Unlike many of the rumors and misconceptions, remote work increases productivity and effectiveness. Working on your own terms has its perks, and it’s a great way to offer something new to employees while giving them more freedom. However, remote work wouldn’t be possible without the right digital tools.

Here are 6 convenient remote working tools to make the process easier for managers and employees alike.

Navigate:

• Virtual phone system
• Project management
• Employee management
• Team collaboration
• Productivity monitoring 
• Password management

1. Virtual Phone System

Finally, the phone is still a large part of communicating with remote workers. Remote workers often manage and handle a wide arrange of calls, from customer support to prospective clients. Making sure they’re able to answer those calls promptly without compromising their privacy is key.

With MightyCall’s virtual phone system, you can do just that in as little as a few clicks. Now, employees will feel more secure without needing to worry about interruptions in call quality from wherever they choose to work.

2. Project Management Tools

One of the biggest challenges of transitioning to remote work is learning how to best manage one’s time. When you’re used to a manager giving direction, it can be hard to know where to begin in daily tasks. When that stress is combined with impending deadlines, it only becomes more complicated.

Using project management tools helps remote workers feel connected to their team. They can use it independently to keep track of their own projects, or with other collaborators to check in on overall progress. Two of the leading project management tools are Trello and Asana.

3. Employee Management

Connecteam offers an all-in-one employee management app that allows remote employees access to all things company-related. In fact, Connecteam connects everything a business needs from field to office, all in one place. In the click of a button, you can connect your staff, manage day-to-day operations, track hours, share work schedules, assign tasks, improve employee experience and engagement, and drive your business forward.

4. Team Collaboration

While those project management tools above do have ways to leave messages for other teammates, they aren’t built around conversation. Using a tool like Slack will help remote workers feel connected to their team members even though they’re not physically in the same office. Slack is a great choice because it’s jam-packed with other fun features like gif integrations, chatbots, and more.

5. Productivity monitoring

Making sure that teams are able to get things done at an efficient rate is often a challenge in remote teams. Using a productivity monitoring tool like Hubstaff will help you understand your team’s performance better.

With its app and URL tracking, keyboard and mouse monitoring, and time tracking, Hubstaff shows you not only when your team is working, but also how they work. This data will prove useful in optimizing your schedules and workflows for maximum efficiency.

6. Password Management

Security is a top priority of all organizations today. When working with remote workers, it’s even more essential to keep track of your passwords and worker access. A password management tool like LastPass works to cut down on weak passwords while also storing team passwords in a secure cloud.

Once you login to one account, you’ll automatically have access to all other login information. It simplifies your day since you no longer need to spend time memorizing extensive passwords. More importantly, it generates stronger passwords to give you much-needed peace of mind.

Finding Success When Working Remotely

Remote work is more than just a trend. It’s a new reality of business today. Luckily, there are so many tools out there that make remote work a breeze. You’ll only wonder why you didn’t give it a try earlier.

These tools above should be in any remote worker’s arsenal. Not only do they aid with feeling like part of a team, but they’re simply a smarter way to do business. From staying in touch with coworkers to never missing a deadline, these tools have you covered.

Unlocking the Potential of Remote Work Software and Tools

Remote work has become increasingly popular, boosting productivity and efficiency while offering flexibility to employees. The key to successful remote work lies in selecting the right remote work tools and software.

This guide introduces indispensable tools for remote teams, including project management, employee management, team collaboration, productivity monitoring, password management, and virtual phone systems. With these work from home tools and remote work software, you can create a thriving environment that fosters communication and collaboration among remote workers.

Leveraging the right tools for remote workers and teams enables you to capitalize on the advantages of remote work and meet the demands of the modern workforce. Embrace remote work tools and work from home software to fully unlock your team’s potential.

The post 6 Best Tools for Remote Workers first appeared on MightyCall.

In this article your will learn about the following:

• Your Business Scalability
• Investors Acquisition
• Partnerships
• Marketing
• Automated Solutions
• Stable Base
• The Team
• Education
• Scalable Business Examples
• Business Scalability Your Way

We, at MightyCall, believe in your success and our partnership with you, so we have laid out some of the advantages of having a scalable business as well as some practical ideas to get your small business on track to capitalize on the success you work so hard to achieve.

“Growth is never by mere chance; it is the result of forces working together.”
James Cash Penney, Founder of JCPenney

Whether you already own a company or are just taking the first steps towards the startup of your dream, you most likely imagine a bright future. Those who are ambitious always reach for the stars, and almost any small business idea can grow into a big enterprise.

Let’s be honest though, certain concepts have more capacity for scalability and expansion. Estimate your chances of real growth while considering the following points:

1. Your Business Scalability

Look at your current business. If the business is based on the owner’s particular skill or talent, then scaling is harder. It can only grow within the limits of the person’s capability and stamina.

Services provided by experts are almost non-scalable. The skill can be taught, but training and quality improvement take time and resources.

A truly scalable business is one that keeps low marginal costs while increasing revenue and works efficiently with less involvement from the business owner.

How MightyCall can help with this part of the process:

MightyCall offers a number of modern solutions such as additional numbers, international numbers, call recording, voice to text and many others.

2. Investors Acquisition

For investors, the best small business ideas are scalable. Startups that have a high potential for growth obtain sponsors. The power players don’t trust mere talk. They believe in a valid business plan and financial model. High profits, minimum employees, and low support — these are crucial criteria of gaining investor’s attention.

