Live Virtual Receptionist
now browsing by tag
Virtual Offices: The Best Solution for Outsourcing
If you own a company and want to dramatically cut costs, your best solution is looking into getting a virtual office. The phrase virtual offices were created by Alf Moufarriage, who was the founder of Servcorp in 1990. It is best described as “everything but the office. A virtual office was first offered to professionals who worked at home.
If you have a home-based business and don’t want your personal address on business correspondence, a virtual office address can gain your business a credible and respected working address. It is also great for business people that travel a lot. Large companies wanting to break into new locations can have a working office address and find a virtual office an excellent option. You can choose a virtual office address to be used on your business cards, stationery, and other business products, and even have your mail collected and signed for.
Solutions provided by having a virtual office include: a live receptionist, real street address, telephone number, answering service for your phones and fax service. A virtual office can also provide meeting and conference rooms, and you can even have your mail forwarded to you. The virtual office solution is an excellent option if you cannot afford expensive office space and furniture or simply want to save money on countless overhead costs. You can choose your virtual setup, with some packages paid by the hour and others offered in group-like options, which include a mailing address, telephone number and a live virtual receptionist.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
Why Call Forwarding Services are Priceless
There are many benefits of having a virtual office. There is no expensive overhead, utility bills and staff, which are some of the costly drawbacks of having a traditional office. Being virtual can drastically reduce the operating expenses that some businesses incur by having a standard office space. One of the key benefits of virtual offices is call forwarding.
Call forwarding services with a virtual assistant will give you the luxury of having someone take your calls while you are out of town, on vacation or simply relaxing at home. Virtual Assistants will professionally answer the phone in your company name and write down messages for you. Virtual Assistants, per your request, can also forward urgent calls to a phone number where you want to be contacted. They will also forward mail you receive to your virtual office anywhere you decide you want to receive it.
Having live phone answering services is an affordable option that perfectly sums up the benefits of the virtual office solution. Call forwarding can provide a great advantage over the competition because a lot of business can be lost by someone not being available to take or answer that critical phone call.
Call forwarding services also have options available where you can transfer customers to other employees or partners by adding extensions that are remarkably easy to set up and operate with just the press of a few buttons. Call forwarding services have options that will play music for the customer on the phone while they might be on hold to speak with you. These small things will give your business that professional presence and look without spending too much money to achieve it.
No matter if it is call forwarding services or virtual assistants forwarding your messages, there is no way a business in today’s world can prosper without considering the immense benefits of these very affordable options.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
Boost Your Home Business with Virtual Office Services
When your business is expanding, it can be pretty hard for one person to do all the necessary tasks to keep that business moving forward. It’s not hard to set up a highly productive work environment in the comfort of your own home, and a lot of people actually prefer to work away from the hustle and bustle of the modern world. You’re spending less time in rush hour traffic, more time with your family, and you’re actually getting work done.
However, when you’re looking at expanding your business and hiring a few employees, finding a good office location turns into a necessary hassle that not only takes time out of your day, but completely negates all the perks of working from home. This is why a lot of entrepreneurs and freelance professionals opt for a virtual office service. It completely cuts over-head costs because many of these services offer:
- A physical address for snail mail to get sent to and a 1-800 telephone and fax number.
- Customer services representatives to answers your business calls and chat messages 24/7, known as virtual assistants.
- Redirects any phone call to the sales, accounts & billing, or general inquires department and then sends you an SMS or email about your customer’s call.
- Converts faxes to email, email to fax, and voice messages to email.
- Provides support for teleconferencing with as many people as you want.
- May also provide bookkeeping and general accounting services to help keep your business moving forward.
A virtual office makes it easy for your business to grow and creates a situation wherein you don’t have to deal with labor laws in order to expand. This situation makes it completely ideal for small to medium sized business owners who do not have the time or money for a physical office and who need to focus on the work at hand.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
Get Flexibility at Your Business Through Live Virtual Receptionist
Owning an office space is one of the most expensive aspects of business. The high cost of rental/purchase of land aside, maintenance is another nuisance in itself. While a virtual office space has now become a convenient new idea, the question arises how close to real office can a virtual office space be” Will I be able to manage all the things that I could do at a real office” Will it ‘feel’ as professional?
You might think about all the things that a real office has to offer-what about a receptionist? Well, now you can get a virtual receptionist. But will it be the same? Fact of the matter is- a Virtual Receptionist does everything a real receptionist does and more.
So how does it work? It’s quite simple actually. You are given a personal toll free number which forwards calls to you. This one number connects your voice, fax, and conference calls for easy access. How do you get started? You can either use a default prompt of personalize your greeting and recorded name. Every time you get a voicemail or a fax, you can rest assured that you will be instantly notified.
There is no room for tardiness in any business and you can expect nothing but the best from your Virtual Receptionist. In fact, just to add that extra bit of perfection, your voicemails and faxes also get forwarded to your email account so that you can keep track of every single detail. Make sure you don’t miss out on any important information, and that your virtual office is working for you in every way it can.
For those people who choose to leave you a voicemail, you can call them back with the simple push of a button. In case there is a call that you don’t want to take, you always have call screening to help you filter you calls.
Meetings are an essential part of every business. In today’s world of technology, it is becoming more and more important to accommodate people and companies from around the world into your meeting format, taking into consideration different time zones and what not. Your Virtual Receptionist lets you make conference calls with up to 25 people so that no important client ever has to be left out of the loop.
While choosing a plan for your Virtual Receptionist, make sure you find the one that is most suited to you. Look for the number of Live Minutes and Automated Minutes that is closest to your needs, and make sure the entire packet fits in your budget.
The aim of a Virtual Receptionist is to make your virtual office as efficient and professional as possible. Don’t hesitate to ask question about the plan you have chosen and the services that are offered so that you can have the best virtual receptionist there possibly can be. Look into the details, customize as you go and once you’re set up you won’t have to worry about it ever again.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
Virtual office- Low Risk Alternative For Small Business
Renting office space is always a large and worrisome step in the business world. The most successful entrepreneurs have always started out small and then climbed their way up. As any of these fantastic businessmen will tell you, office space has always been an expensive investment that doesnt necessarily give you the right returns, and as time goes by it is getting more and more expensive. Earlier there was no other option but to keep shelling out the dough for it. Today, however, things have changed.
Technology is growing at a never-before rate and you now have the opportunity to get a virtual office space for your upcoming business. The first and most beneficial reason to choose this option is due to its low risk factor. Physical office spaces come with a lot of baggage including lease and rent paperwork, legal tie ups, overheads for electricity, water and what not. More so, with a physical office space you are forced to operate from one place at all times, even if the place is not convenient.
It is only when you start looking into the details of a virtual office space that you will find its many advantages. These days it is proving to be the superior option for most businesses. How else do you get the freedom of running your business from absolutely anywhere in the world” You can board your flight to India knowing full well that your virtual receptionist will handle all your calls while your away giving your clients the information they need, when they need it. You will never have to worry about missing a call, far or email when all of it is delivered to the convenience of your inbox.
The risks in business are unending and you can never be sure as to which one will pay off. Virtual Office Spaces are a low risk investment with benefits that can boost any business on the rise. It is time to change with technology and free yourself from the burdens of physical offices, since you now have a better option.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
Virtual Office Services for Home Based Business
Do you have a dream of home based business where you could enjoy working for yourself and setting your own hours” A virtual office space can help bring your goal one step closer. It will help you project a professional image of your business to gain an edge over your competitors. Virtual office services can help your home based business rise to the top of your market even if you do most of your work from the comfort of your home office. It is great to enjoy the convenience and economy of working from home but, as your business grows, you will feel the need for an office located in an upmarket business area. However, at early stages, you may not afford the cost of an executive suite or a full serviced office. A virtual office Service is an excellent option that can save you over 60% of the cost of a traditional office service.
A Virtual office is a service provided by many full serviced or executive suite providers. They offer various packages to avail the services that you need to promote your business. A quality virtual office service offers following facilities for the home based business owner:
- A prestigious business address
- Reception area with a professional receptionist.
- Well equipped conference room to hold business meetings.
- Phone answering and mail receiving services.
- Kitchen and beverage services.
- Administrative and internet services.
If you need to host meetings or presentations at a more professional place outside your home and want to offer a more personal option than a hotel, a virtual office service is the best solution for your home based business.
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
Six Personality Traits Every Small-Business Owner Should Have
Every small business is different. A large scale study was conducted by the Guardian Life Small Business Research Institute in which over 1100 different companies with 9-29 employees participated. The study revealed that there were six key traits that defined the personality of the successful business owners.
Think you’ve got what it takes:
- Collaborative : The Guardian study found that knowing how to collaborate was the single most important trait for someone running a business with less than 100 employees.
- Curious: Most outstanding managers in this study were constantly searching on internet to find way how to improve their business, retain their employees and upgrade their products.
- Future Focused: Taking keen interest on what’s coming up is a crucial trait for a successful small business owner.
- Self-Fulfilled: Successful small business owners are the kind of people who prefer being in full control of their own destiny. They value the freedom to make their own choices.
- Tech-Savy: Most of great small business owners in this study were convinced that technology helped make their business more efficient.
- Action Oriented: The top performers in this study were highly motivated. Adversity motivated them to work harder irrespective of the state of the economy.
Read Ben Popper’s article to know more about these key traits of successful small business owners. Visit: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217837
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
Time Management: Keep Your Eye on the Prize
To accomplish more in less time it is important to follow five P’s of Productivity.
There are many books available on Time Management and many new titles are being published. With lot of information easily accessible, why do people struggle to manage their lives? The concept of Time Management seems to be quite simple. Allocate 24 hours to completion of needs, tasks, projects and responsibilities.
Time Management Coach Stacey K. Vulakh explains how to focus on the end result instead of trying to monitor the minutes and control every factor. He emphasizes on incorporating “5 P’s of Productivity” in your life to get the best results and enhance your productivity. These are:
- Keep your eyes on the Prize: You need to identify why Time Management is important to you and define the intended goal or prize.
- Manage your priorities: Defining your priorities should be your primary or main concern. Narrow the priority list to three or four and focus on those.
- Plan, plan, plan: People will be far more successful if they implement an element of planning into their life. One\’s success level will improve dramatically with some sort of a planning process.
- Identify Partnerships: Partnerships can take on many forms, so be creative.
- Practice: It takes 21 days for a new thought or activity to stick.
Read the article to know more about this important topic. Visit:http://www.womenentrepreneur.com/2011/01/time-management-start-with-the-end-result.html
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
The One-Paragraph Start-Up Plan
During the earliest stages of starting a business, you should avoid writing lengthy plans. Instead of following lengthy traditional business plan, opt for a realistic, practical tool: a one-paragraph startup plan. It is possible to write everything there is to know about your brilliant business idea in one paragraph. A traditional business planning teaches ‘brainstorm-write-brainstorm-write-revise-revise-execute’; the goal of one-paragraph plan is to have you ‘brainstorm-write-execute-revise-execute’. There are fundamental differences between these two approaches. The traditional route would have you finalize your entire strategy based on a hypothesis without testing or validation. The one-paragraph startup plan is designed to test your hypothesis through daily experimentation. It also serves as a fluid action strategy that grows along with your startup.
Scott Gerber suggests using following five steps to write a practical business plan to launch a new company quickly.
- Answer key questions about your business.
- Write checklist
- Execute your plan
- Revise your draft plan, and
- Continue to update your plan
Break each sentence in your start-up plan into five immediately executable steps — statements you can convert into reality. Each step should move your business forward in some way.
To know more about writing effective one-paragraph business start-up plan, read the article; visit: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217696
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +
The Four Keys to Raising Capital
Raising Capital to grow your business or invest in property has become harder. The key to raising capital is a person’s ability to sell. Selling is a crucial skill for any entrepreneur. The main question you come across while planning to raise capital is ‘What are you selling’ or ‘What is the lender or investor looking for’.
According to Kim Kiyosaki, the key to raising money, whether it’s to start or expand your business mainly depends on four factors:
- The Project
- The Partners
- The Financing
- The Management
If you can show a prospective lender or investor that you have command over these four key factors, then selling will not be an issue, and you will attract more money than you thought possible.
It’s important to know the overall “want” of a lender or investor. Every investor is mainly interested to know whether he/she is going to get healthy return on his/her investment. That’s the overall want of an investor. The same criterion applies to every lender or investor whether it is a traditional bank or a lending institution or an individual.
To know how to address these key points clearly and confidently, read Kim Kiyosaki’s article, visit: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/217347
About Jim Jacques
Jim Jacques is the President of United Virtual Office, a leading nationwide provider of virtual offices for entrepreneurs, startups and small businesses. A virtual office includes an address at a prestigious business location in the US, live virtual receptionist, courier services and more. Google +