Steps to Help Grow Your Business in 2017

Trying to grow and expand a small business can be one of the most difficult jobs you’ll ever have to try and do. However, if you want yours to be successful, you’ll have to pull out all of the right stops to accomplish this feat. If you’re looking to grow your small business for the new year, here’s what you need to do.

Increase Advertising

Take a look at your current marketing plan and see how it performed over the last year. See which areas were most effective, least effective, and channels you have yet to explore. With all of this information, reallocate your budget to whichever method was most successful. If you haven’t already, look into digital marketing (content, social media, mobile) as this is the fastest growing form of marketing available to businesses.

The Buddy System

Non-competing small businesses can help each other grow if they stick together. One business owner might know people that could benefit another business owner, vice versa. By being friendly with all non-competing small businesses in your area, you can help them grow as they help you grow. After all, a successful community is one that flourishes by working together.

Upgrade Technology

Many businesses can benefit from an upgrade in certain technologies. A business that has employees who are constantly on the road or who live in other areas of the country can be easily accessible if the phone system is upgraded to VoIP. Not only will this system give you the features you need to effectively communicate with employees and consumers, but it will also cut your phone bills in half.

Growing your small business in 2017 is certainly possible if you follow all of the right steps. When it’s time to upgrade your phone system to VoIP, contact Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more, or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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Holiday Shopping Incidents That Can Take Place in Your Small Business

The holiday season is filled with love, joy, and of course -- crazy holiday shoppers! Trying to shop in the month of December can be a hectic and oftentimes dangerous time of year. If you own, manage, or work in a small business, here are a few things you might witness.

Aggressive Behavior

For small businesses who strategically price their merchandise with sales and discounts, be aware of how your customers interact within the store. Sometimes customers will do anything to check every item off of their holiday shopping list, which is when aggressive behavior comes into play. Be aware of any customers who might be pushing, yelling, or starting fights to get what they want (from employees or other customers).

Car Accidents

When a business is located in a mall, shopping plaza, or on a busy street, accidents are bound to happen. Mixing aggressive behavior with an abundant amount cars is a recipe for disaster in the parking lot. Customers can get into fender benders, strike pedestrians, and cause hit and runs. Always pay extra attention when you’re in the parking areas during this time of year.

Shoplifting

When the foot traffic in your store increases, this will naturally increase the odds of merchandise being stolen. More people in the store at once will also make it easier for shoplifters to hide product on their person without being seen by employees. Managers should tell all employees to be more alert during this month, as well as checking security cameras throughout the day.

If there is ever an incident in your small business involving aggressive shoppers, car accidents, or shoplifters, having CCTV cameras installed can provide you with evidence to protect your business. To learn more about CCTV, or to schedule a free estimate with Reliable Voice & Data Systems, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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Tips to Prevent Shoplifting This Holiday Season

No matter the time of year, shoplifting is a constant problem that every business needs to worry about. However, this problem skyrockets during the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Utilize a few of these tips to try and reduce the number of shoplifters in your small business.

Train Employees to…

• Always keep an eye out for suspicious activity
• Speak to every customer that enters the building
• If a customer seems to be lingering in a specific area for too long, ask them if they would like some assistance
• Know and walk around areas where shoplifting occurs most

Keep an Eye Out For Customers Who…

• Refuse to make eye contact with employees
• Stand in blind spots of the store
• Repeatedly walk in and out of the store
• Are visually nervous

Every business should worry about shoplifting, but they should also worry about employee theft. No one has more accessibility to merchandise and money than the people who work for the business.

To reduce employee theft, a business owner should…

• Pop into the store at random times without letting employees know
• Randomly check the inventory and registers throughout the month to make sure all of the numbers are adding up and nothing is missing
• Offer rewards to employees who catch other employees stealing
• Utilize a POS system where all items are logged and recorded for future analysis
• Install a CCTV security system throughout the store and at each point of entry

Shoplifting is a crime that can seriously hurt the bottom line of every small business owner. When you want to beef up security in your store, contact Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more about CCTV security systems, or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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3 Ways Your Business Can Save Money Instantly

No matter if your business is large or small, saving money is a goal of ALL businesses. While all owners and managers should be constantly finding new ways to decrease expenses and increase profits, there are a few things you can do right now to instantly save money.

Eliminate the Dinosaurs

Having a fax machine (or purchasing one for a new business) is a large expense that can be avoided altogether. Luckily, there are fax by email services you can sign up for that allow you to send a certain number of faxes per month via email. Now that the fax machine is gone, you might as well get rid of the filing cabinets while you’re at it. Transferring all of your paper data to a digital storage space will save you office space and expenses on future cabinet and office supplies.

