Archive for December, 2009

Online Fax And The Small Business Start-Up

Monday, December 21st, 2009

Online fax does play a significant role in the start-up of many small businesses and companies, mainly because it is a cheap alternative to the traditional fax machine. Since everything is done through the web and with your computer, there is no need to have an extra phone fax line, no need for messy inks and toners or even paper for that matter; and of course, no need to purchase a fax machine.

However, there are many more reasons why many business start-ups are using Internet or online fax. Chief among then are the following:

1. Setting Up a business fax number is almost immediate and in most cases the set-up is free.

2. Monthly fax services on average are only around $10 a month, less if you shop around and find a good deal.

3. Online fax is completely scalable for your business or company, if you need extra fax numbers, you can get them immediately.

4. Online fax is completely mobile and available 24/7 anywhere you have Internet access, which makes your business more competitive.

5. Web or email faxing also ties your company into today’s business environment, it’s the modern way to fax!

Perhaps, another main reason many individuals and companies are turning to web or email faxing is because the whole actual “set-up” can be easily done. You choose an Internet fax service provider where you’re given a local or Toll-Free number which you send out to all your contacts. You are also given an online interface or site where you can check and send your faxes. Keep in mind, online faxing uses your computer and your email system to do all your faxing - your faxes are sent as email attachments, usually in TIFF or PDF formats. Getting your faxes is as easy as reading your email. Should you need a hard-copy of a certain fax, you can just print it out.

In addition, what seems so popular with many small business start-ups is the whole PBX system, where faxing is just one component. With these fully loaded systems all your faxing, phone calls, voice mail, receptionist calls… is farmed out to a virtual service which handles all your messages, faxes and phone calls. For the small business start-up, using such a virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange) can be a real time and money saver since costs are significantly cheaper than going the traditional route.

This is a popular form of “cloud computing” which you hear so much about in business circles these days, but it is also one of the least expensive ways of setting up a new business, especially if funds and/or space is a problem. For the home business it can be a very beneficial and effective business model to follow and use. Actually, online fax may just be the ideal business service whose time has come. So are you or your company using it?



For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: online fax
Or if you want more detailed information PBX Full Voice Mail services
try here: RingCentral virtual phone & fax Service.
Titus Hoskins Copyright 2010. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Free Fax Trial - Is This A Rip-Off Or Not?

Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

Mainly because Internet users have become so web savvy, when they see a free offer promoting any product or service, they immediately become skeptical and a warning bell goes off. A free fax trial is generally placed in this skeptic’s corner until one takes a closer look at the offer. Most web users are pleasantly surprised to discover what’s actually being offered and the benefits of using free fax trials to find the best fax service provider to meet your needs.

Actually, it is a common practice for very reputable companies to offer a free trial period to test out their services to see if they’re suitable for you or your company. Cable companies use this marketing technique to great effect, so do many phone companies; some even give out free cell phones if you sign up to their services. However, many people think of this as a ploy to get you to sign up; but in most cases this actually works out to be a beneficial arrangement for both parties.

The same goes for a free fax trial, a potential customer is given a local or toll-free fax number so that they can test-out or test-run the chosen fax service for a month without having to pay. This is a great way to check out an online provider before you actually buy or sign-up. Of course, once you have your fax number and see the high quality of the service… most of these companies are betting that you will keep using their service for a longer term.

While this is indeed a marketing ploy, it is not necessarily a bad idea since you do get to check out the quality of the service. You can discover what the customer service is actually like, such as is it available 24/7 and are your questions answered in a timely manner? If you have any problems are they dealt with immediately or do you have trouble reaching support? What is the overall quality of the faxing service?

Online fax is simply using your email system (faxes are sent as attachments, usually TIFF or PDF) and your Internet connection to send and receive all your faxes. It is becoming a very popular form of cloud computing - where your computer services are outsourced to a third party. There is no need for an extra fax phone line and no need for a traditional fax machine. And since online faxing is web based, it is available anywhere, anytime; as long as you have Internet access.

