A Better Virtual - USA Virtual Offices

Virtual Offices Provide Pushes Phone-Only Program

Elizabeth Sanchez — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:50:29 +0000

BOCA RATON—We’ve all come to understand that virtual office space includes services like a premier business address, a phone number, package receipt and a lobby greeter.

But what if you don’t need all of those bells and whistles? What if you just want a phone number (and a professional to answer calls) to keep your personal line or cell phone private?

Opus Virtual Offices has you covered with its new Phone Only Program. With the Phone Only Program, you can tap into sophisticated communications technology and live receptionist services without the corporate address—and for a lower cost.

Indeed, Opus just rolled out its new $79 a month service just for people in that category. What’s more, Opus is waiving the $100 set up fee on its newly-minted Phone Only program. Altogether, that equals a $120 savings on the first month of service and an ongoing savings of $20 a month for the Phone Only Program. (Hint: Enter the promo code PO1 when you make your order.)

“While Opus VO is best known as a complete virtual office solution including a corporate address so a business doesn’t require a physical office, our Phone Only option is just as valuable for those clients that already have a corporate address,” says Yori Galel, CEO of Opus Virtual Offices.

“It provides the same state of the art telecommunications and live receptionist services of our complete program for the nominal fee of only $79 a month, and right now new clients get an additional $100 in savings with a promotion that can’t be beat.”

Of course, you can still opt for the total virtual office package—or upgrade at any time. The total virtual office package includes voicemail and fax converting to e-mail, premium call transferring, a premium business address, plus all the benefits of the Phone Only Program.

Davinci Virtual Office Solutions Flips Switch on New Web Site

Elizabeth Sanchez — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:33:29 +0000

SALT LAKE CITY—Davinci Virtual Office Solutions just flipped the Internet switch on a brand new virtual office Web site. It’s a completely different look and feel for the leading virtual office solutions provider.

For starters, it’s more colorful. Beyond the red and white that marked the first web site the new virtual office website has plenty of green and blue. But that’s just the dressing. The meat of the new virtual office Web site is the 1,000 virtual office locations that are now easier than ever to search with an all-new navigation system.

Davinci Virtual’s new site, which took 10 months to custom build using the most advanced programming and technologies on the market, also features interactive videos and feature-rich descriptions that streamline the virtual office decision-making process.

“Our prospects and customers have been asking for an easier and more interactive online experience,” says Bill Grodnik, CEO of Davinci Virtual. “We have listened and now have launched the new flagship site of the virtual office industry. Our dominant market presence clearly is a testament to our Internet properties and comprehensive online marketing efforts.”

One of Davinci Virtual’s sayings is “first impressions count.” Well, Davinci is making a good first impression with its new social media-friendly Web site, which includes live chat services, a home page slide show and a daily blog.

This is one of the best-looking virtual office Web sites on the market—it’s certainly the most extensive. Davinci offers more than 850 virtual office locations including virtual offices in New York, virtual offices in Los Angeles, virtual offices in around the world, as well as live receptionist services and various other virtual office technologies.

Virtual Office Advantage Hosts TelAssist Phone Answering

Elizabeth Sanchez — Mon, 14 May 2012 14:22:17 +0000

SIOUX FALLS, S.D.—In a deal that shows how the virtual office industry and executive office suites industry cross paths, TelAssistant business phone services recently hooked up with Virtual Office Advantage in a deal that sees one offering services to the customers of another.

TelAssistant business phone services if offering its services to the Sioux Falls, South Dakota e-suites provider. Essentially, the executive office suites provider is tapping into TelAssistant staff and technology to augment service to its clients.

TelAssistant is a professional call answering service that screens calls, takes messages, and forwards messages. You might call it a step above a virtual PBX, but still a service that virtual office users and mobile workers would appreciate. And it’s the perfect amenity in an executive office suite that doesn’t want to hire staff in-house.

TelAssistant specialists are custom trained to meet the specific needs of a business in much the same way an in-house employee is briefed on every customer. TelAssistant offers its phone answering services at the Sioux Falls location, along with the many other amenities that Virtual Office Advantage offers.

That’s the story of TelAssistant. Now, let’s see how it intersects with Virtual Office Advantage.

Virtual Office Advantage is a professional office space that promises plenty of perks for small businesses and non-profits. Virtual Office Advantage also boasts office space, conference rooms, shared offices and a secure working environment—at only a fraction of the cost of traditional office space.

Even if you don’t use Virtual Office Advantage, you can still use TelAssist services. TelAssist offers live receptionist, a local telephone number, small business answering, order processing, Web chat, appointing taking and much more.

Virtual Receptionists Firm Gives Away $50 Gift Cards

Elizabeth Sanchez — Thu, 10 May 2012 10:02:27 +0000

PORTLAND—Ruby Receptionists is known as one of the most creative virtual receptionist firms on the market. Now, the remote receptionist company is getting innovative with a new online word-of-mouth referral program.

Dubbed Ruby Refer-a-Friend Program, the initiative aims to generate leads from would-be virtual receptionist customers from its passionate client base. That means if you get your virtual receptionist services from Ruby, you can become a brand ambassador and get rewarded for your efforts.

Here’s how the Ruby Refer-a-Friend Program works: Ruby has set up online tools to empower existing customers to extend a special offer to their referral networks. If a customer’s friend signs up for service, the standard $95 setup fee is waived. The referring customer gets a $50 Visa gift card. Not a bad deal!

“Throughout Ruby’s history, we’ve been grateful that so many of our clients have chosen to spread the word about Ruby through personal referrals and their social media networks,” said Kevin Gillam, director of marketing for Ruby. “Now, we’ve streamlined that process and made it so much easier for our clients—they can refer their friends to Ruby with just a few clicks, and we have the capability to automatically track and reward referrals efficiently and accurately.”

The new virtual receptionist referral program lets customers recommend Ruby to business associates, friends and families using an e-mail message, blog post, Twitter “tweet,” Facebook status update or personalized URL (PURL) and landing page.

And check this out. Virtual receptionist clients can even add their own testimonial that will appear when friends visit the custom Refer-a-Friend landing page.

In order to generate referrals, Ruby clients only need to log into the mobile-friendly Member Services Area of virtual receptionist provider’s website, click on the Refer-a-Friend button and follow the instructions. Virtual receptionist customers with iPhones can also click on the new “Refer” tab on Ruby’s updated iPhone app.

How serious is Ruby about its virtual receptionist referral program? The company built its own customized referral software to drive it. All you have to do is start referring. It will, of course, be interesting to see how well the virtual receptionist program works. Right now, Ruby provides live virtual receptionist services to 1,700 businesses and entrepreneurs in 49 states.

Crucial Virtual Office Services Offers Online Office Support

Elizabeth Sanchez — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:46:07 +0000

TORONTO—Need a virtual assistant in Toronto? Looking for some virtual office support to free you up for your more important tasks? Crucial Virtual Office Services wants to help.

Crucial Virtual Office Services bills itself as the 21st Century way to obtain vital daily office and administrative services at a fraction of the cost of hiring traditional admins. Of course, that’s what they all say.

What makes Crucial Virtual Office Services different? That’s what we set out to find.

Crucial Virtual Office Services has much the same marketing message as its international counterparts. For example, they trumpet the pain of struggling with the ceaseless onslaught of paperwork and scheduling that stands in the way of growing the business. What’s more, Crucial Virtual Office Services touts itself as a convenient, effective and cost-efficient way to have the important office and administrative help you need without the need to furnish office space and technology for a full-time staff member.

From what we can tell, there is no huge differentiator between Crucial Virtual Office Services and other solo virtual assistants—except maybe her level of experience.

Although companies with teams of virtual assistants are becoming popular, Crucial Virtual Office Services is manned by Karen Stevenson. It’s unclear whether she has any help, but she does offer plenty of experience—14 years to be exact.

Stevenson has an educational background in Office Administration, certification as an Executive Administrative Assistant and in IT support. Her experience runs through many different industries, including a public power utility, engineering, public relations, medical, computer technology property management, international container shipping, and government agencies.

All in all, Stevenson looks like a well-rounded virtual assistant—and provides a model for what you may want to look for in your own virtual assistant. Experience really counts for a lot. There are so many virtual assistants getting into the business these days with little or no experience. I’ve had nightmares where I’ve almost lost customers because of a virtual assistant who claimed to have relevant experience but didn’t. So be sure to check resumes—and references—whether you opt for a company that provides virtual assistants or a solo virtual assistant.

RingCentral Cloud Touch Platform Ups Virtual Phone Ante

Elizabeth Sanchez — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:00:17 +0000

SAN MATEO, CA—RingCentral is pushing forward with its cloud-based virtual PBX innovations. The company just rolled out what it calls a “cloud touch” platform. That makes RingCentral the first and only phone system that makes it possible to for businesses to set up, manage and use their Virtual PBX from a smart phone.

Essentially, RingCentral’s cloud touch platform lets you turn any smart device into a smart business phone—and turn any location (even the beach) into a mobile office. With the rise of the mobile workforce, it’s easy to see how RingCentral’s latest virtual office innovation could gain fast traction with companies of all sizes.

“Employees are no longer tied to the office, and they shouldn’t be tied to the old office phone system either,” says Lynda Stadtmueller, director of cloud computing services at Stratecast|Frost & Sullivan. “RingCentral’s cloud touch platform enables businesses to improve productivity by extending communications functionality to the places and devices from which employees are conducting business.”

RingCentral likes to say that its platform “reimagines business phone systems,” by breaking down the barriers of on-premise PBX systems. RingCentral promises virtual PBX users flexibility to make their business phone system work they way they do no matter where they are working from or what device they are using. That includes the ability to access voice and fax messages, control settings and add users from anywhere.

There are three prongs on the new RingCentral stool: RingCentral Touch, RingCentral Presence and RingCentral Connect.

RingCentral Touch is a touch-powered platform for phone systems. This makes it possible to fully manage the virtual PBX system right from a tablet or smartphone. RingCentral Presence offers virtual PBX users the ability to see if an employee is on the phone has gone beyond desk phones to now include mobile devices. And RingCentral Connect integrates with Dropbox, Box and Google Docs.

“Trends like workforce mobility and the consumerization of IT continue to have profound effects on the way today’s businesses operate,” says Vlad Shmunis, co-founder and CEO, RingCentral. “The RingCentral cloud touch platform extends the power of the cloud like never before. Our mission is to tear down the barriers of accessibility, usability and costs — leveling the playing field for every business of any size with a simple, all-inclusive cloud business phone system.”

How VoIP Phone Services Help Small Business Slash Phone Costs

Elizabeth Sanchez — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:40:51 +0000

DETROIT—Can VoIP phone services really help small businesses cut their phone bills? According to In-Stat, 80 percent of businesses will leave their private branch exchange (PBX) systems for the most cost-effective VoIP by 2013.

“By 2014, VoIP users could number 139 million worldwide,” says Ari Rabban, CEO of Phone.com. “By switching to VoIP phone services, small businesses have been gaining traditional-style phone features for a lower monthly cost.”

In case you aren’t familiar with VoIP, the technology takes traditional telecom services like call waiting, address books, call forwarding, multiple phone numbers, caller identification, toll free numbers, call transfers and voice mail and makes them more accessible through the Internet. In addition to being cost effective, a small business improves its image significantly when converting to a virtual PBX.

“Many of our newer clients are small business owners looking for a convenient way to cut their monthly phone bills and gain the features of a large organization’s phone system for less than a traditional plan,” Rabban says. Phone.com reports that features like unlimited extensions, calling menu interfaces, desk phones, calling cards, 99-person conference calling, hold music and custom phone numbers make it affordable for smaller companies to have the appearance of larger organizations.

Cloud computing has also added to the appeal of VoIP as many providers make voice mails, emails and contact lists available in the cloud, Rabban said, and the advanced technology has greatly improved the accessibility, quality and reliability of Internet phone service.

“The quality of our voice communication service has increased to the point of being on par with traditional phone services. And with broadband networks increasing in size and dependability, our VoIP services are mobile, and more importantly, reliable,” Rabban said.

“The most important thing VoIP does for entrepreneurs and small businesses is leveling the playing field. We get them access to the same professional grade communication systems for far less, and having a strong communication system is essential to any industry for generating leads and sales.”

Survey: Live Receptionists Help Ensure Prospects Leave Messages

Elizabeth Sanchez — Tue, 01 May 2012 20:00:35 +0000

BOCA RATON—Have you ever been in a position where you couldn’t answer your phone? Maybe you were on the other line in the midst of an important call, or in a face-to-face meeting with a potential client—or just out for a walk!

When you don’t answer your business line, what happens to your callers? Unless you have a virtual receptionist they go straight into the black hole that is voicemail. That’s not good news if it’s a would-be client that’s surveying the various competitors in your market. You could lose the deal before you’ve ever had a chance to pitch it because many people don’t even leave messages.

Opus Virtual Offices just did a survey to analyze client call patterns to prove that point. The results revealed an 8 percent increase in callers leaving messages if the call was first answered by a live person instead of going directly to voicemail.

So here’s the rub: You can’t take every incoming call—unless you have so few calls that you are struggling to survive. But if your business is healthy you are going to discover that you will miss a few calls while you are wrapped up in other tasks and meetings. You could hire a receptionist, but that’s costly. The answer: virtual receptionists.

“When I call a business I want to reach a live person, not leave a message and wait for a callback,” says Dave Zimet, COO of Opus Virtual Offices. “Almost everyone feels the same. But I was surprised to find out exactly how important live answering is.”

There is no lack of live virtual receptionist services on the market. Opus wraps up a live virtual receptionist service into its virtual office packages, which run $99 a month.

Whether you go with Opus or a dedicated virtual receptionist provider like Ruby Receptionists or a system like Phone.com, be careful to understand the costs in detail. There are a lot of virtual receptionists services on the market that drive user complaints from people who didn’t clearly understand the terms of service.

Also, make sure your virtual receptionists provider has live trained receptionists to take your calls. It makes a huge difference. After all, you only have one chance to make a first impression.

Looking for Deep Discounts on Virtual Office Space?

Elizabeth Sanchez — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:51:07 +0000

Servcorp is one of the most respected names in the virtual office space industry and the company tends to run 50 percent off specials on its virtual office space intermittently in various markets around the world.

Case in point: Servcorp is currently offering a 50 percent discount on its virtual office packages for the first month in Mumbai and Hyderabad, India. That means you pay only half the regular costs for your first month of virtual office use in those locations.

“That’s great, but I’m not in India …” I hear you. But remember, Servcorp tends to run this special all over the world. There’s a good chance that if you call up your Servcorp virtual office provider in any city and ask them to apply this discount so you can try their services that the company will oblige. If not, the famed Servcorp 50 percent discount will probably be coming to a virtual office near you soon enough.

What do you get with a virtual office space from Servcorp? It’s a fair question since many virtual office providers offer varied services. As Servcorp defines it, a virtual office is a combination of professional office services and facilities including a premium business address, mail forwarding, telephone answering services, meeting room and day office, full business and IT infrastructure without the physical office space, and all with no long term commitment.

With a Servcorp virtual office, you can choose a single service from the package, such as mail forwarding service, day office/meeting room, phone answering services or opt for a fully functional virtual office. That gives you the ultimate flexibility to mix and match your needs—and even change your virtual office service suite as your needs shift.

As for the Servcorp presence in India, it’s a high quality operation. You can tap into fully-managed, fully-furnished service office space, accessible-anywhere-and-anytime virtual office solutions and CBD suites at a prime location. One can enjoy their serviced office suites and virtual office packages at BKC, Mumbai and Mindspace, Hyderabad.

Virtual Phone Company Offers Cost Saving Mobile Tips

Elizabeth Sanchez — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 16:42:40 +0000

LOS ANGELES—You’ve probably already heard that the FCC is fighting to prevent bill shock for mobile consumers. The FCC has mandated overage alerts for voice, data and international roaming charges. The deadline: now.

Now consider this: 70 percent of small businesses have come to rely more on mobile in the past two years, according to a recent survey from eVoice, a virtual phone system. As eVoice sees it, small business owners can still feel lost with spikes in mobile phone plans and increasing pressure for small businesses to go mobile.

Mike Pugh, eVoice small business expert, can offer insight on how small businesses can outsmart their phone carriers by using a virtual phone system. Here are five top tips for virtual office and mobile phone users:

1. Know Your Plan. Make an informed decision and stick to the contract timeline before making the decision to switch carriers. This will save you about $350 per line. Make sure you do your research a few months before your contract is up and find the best phone plan that fits your budget, Pugh says. If you’re in the middle of a plan and think you’re paying too much, then figure out if you’re paying for minutes and data that you’re not actually using. Look into downgrading your plan instead of switching.

2. Negotiate. Use your negotiation skills as a small business owner and apply it to your cell phone bill. Carriers are aware of their customers’ frustrations and the recent press around increasing service plans so they’re keen to keep you if you give a good argument, Pugh says.

“Pull together at least three of your past bills and highlight rising cost concerns from unexpected fees to taxes. Then, call customer service and ask for a better deal,” Pugh says. “It costs companies less to negotiate than lose a customer all together so cell phone companies most likely will have retention departments for the purpose of offering perks, deals, and additional discounts. Don’t forget to also mention competitors’ deals.”

3. Love VoIP. This is where eVoice comes into play. See, most virtual phone systems like eVoice offer VoIP apps. Therefore, consider adopting a virtual phone service for your business. That, says Pugh, means that whenever your phone is connected to WiFi your calls are transferred from your network to the Internet—and that means free minutes. Pugh is right when he says VoIP can drastically reduce the number of minutes used on every billing cycle and is a great solution to keep mobile costs at a minimum.

4. It’s a family business (when it comes to your phone bill). Pugh suggests evaluating your plan and deciding if a family plan is more cost effective than having separate plans for each employee. He says most likely it is. Family plans can also be less expensive than business plans.

5. Know Your Budget. Pre Pay. Pay-as-you-go phones typically cost 10 cents per minute plus a small daily access fee each time the phone is used. It’s like a cell phone in training wheels and a smart option if you’re on a budget, Pugh says. Just make sure the plan you choose allows you to roll over any minutes you don’t use to the following month.