office! There are many important things you need to do in preparation for this move. One of the most important is moving your office phone systems. Start by identifying who in your firm is going to be the lead person on this task.
It is always exciting to move into a new fresh office! There are many important things you need to do in preparation for this move. One of the most important is moving your office phone systems. Start by identifying who in your firm is going to be the lead person on this task.
Your lead person needs to bring in the key players:
Phone Systems Vendor
You first need to contact your phone systems vendor and inform them of your moving plans including a projected timeline. This vendor is usually a licensed contractor who specializes in low voltage systems i.e. phone systems. Using a qualified vendor, who is preferably trained and authorized by the manufacturer of your phone system, is always a best practice. They will be your trusted resource and lead you to a successful move.
Dial Tone Provider
The second step is to ensure your dial tone provider is also contacted and made aware of your impending move and timeline. In many cases the office phone systems vendor can and will do this for you free of charge! You will sign a form authorizing your phone system vendor access to your account and a huge stress will be removed from your plate. Your dial tone provider will need plenty of notice as they can take up to 6 weeks to process your order. This is dependent upon the types of lines and circuits you are using. It is crucial to provide a complete list of all your numbers, line, and circuits. You can provide this to the office phone systems vendor if they are facilitating your move or to your dial tone provider. The common mistake we often see is a customer forgetting fax lines and data circuits. Moving without those can cause tremendous headaches so be sure to add them to your list!
IT Vendor
Another key player in this age of VOIP could be your IT vendor. Your IT vendor will work closely with the office phone systems vendor to coordinate the roles and duties of your move so as to avoid duplication and therefore increased costs for you.
You need to communicate your needs with the office phone systems vendor
You need to meet with your phone systems vendor at your new site. Take an opportunity to walk the site and explain how you plan to use the facilities. If you are building a new office your phone systems vendor will need a copy of your plans and to coordinate with your general contractor and electrician. If you are moving into an existing facility your vendor will review all the existing cable, phone jacks and the equipment room to determine what work may need to be done to prepare your new office.
You need to keep all parties informed of any changes in your move date. It is common for move dates to change during the coordination process. Forgetting to notify your dial tone provider that you are not moving on the original date can result in your lines being moved without you! Many times your dial tone provider will dictate the general move in date and you can select the best time for your business. You may need an after-hours or weekend move, but be prepared to pay more for this.
You need to know what this move will cost
You should request an estimate from the office phone systems vendor. Typically when you purchased your office phone system a large portion of the installation costs were for labor to place cable and jacks so if you can reuse the existing ones in your new office that is best! Typically you can budget the costs to move all your lines at the same amount your dial tone provided charged you for initial installation.
Your phone system will be down. Yes, you need to work with your office phone systems contractor to determine the length of time it will take to physically move the phone system and the best plan for when this should occur, as well as how you will respond to your customers during this time. The easiest method is usually to forward your calls to an answering service or cell phone. Some small phone system moves can be accomplished during a lunch hour or another time when you have low call volume.
Your new office layout may necessitate the need for some redesign of your office phone systems programming. Perhaps calls will need to ring differently or you will need to have lamp indication of call status for team members you used to be able to see who are now in offices.
This is always a good time for a quick one hour or less training session from your vendor on how to use your office phone system. Many times these refresher classes are performed free of charge! Take advantage of this or negotiate it into your move estimate.
You need to properly prepare for move day
Now you know the crucial basics to moving your office phone systems and can relax and pick out some new fun furniture or art. If you’re researching new office phone systems for your business, or you have additional questions about moving, contact us to chat with one of our sales professionals today.