If you are a small business owner, you probably know how expensive office phone systems can be. From the installation to the equipment itself, a system replete with various features may cost thousands of dollars. So before you plunk down your hard-earned money, here’s what you need to know to find a system right for your communication needs.
1. Ask other small businesses about their experience. If possible, talk to other small business owners about their experience choosing an office phone system and whether or not they are happy with their choice. This can help you get a feel for pricing, vendors, and service.
2. Prioritize your features. Make a list of features you can’t go without and research systems that offer such features.
3. Demo prospective systems. Similar to test driving a car, demo all the systems you are considering prior to making a purchase. Certain aspects – think speakerphone quality or how easy it is to access voicemail – can’t be evaluated properly without actually using the system.
4. Look for scalability. Consider an office phone system that allows you to easily and without hefty extra costs expand and add extra extensions.
5. Order extra wiring. In a similar vein, ordering extra wiring when you’ve chosen a system may cost a little more initially but will keep costs down when it comes time to add more extensions.
6. Purchase at the end of the quarter. The cost of office phone systems tends to drop at the end of the quarter when salespeople are trying to meet their target quota.
7. Consider a VoIP system. With a rich array of features and available packages, VoIP has become a popular choice among small business owners. VoIP – or Voice over Internet Protocol – allows users to make and receive phone calls using an Internet connection. It’s often a more affordable and convenient alternative to other types of office phone systems, such as PBX.
You’ve all heard the stories. A college student is working on a term paper worth nearly a quarter of his grade when his computer suddenly displays the “blue screen of death.” He tries to reboot but is unsuccessful and just like that, his hard drive is finished. In one fell swoop, he has lost his entire music collection, years’ worth of digital photos, and his term paper.
Or perhaps you’ve heard the version that involves a small business who never got around to implementing a reliable backup method. Whether through a fire or theft, he’s lost vital data, including financial records and contact information. On study out of Pepperdine University suggests that 50 percent of businesses that suffer a computer outage will be out of business within just five years.
Murphy’s Law states that anything that can go wrong, will go wrong; that mandate certainly rings true when it comes to data loss and chances are, it’s not going to happen at an opportune time (although one would argue there is never an opportune time for data loss). That’s why all computer users, from students to small businesses need to take precautionary measures and implement a reliable, comprehensive backup solution. Natural disasters, fires, theft, and user error are just a few of the many ways a hard drive can be damaged or destroyed, resulting in a devastating loss.
Online file storage is an affordable and easy-to-use data backup method apt for all computer users. Unlike external hard drives and other forms of removable media, online backup stores data on secure, remote servers and can be quickly recovered in the even the originals are destroyed. Furthermore, most online backup programs allow users to set up an automated schedule to have their data backed up automatically without interfering with regular use.
Despite advanced safety features and technology (such as the electrical circuit test developed by live wire), it seems some airlines still operate in violation of safety regulations as evidenced by the new fines proposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. The FAA proposed a staggering $9.2 million in civil penalties against US Airways and United Airlines for a range of maintenance lapses on more than 1,800 flights. The flights stretched back as far as early 2008.
Some have expressed the fines are more an issue of paperwork errors as opposed to poor or ignored maintenance hazards, which is not to downplay them but illustrate that they are not on the same level as an obvious safety danger. Still, the new stringent enforcement and hard-nosed stance of the FAA comes in response to heightened concerns, both from congress and the general public, about airplane safety.
Over the past year, a handful of alarming aviation experiences have given rise to such concerns, most notably the downing of Continental Connection Flight 3407 in Buffalo, New York in February of 2009. The commuter jet crashed, killing all 49 people aboard and one on the ground. In the aftermath, the FAA endured intense scrutiny regarding various safety issues and a lack of standardized regulations among major and regional carriers.
After news of the fines hit, both airlines issued statements reconfirming their commitment to safety. But the fact the fines were issued in the first place does little to ease public concerns about the ever-growing problem of airplane safety (or lack thereof).
Becoming an owner-operator has become an attractive alternative for many truck drivers since it provides the unique opportunity to own your own business. Owner operators are in charge of what loads they carry, where they go and how much money they make. However, becoming an owner operator is a massive step so to ensure your success, you’ll want to make sure you know exactly what to expect.
Purchasing a Truck
The most important thing you’ll need to start your new trucking endeavor is of course a truck. Most commercial drivers don’t have the money outright to pay for a new tractor-trailer (which can cost thousands of dollars) so you may need to apply for a truck loan through a local bank and make monthly payments on the truck. Be aware that when you apply, you may be required to show your business plan illustrating exactly what you’re going to do with your truck and how you’re going to run your business.
Lease to Purchase
Another option many people choose is a lease-purchase which allows you to lease a truck before you outright purchase it. Generally, this alternative is cheaper initially to purchasing a truck and many of the up-front costs are minimal. Since you don’t own the truck, you may be required to run loads you’d rather not under the contract with the leaser. You may have to give up a few freedoms you’d have if you owned the truck so make sure you read all the fine print before you sign a lease to purchase agreement.
Operational Expenses
As opposed to conventional truck driver jobs with a large carrier, owner operators are responsible for all expenses associated with their truck including fuel, routine maintenance, and truck repairs. In addition you’ll have to cover the monthly payments of your truck loan or lease and insurance covering your equipment.
Finding Jobs
In order to make money, you’ll need to find jobs on a regular basis. Utilize existing contacts within the trucking industry and let them know you’ve transitioned to an owner operator and are looking for work. Regularly search online job boards to find available loads and consider taking loads that may not be your first choice but can help you get started when you’re first starting out.
That’s right…divorce. Did you know nearly half of all marriages in the United States will end in divorce (according to DivorceRate.org)? Here are a few more eye-opening divorce statistics:
- Approximately 66% of all divorced couples do not have children (DivorceRate.org)
- Massachusetts has the lowest divorce rate, with 2.4 per 1,000 persons, while Nevada has the highest at 9.1 per 1,000 (DivorceStatistics.org).
- Maryland is one of just a few states (including Florida and Minnesota) that has laws that offers incentives (e.g. reduced license fees) for couples who participate in premarital counseling (Maryland divorce lawyer).
- The average length of a marriage that ends in divorce is seven to eight years (OnlineLawyerSource.com).
- Couples whose parents divorced are nearly twice as likely to get divorced as people whose parents are still married (OnlineLawyerSource.com).
The Eiffel Tower
Are you looking for the top Europe travel ideas to plan your next summer vacation? Well, you probably aren’t the only one! Did you know that Europe is the world’s biggest tourist market? Here are a few more interesting facts that illustrate just how massive and lucrative the European tourism industry (namely France) is:
* The number of international travelers in 2008 was up 52 million from 2006; Europe received some 19 million of those travelers (AsiaTravelTips.com)
* In 2007, Europe received approximately 480 million tourists.
* According to Wikipedia.org, France is the number one European destination, followed by Spain then Italy.
* The European country that spends the most on international tourism is Germany (Wikipedia.org).
* Tourists in Paris stay an average of 6.6. nights.
* Tourists visiting Europe spend the most on air travel, nearly 54%, followed by hotels (and other accommodations) in a distance second at 19%.
* According to Yahoo! Travel, the three most popular tourist attractions in Paris are Disneyland Paris, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre.
Considering a new career? Perhaps you should look into truck driver jobs; historically, they’ve been one of the fastest-growing occupations in the country. In fact, commercial trucks are the only method of transportation that can deliver goods directly to customers. Without truck drivers, store shelves would be bare, gas pumps would be empty, and restaurants would have no food to serve. Thus, experienced truck drivers are the backbone of the American economy and will always be needed even in times of economic turmoil. These statistics (provided by the U.S. Department of Labor) illustrates just how vital (and vast) the commercial transportation industry is.
- In 2006, there 2.9 million truck drivers (both over-the-road and short haul) on the road.
- 26% of those truckers are employed by trucking companies while another 25% work for retail or wholesale companies (such as Wal-Mart). The remaining truck drivers work in various industries such as construction.
- Roughly 10% of all commercial truck drivers are self-employed and work as owner operators.
- There are more than 500,000 trucking companies in the country.
- In 2006, truck drivers collectively logged more than 432 billion miles behind the wheel.
- Truckers (both company drivers and owner operators) can earn between $13.33 and $21.04 an hour.
- Long-haul truckers are primarily paid per mile while short-haul or local drivers are often paid on an hourly basis.
September 17th, 2009 in
Health & Beauty |
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Do you know how much water you and your family waste every day? How about every year? The American Water Works Association offers these eye-opening statistics to illustrate America’s water waste.
- The average household uses 350 gallons of water daily.
- The average household water use annually is 127,400 gallons.
- Do you know exactly what uses the most water in most households? The toilet! It uses an average of 18.5 gallons per day, approximately 26.7% of the total daily water use.
- It’s estimated if all U.S. households installed water-saving and reduction features (think low-flow Grohe faucets), water use would decrease by nearly 30%. That would save more than 5 billion gallons of water per day, resulting in an estimated savings of $11.3 million!
September 16th, 2009 in
Health & Beauty |
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image via AmnesiaBlog
Word-of-mouth marketing (along with the customer ratings and consumer reviews that fall under that broad umbrella) remains one of the most authoritative and effective forms of marketing for any business. If you’re not entirely convinced this marketing method that’s nearly as old as bartering itself is as effective as touted, perhaps these hard facts and numbers will change your mind.
* Online shoppers who consult consumer reviews and messages note that such reviews are more authoritative and influential than those generated by professionals or experts (The Kelsey Group, Oct. 2007).
* Consumers report that word-of-mouth recommendations are still the number one influence in their purchasing decisions, namely for apparel and electronics (BIGresearch Study, Nov. 2008).
* A staggering 81% of online holiday shoppers read consumer reviews before making a purchase (Nielson Online, Dec. 2008).
* 62% of online shoppers read product reviews written by fellow consumers before making a purchase (Deloitte & Touche, Sept. 2007).
* 69% of consumers who consult online reviews share them with their inner circle (family members, friends, colleagues, etc.), thus augmenting the overall effect and influence of the reviews (Deloitte & Touche, Sept. 2007).
* In a study that involved 2,000 shoppers from all demographics, 92% of them said they found consumer reviews to be “very” or even “extremely” helpful (eTailing Group).
California is hands-down one of the most popular destinations in the United States and with good reason - the Golden State boasts some of the best tourist attractions and most exciting cities in the country (click here for some family-friendly California travel ideas).
* In 2008 alone, tourists in California spent a staggering $97.6 billion.
* The 2008 travel spending generated $1.6 billion in local taxes and $2.7 billion in state taxes for California.
* More than 13.4 million international tourists visit California every year.
* Disneyland (located in the city of Anaheim) is the second most-visited amusement park in the country (second only to Disneyworld’s Magic Kingdom in Florida), drawing an average * of 12.7 million visitors annually.
* California is the top destination for domestic vacations; the majority of out-of-state visitors come from nearby states including Nevada, Arizona, and Texas.