Utilize Work-From-Home

There are some businesses that can easily have some of their employees work remotely without ever having to come into the office (except for occasional meetings). Providing employees with this option will allow your business to save money on internet packages and monthly bills. Not only will your business save money, but this could be an opportunity for employees to save money as well. A win-win for everyone!

Switch to VoIP

All businesses must pay their bills, but there are ways to cut down on some of these. By cancelling your current traditional telephone system plan and switching to VoIP, you can save hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of dollars on your monthly phone bills. Not only will you save money without sacrificing quality and reliability, but you will also receive additional features such as video conferencing, data tracking, and call forwarding.

When you own a business, saving money on expenses is just as important as turning a profit. For those businesses interested in learning more about VoIP telephone systems, contact Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more, or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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The Biggest Obstacles for Small Businesses

Starting up your very own business can be one of the most difficult jobs a person can do. Since half of small businesses close down within the first five years, it’s important to understand the biggest obstacles you will face. Once you understand them, you can make a plan to overcome them.

Need More Customers

Marketing your business to all customers is good, but to be efficient and successful you will need to target a specific type of customer. Do your research and find out which demographic will resonate with your product or service most. Start your research by analyzing your existing best customers, seeing what they have in common, and then targeting others like them. This will give you the best chance of finding the most profitable, repeat customers.

Too Much Overhead

Some businesses will offer their products or services with upgraded add-ons, or they’ll tailor them to customer needs. Oftentimes, these extra options will cause you to have too much supply on hand, costing you a lot of money up front. Instead, survey your existing customers to find out what they like and what they really want. Get rid of anything that isn’t necessary to the product or service that the customers want.

High Monthly Bills

All businesses have to pay their bills, and lowering how much they cost isn’t an option. However, you can cut your costs by being smarter with how you communicate. Having a regular phone system can cost you more than twice the amount of money as a VoIP system does. Not only will you be paying less each month, you will also be receiving more features that will benefit how you communicate while you do business.

Owning and managing a small business is a difficult job, but it can be a lot easier if you are aware of the challenges that lie ahead. When you’re ready to save money on your phone system by switching to VoIP, contact Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more, or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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Tips to Better Manage Remote Workers

In order for certain businesses to be successful, some employees will need to work from locations other than the main headquarters. Having remote workers, or even an entire team, will allow your company to expand the business in other areas of the country. Once in awhile there will be communication mishaps, but there are some ways you can make communication with remote workers a walk in the park.

Small Talk is Good

Quick phone calls are an efficient way to communicate basic information to your workers. However, taking the time to engage in a little chit chat will actually help improve work relationships. Being able to comfortably talk with fellow employees will help break down communication barriers and improve the ability to work through various problems. Knowing them on a personal level (to a degree) will also help you understand what drives them.

Video Calls

Calling someone on the phone and communicating via email is certainly efficient, but they also have their own limitations. Since half of communication is through body language, seeing a person and how they react is key to a successful conversation. Luckily, VoIP services offer video calling to make meetings more personable.

Drop By Annually

Working remotely can provide a business with many different benefits when it comes to expanding or just having the best talent possible. While emails, phone calls, and video calls will suffice, nothing will ever beat a face-to-face interaction. All remote employees should stop by at the main headquarters at least once per year. This will allow the remote employees to interact and get to know other employees that they might not have gotten the chance to know on a more personal level.

Remote workers do come with their own set of challenges, but they are an important part of expanding a business passed its local city. In order to make communication with remote employees a breeze, switch to a VoIP telephone system with Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more, or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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VoIP 101: Common Terms Explained

Whether you own a large business, small business, or are sick of your home telephone, everyone should know about VoIP telephone systems. Not only can they save you money on your monthly expenses, but they can provide you with benefits that no other phone system can. To help you understand VoIP, here are some common terms and what they mean.

1. VoIP - The term VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. In the simplest of terms, this means that the phone calls you make are done so over an internet connection, rather than the traditional copper wire. Using this type of phone system offers a wide array of benefits at a low price.
2. Bandwidth - An internet connection can transfer a certain amount of data at one time, this amount is known as bandwidth. When the limit has been reached, the connection will slow down any other data trying to be transmitted. Luckily, internet providers will allow users to increase their bandwidth for more money.
3. Kbps - The speed at which data can be transferred is measured by kilobits per second. While your bandwidth will show you the maximum amount of data you can transfer, your kbps is the speed at which it can be transmitted.
4. Softphone - When utilizing a VoIP phone system, you can plug in a specific phone to your computer to make calls. However, you can also use computer software that will act as a phone while you place calls via your computer. This softphone software can help you save on costs by not purchasing stand alone phones, or if you’re using your laptop away from the office.
5. Cloud - Rather than having a massive amount of server equipment in your business or home, you can opt to have a cloud-based VoIP system. A VoIP service provider will wirelessly grant you access to their servers and software so you don’t have to purchase either.

Once you understand the basics of VoIP, your business or home phone system can become more advanced and less expensive. When it’s time to make the switch from your old copper wire to VoIP, contact Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more, or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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The Advantages of Fiber Optics

Businesses all over the country have a wide variety of goals they would like to accomplish. However, there is one goal that every business would like to see: for profits to go up and for costs to go down. By upgrading your business’s cabling to fiber optics, you can see both of the goals realized almost instantly.

• Increased Capacity - Compared to copper wires, optical fibers are notably thinner. Therefore, more fibers can be bundled together in a single cable. This will allow more signal to be channeled through the cable than your average copper wires.
• No Interference - Electrical signals tend to interfere with each other, creating a poor connection in copper wiring. Fiber optics utilize light signals that do not interfere with each other. As a result, reception is clearer when you utilize the internet, phone, and television.
• Less Power- Since the light signals in fiber optics do not interfere with each other and degrade less, a business can utilize lower-power transmitters instead of their high voltage counterparts.
• Light & Flexible - Even though more optical fibers can fit in a single cable, the average weight is still less than that of copper wire cables. The cables themselves are also more flexible so they can be used in many pieces of technology such as flexible digital cameras.
• Low Cost - Optical fibers are much cheaper than ordinary copper wires. These less expensive wires will save you and your service providers money.

Fiber optics are the future of cabling and every business should look to replace their current copper wires with it. When you need your current cabling replaced and restructured, contact Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more, or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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Technology Trends in 2016: VoIP

VoIP is the optimal way for businesses to communicate with their employees, clients, and other associated businesses. With the already wide variety of features and benefits, VoIP is still ever-growing and there are a few trends that are currently making it even better!

Back-end Analytics

Using a VoIP phone has never been easier, but now you can learn from the calls you make. With back-end analytics, you can use your online interface to see all of the statistics based on your phone calls. This feature is immensely useful for companies who rely on telephone marketing and making sales over the phone.

Using Your Mobile Phone

While many businesses and offices will utilize VoIP specific telephones during office hours, calls can now be redirected to a user’s mobile device. For those who travel often, work from home, or tend to work after they leave the office, you’ll never miss a call. When you’re on business in Seattle and your office gets a call in New York, expect your cellphone to start ringing with the call!

Price Drop

Switching from a normal telephone package to VoIP will save your business tremendous amounts of money.Choosing to utilize cloud services will lower your costs even more since there will be no need for the purchase of in-house servers. Businesses are always looking for ways to cut costs and switching to VoIP is a way to cut down on a large monthly bill.

VoIP has evolved constantly over the last few years and it doesn’t look like the advancements are going to stop anytime soon. When your business is ready to cut the wire and switch to VoIP, contact Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more, or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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Why Your Business Needs USB Phones

If your business isn’t utilizing a VoIP phone system, you’re seriously missing out on a world of benefits. One of the many things that makes VoIP systems so great are the advanced USB phones that blend perfectly with the service. Here’s why your business needs USB phones now!

What is a USB Phone?

USB phones are advanced telephones that connect to your computer (PC and Mac) via the USB port. They are recommended for those who utilize a VoIP telephony system because they work with many different types of softphone applications. After plugging in the phone, the computer will register the phone as audio, thus allowing the user to make and receive VoIP phone calls.

USB Phone Benefits

• Phone conversations via the computer are kept private instead of being directed through the speakers.
• Audio quality is improved and echo is virtually non-existent.
• Wherever your computer goes, your phone can follow. This is ideal for those who travel often on business trips or for those who work from home.
• Recording and playback of calls are now possible.

The Switch to VoIP

A normal telephone system only allows you to make and receive regular phone calls. VoIP telephone systems, along with USB phones, allow users a wide variety of features & benefits that will make communication more fluid, thus making their jobs a whole ‘lot easier. Get more and pay less by introducing a VoIP phone system to your business.

Whether you have a large or small business, the addition of a VoIP phone system with USB phones will be nothing but beneficial. When it’s time to make the switch to VoIP, contact the experts at Reliable Voice & Data Systems. To learn more, or to schedule a free estimate, give us a call at (877) 385-6657.

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