Many small businesses, as well as many large businesses are switching over to online fax to handle all their faxing, mainly because it is cheaper, faster and more secure than the old way of faxing. No more missed faxes because of paper jams, busy signals or your machine has run out of ink. Your faxes and your business is open and available 24/7, 365 days of the year.

There are many online fax service providers which you can use and most of them, if not all, offer a free fax trial where you can check out the service before you buy. This will save you time, money and a lot of headaches down the road. This way you can make sure you are satisfied with a service before you finally go with it. This is a win-win situation for all parties involved, so if you’re considering using an Internet fax service do yourself a big favor, and take a free fax trial first.

For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide: online fax services
Or try here: free fax trial.
Titus Hoskins Copyright 2009. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Online Fax - Why You Never Have To Miss Another Fax Again

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

We have all been there, that important fax gets lost or misplaced, ending up on another person’s desk or it gets thrown in the waste basket by mistake. For any company or business which relies upon faxing to bring in sales and communicating with its customers and clients, these misplaced or lost faxes can have a negative effect on the smooth running of your business. In some cases, it may even negatively affect your bottom line.

Mainly because missed faxes can cost you or your company money.

That’s one of the major reasons why many businesses are turning to a new way of faxing: Internet or Online Fax. This new way of faxing works by using your computer and the Internet to send and receive all your faxes. And because you use your email system and your web connection - you never have to miss another fax again. Ever.

In order to use online fax, you must first sign-up to an Internet Fax Service Provider who will give you your own local or toll-free fax number which you can give out to all your clients and customers. You are also given an online site or interface where your faxes are stored. You can simply logon to your online account to send and receive all your faxes. Your faxes are sent in an email as attachments, usually in TIFF or PDF format, although there are countless other formats you can use so check with your provider to discover which ones you can use.

When a fax arrives, you are notified by email and you can read it immediately. These faxes can be stored on your computer and they will also be stored in your online fax account. Again, check with your fax provider to see how long your faxes are stored online, while your faxes are secure, many prudent users delete faxes containing sensitive company matters once they are read.

The reason online faxing is so beneficial, you can store all your faxes on your computer and you can view them at any time. No more scrambling through piles of paper to find that important fax from last month. All your faxes can be easily accessed and read. If you need a hard-copy of any important fax, you can use your computer printer to print it off. You can also send numerous faxes simultaneously, which is important if you want to reach a large group of contacts quickly.

Plus, since online fax uses your email system and the Internet, you can send and receive a fax anywhere anytime - as long as you have web service and these days that’s just about everywhere. You can do all your faxing via any mobile device such as netbooks, laptops, pdas, smart phones, cell phones… as long as these devices are connected to the Internet. No more trips back to the office at 10 o’clock at night to retrieve that all important fax.

Again, if your company or business, depends upon faxing to bring in sales and to communicate with your clients, one can easily see why using such a service will make your business more competitive. In these tough economic times, companies need every little advantage they can muster. Having a business that’s running and accessible 24/7, 365 days of the year is indeed an advantage.

In addition, online fax can make your company more competitive mainly because most of these fax services are completely scalable for business. If you have to quickly increase or decrease your number of fax lines, you can do this almost instantly because there is no hardware to install. Since everything is done via the web (cloud computing) you don’t need an extra fax phone line to receive your faxes. Also remember, with online faxing you don’t need a fax machine so you won’t have the expense of inks, papers, toners or even fax machine maintenance for that matter. It can mean significant savings for a company, especially over the long haul.

Online faxing is also relatively inexpensive when compared to the traditional way of faxing. As mentioned before you don’t need an extra fax phone line and monthly service charges run around $10 a month, but there are less expensive options out there, especially if your faxing needs are minimum. So it pays to shop around and check out the different providers and options available to you before you sign up. Always remember, by simply using an online fax service you will never have to miss another fax again.



For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide to learn more about: online fax
Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing
try here: internet faxing services.
Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2009. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached.