Creating a cheap virtual office is the smart way to run a new business. If you’re a small business owner like me, chances are you don’t have a lot of money to spend on fancy offices, high priced receptionists and swanky furniture. Even if the economy were to pick up, it’s still a prudent idea to keep expenses low and avoid spending money on unnecessary items.
However, telephones, computers and the Internet are indispensable items for any small business. They are the lifeblood of any company, new or old. But, of course, there is the BIG system way and the cheap virtual office way. I prefer the cheap virtual office way which actually makes it look like we’re a BIG company.
What if you want your customers to call ONE number to get you and your “co-workers”? How do you get that BIG company feel with a CHEAP virtual office? This is where PBXs come in. PBXs used to be hugely expensive ON PREMISE systems. They also used to take full IT teams to implement them. But, these days the software services for virtual PBXs have exploded.
After investigating about 10 different solutions, I finally settled on RingCentral. I feel that it is not only cost-effective, but also incredibly flexible and expandable. The cost? The cheapest version is only $9.95 per month. For that you get 100 minutes and 5 extensions. More on extensions later. I personally have the $49.99 subscription for unlimited monthly minutes, 10 extensions and a dedicated fax number that sends faxes to my email.
In our case, we implemented a virtual PBX solution that is really inexpensive, yet incredibly flexible and expandable. This system allows us to have one 800# that all customers call into and a live or automated attendant who answers the call. The call can then be routed to an “employees” extension, which can be either a mobile #, landline # or just directed to a voice mail box.
The extension can be set up to call a mobile number, a physical landline number or go directly to voicemail. And, the person it’s dialing can be in Timbuktu, if need be! I have many more RingCentral tips at my blog.
The virtual PBX solution is by far the best, most-cost effective solution that I chose out of about 10 different products. If you’re investigating cheap virtual office products, you’ll eventually be looking at virtual PBXs. This is one product that I strongly recommend you consider.
Leveraging great technology can really help your business grow and create a truly cheap virtual office. You can find more tips and tools to grow your business and save money on David Chan’s blog at http://davidkchan.com.