How many locations can you market with the product? Investors bankroll startups that can go worldwide.

Match your business concept so that it is attractive to sponsors, and let us advise you on how to fund small business and find your investor.

How MightyCall can help with this part of the process:

First of all, MightyCall helps lower your monthly phone bill so you don’t have to worry about running up your phone bill or calling long distances.

Additionally, with MightyCall you never have to worry about missing a call with call routing, after hours and call back widgets.

Finally, MightyCall offers international numbers so your business can grow with you.

3. Partnerships

Try to build a trusted business relationship with other market players.

Starting together as green implementers of small business ideas, you may share experience and discuss relevant issues. Collaboration and outsourcing reduce costs and make time for business development.

Even titans of the market chose to cooperate.

In 2006, Nike and Apple announced a partnership. Products of this union are fitness devices that connect to each other.

Making partners with existing market players is a forward-looking approach. It’s more advantageous than trying to outdistance them. In addition, franchising is one of the proven ways to scaling.

How MightyCall can help with this part of the process:

MightyCall lets you add unlimited extensions to your plan so you can create as many partnerships as you want and not spend a dime more on your phone bill.

4. Marketing

Don’t delay an efficient marketing strategy if you want your small business to become a market leader.

A startup needs to be noticed immediately.

It’s not about local promos and advertising campaigns, which are useful to attract clients here and now, it is about joining a global market and getting access to business conferences as well as participating in workshops. These are places to network and make proper acquaintances in different fields.

Visit Meetup.com for relevant events near your location. LinkedIn is also a rich platform of information, communities and events.

Invest in your business brand. It is a valuable asset that demonstrates who you are, what your defining feature is. It should be simple but noticeable.

Marketing is a continual process. Keep updating your product line, so you can attract new clients and innovate. Ask customers for feedback and work with their replies. People buy from those they trust. Remember, “Without customers, you don’t have a business. You have a hobby.” (Don Peppers & Martha Rogers, Return on Customer).

How MightyCall can help with this part of the process:

It creates brand consistency by allowing you to always be available to your customers in whatever capacity you choose with personal greetings and hold music that helps your brand essence show.

Furthermore, it allows you to integrate your phone system with your Facebook and Twitter.

5. Automated Solutions

Appraise your business processes. There are always repeated steps and circular activities that can be automated. This frees time for focusing on business growth.

Business process management consultants say that reduction of staff work-hours is possible with proper automation. For example, instead of depending on manual data entry and setting appointments, invest in a system that simplifies the work process for employees. Newcomers can then be trained quickly and easily and join the workflow without delay.

Carla Martinez, former PM at HICKIES (sneakers store), shared a success story of scaling due to “automating everything”. HICKIES used Zapier’s software for workflow automation. Zapier transfers data between web apps automatically without additional coding. All processes became sped up.

A business that provides services is built on a number of experts, their workload, and efficiency. While considering the scaling of this kind of business, the entrepreneur should particularly focus on automation. It can result in additional revenue with fewer labor hours.

How MightyCall can help with this part of the process:

Sometimes you need to be other places, doing other things. With MightyCall, you can easily reroute the numbers to an available team member or post after hours information. There’s a call queue feature as well as a VIP or block list feature all of which assist with automating the process and letting you decide what’s the most important thing for you to spend your time on in any given moment.

6. Stable Base

When a business is just launched it is the best time to invest in a solid foundation. Avoid cheap and quick software solutions; it’s not powerful enough for a growing entity.

The best software is one that is suited to a small business idea and can support it while growing, and maintain a huge enterprise while using regular updates.

Effective ERP system, e-commerce software, or communication platforms provide automation for most business processes. This is core for business scalability.

How MightyCall can help with this part of the process:

It’s a customized communication solution for any size and type of business. A cloud-based unified platform that provides reliable management of calls, e-mails, social media, and to-do lists, while many useful features (conference calls, activity queue) can be used and added.

Another example is a Xero accounting system.

The vendor offers a free trial for small businesses. Cashflow, invoicing, payments, pay runs — up-to-date financial data that’s easy to compare, maintain and review is what’s essential for each growing company.

Outsourcing of the business support services to professionals is worthwhile. You can concentrate on the core business.

7. The Team

No doubt you’ve put your heart in the realization of your small business idea, but the truth is that a large business can be overwhelming for an owner. You can’t control everything and be everywhere. Scalable business means you are less involved in its processes; your role transforms more and more into high-level supervision.

Build a strong team to do what they do best. Hire the right people so you can manage a scaled business without making every slightest decision.

How MightyCall can help with this part of the process:

It’s a customized communication solution for any size and type of business. A cloud-based unified platform that provides reliable management of calls, e-mails, social media, and to-do lists, while many useful features (conference calls, activity queue) can be used and added.

Another example is a Xero accounting system.

The vendor offers a free trial for small businesses. Cashflow, invoicing, payments, pay runs — up-to-date financial data that’s easy to compare, maintain and review is what’s essential for each growing company.

Outsourcing of the business support services to professionals is worthwhile. You can concentrate on the core business.

The best company structure is streamlined so that trusted people have leading positions. As head of the company, a business owner needs to focus on their main strengths and landmark issues.

8. Education

Investing into your and your team’s education is one of the most powerful strategies a business owner can implement to become more scalable.

“The greatest asset of a company is its people.” – Jorge Paulo Lemann, a Brazilian billionaire investment banker and businessman

Developing this asset by sending your team members to various workshops, courses, or even universities, will eventually result a team of devoted specialists who will apply their new skills and knowledge directly to your business. Your team will feel like it is growing and developing in the direction that interests them, which will make them want to stay and do more for the company.

Scalable Business Examples

• Software — a classic and obvious sample of a scalable business. Once the product is ready, additional copies are released with much lower costs.
• E-commerce — any product or service provided via the internet is scalable. Information business, webinars, some kinds of consulting services can be delivered to the mass of people using only a Skype camera and microphone.
• Replicated products — are similar to the previous bullet. Today online stores compete favorably with shopping malls. Extension of delivery regions and product variety are just two points to consider for scaling opportunity.
• Social media — Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. It seems like any new platform for sharing photos and impressions is welcomed. As recently as 2015, Periscope (a worldwide video-sharing source) and The League (a dating application for the “elite”) appeared.
• Downloads — music, books, games, applications are similar to a software’s scalability. The once launched app can be downloaded thousands of times a day.
• Line production and franchising — most processes of line commodity production are automated. The net cost is relatively low, but always keep an eye on the quality. Never let down clients’ expectations, it forms loyalty. When a person comes to McDonald’s, they want almost the same Big Mac they had the previous time. Ray Kroc set a standard of the smallest specifications including weight, sauce amount and fat content in every burger.

Business Scalability Your Way

On the path to scale your business, don’t let failures break you down. Instead, make it work for you and learn your lesson. Dream big and let no one unsettle you on your way and let MightyCall partner with you as you continue to grow your business.

The post 8 Tips to Make Your Business Scalable first appeared on MightyCall.

Coming after the shutdown of Google Plus in 2018, Currents is seen as an anticipated roll-out of the company’s individual answer to business social networks by Facebook and Microsoft, but with all the perks of being part of Google’s G Suite ecosystem.

Google Currents is a variation on popular business social networks like Workplace by Facebook Microsoft Teams, and Slack. It’s also next of kin to regular social networks but instead of being open to everyone over the internet, think of it as a private space for your team — however small or large. Here is the place to communicate, brainstorm, and develop ideas, share and discuss project updates, and chat with each other directly.

Within your company’s Currents feed, you will be able to share images, links, posts, polls, comments, likes, and messages  — all keeping to the familiar social network experience. Hashtags will also be available except their use will slightly differ: employees will use them to tag specific projects or events, e.g., #product-launch. In this, it will be closer to an app like Discord than Twitter or Instagram.

As any Google product, Currents comes with the perks of being part of Google’s regularly tweaked ecosystem prioritizing mobility. While it does look similar and have similar features to other business social networks, the integration into G Suite at no extra cost will give businesses the perk of adding team updates and communication to their Google experience.

For most business users, one of the most convenient upsides is that Google Currents removes the need for third-party apps like Slack, or messengers like Skype, WhatsApp, Viber, or Discord, in order to quickly chat with your colleagues. If your team is already on the G Suite basic or business plan, you’re as good as already connected to each other.

Google Currents is also a handy tool for work-at-homers, and a timely addition for teams that want to up their communication during the switch to working from home, for distributed teams, and international teams that need a “pocket” solution to be in touch with their colleagues and projects. It’s also a great tool for managers to automatically stay in the know of business updates without doing the merry-go-round of emails and direct messages.

With all that, Google Currents is not meant to replace client chats and communication which is still best achieved with business phone systems, business chats like WhatsApp Business, and Direct Messaging via your business’s social networks.

Want to learn more about G Suite products? Check out our complete breakdown of essential G Suite apps and some hidden gems.

The post Google Currents is Released as Part of G Suite first appeared on MightyCall.

Phone. com overview

Phone.com, in particular, has been providing their services for quite some time. They are a good option for anyone wanting to try VoIP phone systems for their business. Phone.com offers some of the most competitively priced plans on the market, however, the company requires you to use their own physical phones with the services. This not only adds to your overall cost, but also can only be most effective in office-based business, although not something that you can use on-the-go.

To operate their services you need to purchase their phones, which adds quite a noticeable bump to your budget. For each additional number, you need to pay extra and various advanced features, such as call analytics, call recording, etc. are also extra per month.

MightyCall vs Phone. com review

Compared to Phone.com, MightyCall is more flexible as no hardware installation is required to use the system. It is compatible with any phone or computer and can be used anywhere with any device. The setup is easy and you can view the status of your business from anywhere in the world.

Moreover, MightyCall costs nothing for phones or phone numbers. No additional equipment is required while working with it, and the company offers unlimited extensions and thus users. Additionally, most of the advanced features are already included in the pricing plans.

Of all the value you get from VoIP phone system, MightyCall now gives you more. Our Contact Book PLUS feature makes the system more of a mini-CRM, letting you take notes on each contact and individual interaction as well as keep more detailed contact lists. Phone.com can’t say anything like that.

Phone. com plans & prices

Phone.com offers plan based on the number of minutes. They are as follows:

• Basic Users – $12.99 – per month/user, 300 minutes, 1000 texts
• Plus Users – $19.99 – per month/user, unlimited minutes and texts
• Pro Users – $29.99 – per month/user

Interestingly, Phone.com’s unlimited minutes are not actually unlimited minutes. As their terms of service state: “you only have unlimited minutes on calls made from an IP or softphone – i.e. not your cell phone.”

Moreover, Phone.com charges you extra for all the following things:

• Physical phones – $4.99/month
• Additional phone numbers – $4.99/month
• Call analytics – $3.99/month

Add these necessities onto any plan ranging from $23 to $27, and your bill will shoot past $40. A single glance at the numbers can determine that MightyCall offers a superior range of features at better value, as compared to Phone.com’s limited minutes’ plans.

MightyCall plans & prices

And what does MightyCall offer?

• Core – from $15 – per month/user, 3 users min, unlimited minutes and texts
• Pro – from $20 – per month//user, 3 users min, unlimited minutes and texts

As far as the unlimited minutes plans are concerned, both offer a great amount of value to their customers. But dig a little deeper into Phone.com’s plans, and you will find that you can only use those unlimited minutes with an IP or softphones, and there is no support for cell phones.

This will eventually result in you paying more monthly. Moreover, any calls not falling into the two categories mentioned above (IP or softphones), will be charged per minute. All these important minor details can be found buried in the terms of service, and will surely cost you more than a fistful of quarters.

Comparing the two most popular plans:

• Phone.com – Charges $22.99 per user for 1 number, 5000 messages, and “unlimited” minutes
• MightyCall – Charges $15 per user for 2 numbers, CRM functionality, texting and unlimited minutes

Both popular plans consist of all the necessary and basic functions of a VoIP system. It is easy to see that Phone.com offers you an advantage in the number of minutes over MightyCall, but as far as the most basic plan users are concerned, 1000 minutes are more than sufficient to spend in a month. Unless you are making calls to your customers non-stop, as a small business, unlimited minutes won’t be necessary and will simply end up getting wasted.

MightyCall’s plan has all the features inside it and once you buy the plan, you need not pay for anything else. On the other hand, Phone.com makes you pay an additional monthly charge for each additional advanced feature.

With physical phones themselves costing $4.99/month and additional phone numbers costing $4.99/month, your overall monthly cost rises quickly. Additional features, such as call recording requires you to pay $4.95/month per 300 minutes, voicemail transcription costs $1.50/extension per month, and call analytics cost $3.99/month. Combining all this means you will likely spend at or more than the $50 that MightyCall’s Standard plan costs.

Worse, Phone.com becomes more expensive as the number of users increases. As far as the services are concerned, both offer quality services true to their name. It’s a matter of what you want—will you find services with a cap on them effective, or are you more concerned about talk minutes?

Phone.com doesn’t offer a free trial and MightyCall only offers a 7-day free trial, but both have a 30-day money back guarantee. Either way, you can comfortably choose one and try their services before settling on one.

Comparing Phone. com’s & MightyCall’s features:

• Interface

The interface is the first thing you will notice after opening the services. A good and intuitive interface will make your dealings with the overall software much smoother and efficient.

• Phone.com’s interface includes an old-style drop down menu, where you need to hover over the list to see most of the options. That’s not great as far as usage is concerned.
• On the other hand, MightyCall offers a more intuitive and seamless interface, with visible, graphic-oriented, and clean-placement of options and icons.

Winner: MightyCall

• CRM-functionality

Going beyond VoIP can bring inherent value to any small business owner. MightyCall now has the Contact Book PLUS, which brings the system’s capabilities into line with a mini-CRM. Through extensive note-keeping right on your contact lists and pages, you can do even more for your business organization.
Winner: MightyCall

• Value For Money

It is essential to see whether you are receiving the right value for the money if you are investing in a service. Both companies’ plans are priced competitively according to the services they provide. In contrast to Phone.com, MightyCall have made their plans much simpler and easier to redeem than Phone.com. Their plans already include all the features, meaning there is no need to pay any extra costs for anything. Once you have the plan, you practically have unlimited usage of everything you were promised. Phone.com offers you limited and unlimited minutes plan, but most necessary features are charged as mentioned above. You also need to purchase their physical phones to access their services, which again, adds onto the overall cost.

Winner: MightyCall

• Hardware Installation

Hardware not only adds onto your overall investment, but also bounds you and your staff to a specific place. For hardware installation, you need a specific place where you have to be to receive the calls. The on-the-go element is removed completely. Phone.com requires a physical phone to be installed in order for it to work, and a list of physical phones can be found on its website. They only support their own phones, so you will have to purchase one if you wish to have their services.

In contrast, MightyCall requires no hardware to work. The software can be fired up from anywhere, and your business is accessible from every part of the world, even if you are not in your office.

Winner: MightyCall

MightyCall can deliver you things that Phone.com does, but better. However, your selection comes down to your own preferences, requirements and budget, but heed the information you just read.

What clients say about MightyCall

The post MightyCall vs Phone.Com Review: Which Offers You Better Value? first appeared on MightyCall.

G Suite is an extension of the world of Google into our offices and businesses. It comes in three “shapes and sizes”: G Suite Basic, G Suite Business and G Suite Enterprise and includes collaboration, communication, web/app builder tools, and more. It is available on all devices from PC to iPad/tablet to smartphone, which makes the suite an incredibly handy solution for mobile or remote teams.

Though we’ll be focusing on G Suite Business that includes an extended suite of two dozen digital tools, we’ll also cover the difference between the Basic vs Business versions and the pricing on all three G Suite plans.

Scroll down or navigate below to get the scoop on features, little-known insights, and budget-friendly alternatives to G Suite apps.

Navigate:

• Collaboration tools
• Communication tools
• Google Voice
• Website builder tools
• Cloud storage
• G Suite Pricing: G Suite Basic vs Business

G Suite collaboration tools

Pros and cons: G Suite collaboration tools include Google Docs, Google Sheets, Google Forms, and Google Slides. The set may look pretty basic and leave you wondering: hey, don’t I have all that as part of my Google account or as software on my PC? Yes, you do! But as a business, it’s your shared workspace that’s vital, not your private one. This is exactly what G Suite for business provides.

For teams that often collaborate on online projects, G Suite offers a permanent business environment to create and manage projects together. The shared access and add-ons of G Suite will save your time and boost productivity. My personal go-to add-on is Google Docs’ SEM Rush extension. This add-on makes it simple for your team to craft SEO web content right in Google Docs.

Did you know? Two other fantastic G Suite collaboration tools are Keep and Jumble. Jumble isn’t totally a Cloud tool. It’s an IoT-type huge ’smart whiteboard’ that you can both draw on and connect to the Internet. At around $4,999 though, Jamboard is pricey and is designed for the innovators and large teams. On the other hand, Keep is a cool note-taking and to-do list tool that lets you instantly create and share tasks with team members and see them checked-off in real-time! Keep comes with G Suite.

What it can replace: G Suite document collaboration tools are an alternative for the pricier Microsoft Office, native Pages/Keynote/Numbers/Reminders on a Mac, or your personal Google Account.

Alternative: SamePage is team collaboration software for online project management and one of the interesting alternatives to Microsoft and Google Suites. It includes real-time document collaboration, surveys, spreadsheets, diagrams, live chat, and more. Plans include Free, Starter and Pro versions.

G Suite communication tools

Pros and cons: G Suite communication tools include popular features for team communication: Business Gmail, Calendar, Hangouts Chat, Hangouts Meet. Transitioning to G Suite communication apps is great if you’re in the early days of business and haven’t been using a different messaging system that you’re already used to.

However, except for business Gmail, most of these tools are aimed at communication with your team, not your clients. That’s why they don’t offer a complete business communications solution you may be looking for. An additional con is the necessity of transitioning to Hangouts if you’re currently using messengers like Skype or Slack to chat with the team. Unless you’re all ready to make the switch at the same time, it may be best to use business Gmail but skip Hangouts to avoid misplaced communication.

Did you know? Currents is the reborn business version of Google+ and a platform similar to Facebook’s Workplace or Microsoft’s Yammer. Functioning as a corporate social network, it’s a place for medium to larger teams to post current news, ideas, and topics, which can be shared and commented on. Currents comes with all G Suite plans.

What it can replace: Messengers and voice calling software like Skype; Slack; Microsoft Teams; corporate email and Calendar like Outlook

Download Skype for Business Basic is a free chat/messaging alternative for small business. It provides a basic set of team features like Instant Messaging, voice and video chat, and online meetings. Go for it if your employees are used to the Skype experience and don’t need a fancy team chat.

Google Voice

Pros and cons:  Google Voice isn’t part of G Suite, but it’s one of the most popular phone solutions designed by Google. Google Voice is a free VoIP provider. This means that you can get a second virtual phone number for business purposes. All calls addressed to this number will be forwarded to your cell phone, just like with all VoIP providers. This is really handy since you won’t have to carry around a second phone for handling business calls.

Google Voice is a nice starter solution for freelancers who need a second number, but unfortunately, it’s a far cry from professional VoIP solutions for small business. To look credible and professional, a small business needs many features that Google Voice lacks. This includes a large range of local, toll-free and vanity numbers; after-hours call forwarding; privacy and security; robocall prevention; mini-CRM to manage your clients, and team accessibility on any device.

What it can replace: a second SIM card with the entailing mobile service fees. A service like Skype.

Alternative: MightyCall’s virtual phone system can provide your business with a second phone number while prioritizing team mobility and privacy. Get/port in a toll-free, local, or vanity number, answer calls on any Internet-connected device, and access dozens of business features with your whole team. MightyCall plans start at $15/month per user. Just give it a free try!

G Suite website creation tools

Pros and cons:  A pretty remarkable feature of G Suite is Sites, Google’s web creation tool. G Suite Sites can act both as a corporate web portal and a regular website builder.

Simply choose whether you want to restrict access to just employees (for things like corporate reports/events) or create a company website that anyone can access. Google will even help you purchase a domain name. One of the unique things about Sites is the dashboard with instant access to all your shared G Suite files, to quickly fill your site with content. No coding or design knowledge is needed, so you can build a modern company website with minimum hassle — individually or as a team!

Sites works best for secondary business websites and corporate websites/blogs. It can give your side a modern and professional look, but for one-of-a-kind themes, you should definitely look into design-centered website builders.

Did you know? Tech industry business owners, this one’s for you! G Suite Business and G Suite Enterprise come with Google App Maker — a space for building web apps for your business with minimal coding and hassle. The visual-based drag and drop interface and multiple templates make it easy to design the project you’ve been dreaming about.

What it can replace: Google Sites can replace a regular website builder like WordPress, Squarespace, etc.

Alternative:  If design is upfront for your industry (like travel, food, e-commerce) you may opt for a service like Wix instead. For just $13/month and the most user-friendly site builder, you can get hosting and a domain name, ad-free. Wix is also great with integrations, so you can add lots of valuable add-ons to your site later on.

G Suite Cloud storage

Pros and cons: File storage is incredibly important for small business. Not only does your business need to back up important files to prevent data loss, storing them in the Cloud allows for easy team access and editing. But how do you choose the biggest and safest storage for your business amidst the variety of options?

One thing that shouts in favor of Google Drive for Business is its AI-powered homepage. Drive’s AI will automatically recommend the files relevant to you and your team, serving both as a reminder and a smart search assistant.  Drive also has a Shared Files space which is separate from My Drive. On the flip side, calculate ahead the storage capacity your business needs. For example, your personal Drive is limited to 15GB. If you’re currently saving documents there, you can roughly estimate whether twice that capacity is good enough for your business storage (don’t forget to count your team!).

Google Drive for Business comes in two storage capacities: 30GB and unlimited. The 30GB version comes on  G Suite Basic while unlimited storage comes on G Suite Business and G Suite Enterprise plans. Alternatively, you may buy extra storage licenses if you run out of space, starting from $4/mo for 20GB.

Did you know? G Suite Business comes with Cloud Search which is a single place to find all the content created by you and your team across G Suite. This feature is only available on the Business plan.

What it can replace: Any Cloud storage such as Personal Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, iCloud, etc.

Alternative: If cheap Cloud storage is a huge priority for your business but syncing with Google Docs/Sheets/Slides isn’t, you may want an individual solution like PCloud. This service offers 500GB of storage for a monthly fee of around $4.50 and lets you share and collaborate on files.

G Suite pricing: G Suite Basic vs G Suite Business

Prior to 2012, Google also offered G Suite in a free package, called G Suite legacy free edition.

If you signed up for the legacy free edition prior to 2012 and haven’t upgraded, you can continue using the limited version of G Suite for free. However, if you choose to upgrade to an extended-feature plan, you won’t be able to downgrade back to the free version.

As of 2020, for new business users G Suite is only available on a paid basis. G Suite pricing includes 3 plans based on your business needs and size: Basic at $6/mo per user; Business at $12/mo per user; and Enterprise at $25/mo per user.

The main difference between G Suite Basic vs G Suite Business is the storage capacity and Cloud search across all of G Suite (both desktop and mobile app). If you work in an industry like finance, sales, marketing, PR, or e-commerce and have considerable amounts of data and several team members using G Suite, the Business plan is optimal for most small businesses. Choose Basic if you’re a solopreneur or very small team and will be just using Drive to back up or collaborate on important files.

Final word

G Suite is a great solution if you would like a bundled solution instead of downloading various tools and apps for your most frequent tasks. With its security and management controls, it also lets business owners monitor and control access (including mobile) to all data across G Suite. This adds an extra layer of security to your business, especially if it deals with sensitive client data.

G Suite is most handy for businesses with considerable document and/or project management loads and teams that want to transition away from pricier tools like Microsoft Office 365 or free cloud storage apps scattering your files all over the internet.

However, since G Suite is priced per user, it’s necessary to understand how frequently you’ll be using G Suite, and what particular features you’re in for (going for a bundle is best). If you have a team, talk to them first to understand if the transition is worth the investment.

Looking for more optimally-priced digital tools for small business? Check out the Best SaaS Tools Guaranteed to Rock Your Business

And don’t forget to check out our superb deals below for secure business communication at your fingertips.

The post G Suite (Google Apps) Business: Pros, Cons, and Alternatives first appeared on MightyCall.

The Devil in Marketing

Phones are a millennial’s best friend, but you’d better not call a millennial with your ‘great’ offer or campaign. Seen as a massive invasion of privacy and a waste of time unless you were initially called, calling is professional suicide in a millennial world. While millennials still make calls and answer the phone, this privilege is saved for friends and family – everyone else is just invading personal space.

On another note, emails – who doesn’t have a junk email these days and how often do you actually open something in there? I only periodically go in there to delete all the ‘junk’ emails. I give this special email address to all of the stores, subscription requests, anyone who isn’t friend or family and I never look back!

If you want to reach millennials these days, a social media or text messaging campaign would go a long way. What’s even better is that it requires less effort from your marketing team and takes up less of your budget.

So Simple It’s Stupid

Sometimes less is more. Text messaging is such a simple solution that it’s actually stupid! Texts reach your clients IMMEDIATELY. You can quickly send out reminders about their scheduled appointments and promptly notify them of any delays or cancellations and vice versa. Your company can promptly be notified of any problems your customers may have and can even check in on their situation for periodic updates. They will feel like you really care about them and you will go up in their books.

Hanging Out with Your Customers

You’re going to be in their pockets, literally! Customer satisfaction and engagement are bound to improve when you’re always there for them. Sending out tips and advice are effortless ways for you to increase your value to your followers. Personalized messages with well wishes for birthdays or promotions are a quick way to connect and come closer with your customers.

The benefits of incorporating text messaging to your marketing strategy are clear. Increased customer engagement and satisfaction, decrease in marketing expenses and boost in sales, website visits and stores.  So, if you haven’t already incorporated a text messaging strategy into your business, what are you waiting for?

The post Texting Your Way to the Top first appeared on MightyCall.

Intelligent call routing automatically routes calls to the most appropriate employee and prevents loss of business in first time and repeat callers.

Customer Benefits:

There are several settings you can put in place to get your customers to where they need to be.

• A voicemail menu can send callers to the most skillful and knowledgeable employee without needing to wait to be transferred.
• Return callers can be routed back to the employee they spoke to the day before who is not only up to date on the situation but who also has all the skills and knowledge to best help the customer.
• If a customer’s call is dropped, they can call back to the company and be directed straight back to the employee they were previously speaking with. This way they don’t need to re-explain anything or take up another employee’s time.
• Caller ID can be used to offer special discounts and offers to preferred customers based on the caller’s profile and past history.
• If you aren’t able to answer a call after the first two rings, your call could automatically be routed to an available employee.

In essence, it lets your customers be treated like VIP and feel valued for choosing your company.

As a business, it’s your task to turn a call into a customer and this smart system makes that task so much easier while eliminating a lot of the frustration. Customers will appreciate not having to deal with the frustration that often accompanies call routing and will be more likely and ready to buy whatever it is you’re selling.  Furthermore, it helps the business process become more organized and operate smoothly.

Company Benefits:

• You only need to have one business phone number. There’s no need to complicate things with multiple numbers or by asking customers or employees to reach out to someone else or call someone back.
• Immediately redirected calls save company time and revenue so employees can stick to their tasks and responsibilities.
• VIP lists exist to fast track important and loyal clients as well as to offer promotions to callers. Black lists make it easier to focus your time where it matters.
• All calls can be managed from a single console on your web browser or from an app on your phone making things as simple as possible.

Customers are often ready to commit and purchase a product or service when they first call. Most likely, they’ve already scoped you and your competition out and have chosen to give you a call. Missing their initial call could lead them to call a competitor.

With MightyCall’s intelligent call routing system, you never need to miss out on a call again. Don’t let a business opportunity slip through your fingers, join the MightyCall community today and find out for yourself how intelligent call routing can improve your business.

The post Intelligent Call Routing Can Increase Your Customer Loyalty first appeared on MightyCall.

Though users find it easy to sign up on Vonage, the level of services varies by city. Over the past years, the company has been working on establishing good user relationships and offering great technology for backing its services. However, recently users have reported a declining quality of experience with Vonage phone services in comparison to the alternatives.

Business Considerations When Choosing a Business Phone Service Provider

On the  Vonage business plan, if you require group calling it is going to cost you an additional $4.99. In the case of Call queues, charges of $14.99 apply per month. For voicemail-to-text transcription services, you would pay $4.99 per month per user. Call recording is available for $4.99 per month per user or $49.99 for the whole contract period. Every businessman can understand that it is no good paying $70 each month for a business number with a single extension. Things could be better if the business wouldn’t be required to pay for additional services.

With the MightyCall virtual phone service, you get the same high-quality VoIP service without paying anything for your phone number. You are offered 2 toll-free numbers on the basic plan which comes with an unlimited number of extensions. Apart from 1000 minutes and unlimited texting, additional services like group calling, business hours, call screening, call queuing, conference calling, custom main greeting, and music on hold are free of extra charge.

But that’s not all; you also get a web phone for incoming and outgoing calls. And all these amazing features are included in the basic plan.

Thus, it is not hard to see that MightyCall provides you with better options for a lesser investment. Alternative VoIP service providers offer  features that provide you with greater control over various business aspects. It is important that you make a prudent choice to get value for your money.

Vonage Review: Vonage vs. MightyCall

Vonage offers different kinds of pricing plans with reliable services. The pricing system is based upon the number of phone lines you wish to have. The more lines that you have to use, the lesser the bundled price will be. However, you still have to pay for the multiple extensions listed above, which adds onto the overall costs of using simple and basic features.

Pros of using Vonage

Vonage has a large user base with more than two million subscribers. The company as a whole has  great momentum in its business efforts and the brand uses the best technology to provide high-quality VoIP services to their users. There are many features that are innovatively brought to market by the company.

• Customers can use the same line while being at a different location. Vonage Pro plans provide for this excellent service giving independence to businessmen and their employees.
• Users get a feeling of credibility due to the large customer base of the company.
• Users get an analog telephone adaptor with the service.
• The company provides a money-back guarantee within 14 days.
• Phone numbers can be ported.
• International calling rates are nominal.
• You get support for 911.
• You can get a second line.
• User-friendly web interface provides for online account management.

However, in recent years there’s been  an evident decline in the quality of services provided by Vonage and alternative service providers have come up with superior plans with better features.

Some of the glaring problems that have been found with Vonage include service set up and installation: both need professional help and skill. The set up is not easy to handle. In the past few years,  users have been reporting low-quality customer service. Though the 911 support feature is free, it is difficult to use .

Choosing Vonage: What are the alternatives?

Users have been opting for Vonage business plans and Vonage Pro because the company is well-reputed and users are looking for additional services at a nominal cost. With Vonage Pro, the same line can be used at various locations. You do not need to be in office to attend or make calls. This feature is highly useful for mobile businesses like courier delivery services. Moreover, being readily available to customers makes your business more credible and gives peace of mind to the customers.

You can also have a virtual phone number. Moreover, using a web phone or softphone you can make calls using your desktop or laptop and 500-minutes are given for long distance and local calls under this feature by Vonage. Businessmen can also add a fax service, toll-free number and enhanced 411 services through some extra costs .

Interestingly, the provision and offer for an unlimited number of minutes in the business plan seems imprecise. When you look  into  company policies, the unlimited number of minutes comes with the condition of ‘fair use’. In the end, it sums up that most Vonage users would get 3000 minutes per month. It is intriguing that according to statistics, nearly 95% of Vonage business customers had chosen the same business plan with unlimited minutes. Moreover, if you need the business plan for multiple users, it can prove to be very costly.

Alternatively, when you consider business phone solutions by Mighty Call, a potential competitor, the basic plan costing $19.99 per month allows for 2 users and 1,000 minutes. Additionally, customers can use an unlimited number of extensions and unlimited texting.

This is highly superior to what you get with Vonage at a higher price. The business plan only applies to a single user and only 1 extension is allowed. In case your business set up needs more extensions, you can get them at the cost of $29.99 per user. Going further, the customer also pays  for the phone number itself. The local phone number costs $9.99 while a toll-free number means you have to pay $39.99.

You might not find  the same charges reflected in your initial  quote from Vonage services. However, the problem of hidden costs associated with the standard sales technique of the company implies that you pay much more than what you are told initially.

As compared to Mighty Call, the prices offered by Vonage are significantly higher for the same level of services. Moreover, Mighty Call has a highly superior basic plan as compared to Vonage’s business plan offer.

Vonage Review: Some features that improve service quality

One can get help and support from Vonage representatives, but the live chat feature is still missing. Thus, there can be a lag in response time if you are facing an issue. Moreover, if you want to look for answers on the website, it can be time-consuming as many users reposted that the FAQs on the website are not searchable enough.

Vonage is a long-standing provider and it has inspired innovation in the VoIP industry. However, many customers are opting for alternative services due to superior packages at lower rates.

More about business plans with international calls

Vonage  presently offers nine plans that are designed to meet the needs of small businesses. Customers can get excellent features,  though international calling is not  included in many of the plans. The company also has plans with specialised calling services to certain countries like Mexico and the Philippines. Many businesses with  increased communication between these geographical locations have opted for the services.

The world plans by Vonage allow unlimited calling to nearly 60 countries. Apart from this, businessmen can use mobile devices for international calling in 10 countries. However, it was found that the quality of the international calls is quite low. The voices do not seem to be clear and it becomes hard for users to interpret the words spoken on the other end. The worst part is that the problem occurred for locations that cannot be considered as remote.

Other Vonage competitors are known to offer superior quality services for  international calls. It is quite understandable that  unclear communication can hamper and have a negative impact on the business processes and dealings on the international level.

Vonage review: Interesting features to look for in VoIP service plans

An accurate weather forecast often comes in handy. A nice feature available for Vonage service users is relevant weather information delivered right to their phone. Another feature  that businessmen will appreciate is the traffic information service.  Traffic reports by Vonage are available by  dialling the number 511.

Vonage gives a 14-day trial service with complete money back guarantee . If customers are not satisfied with the services, they may  get a refund within the specified time period.

Things the business industry expects in phone plans

Packages specifically tailored to customer requirements are vital  for any industry. Thus, newer VoIP providers are focusing on increased user flexibility.

Internet-based businesses can get the maximum benefit from virtual phone services. Earlier, businesses incurred a lot of expenditure on international calls; but gone are those days and now you can reach out to your international partners from any location at nominal charges.

High-quality calls at competitive rates mean that the world has really turned to a global village where business interaction has become easier and more convenient. No longer are you limited to your office for making and receiving calls or getting updates. All you need is a reliable VoIP provider and a package that caters to your monthly communication requirements. The operational costs for local and toll-free numbers have reduced significantly. Thus, businesses can look forward to more turnover and increased profits while reducing the investment costs for getting useful services.

One of the main features that set a good phone company apart from the others is great customer service. It offers users  great peace of mind when their queries get answered instantly or at least in a reasonable amount of time.

In case of any problems, it is imperative that your VoIP provider responds immediately and takes the action to correct the impending errors in the business communication system. Even a single wasted hour can have implications on the business’s reputation. As no one wants to lose customers due to improperly working phone lines,  it is highly important to choose the service that lets you have greater control over vital aspects of your business.

As a business owner, you should not have to pay for features that you don’t require. At the same time, your VoIP provider should let you upgrade and get additional services  when you require them for upscaling your business.

Tips for making the most out of your money when choosing a VOIP package

For small business owners,  ongoing research is imperative for finding the best provider of phone services, whether local or international. Presently, there is  tough competition in the market and technology allows VoIP providers to introduce better features at lower prices with each passing year.

Things that could not even be imagined a decade ago have now taken the market by storm. But more is yet to come. With reputable providers like Vonage, users have  access to phone and calling services that can make their business interactions an enjoyable and productive experience.

However,  other VoIP service providers are busy lining up services of high quality at better rates. Thus,  small business owners haves a lot to look forward to. For every business focused on  growth, only  the sky is the limit . . If you are ready to put in the effort, VoIP technology is here to offer you whatever you need to make things happen. All you require is a keen eye on the market and a will to incorporate the latest plans in your business communication systems to make the most of your money.

The post Vonage Review. Why MightyCall Is a Better Value for Money first appeared on MightyCall.

Lock it Down on the First Call

When answering the phone, identify yourself and your company.

If necessary or helpful, provide the customer with an extension number should you accidentally be disconnected.

Give the call your undivided attention; pick up on the little details like their name and call them by their proper name Mr. Brown or Mrs. Sanders.

If you have to disrupt a conversation, be sure to excuse yourself and ask them if it’s ok to put them on hold. If you need to put them on hold, do so professionally with a real hold system and not just setting the phone down to the side so they can hear everything going on in the background. This is a good opportunity to strengthen your branding with an automated message, promotions or even just pleasant music that reflects your company’s brand.

Be positive, speak clearly and slowly. Keep in mind that everything may be perfectly clear and understandable to you, but things may not be so clear for someone outside of your company. Don’t use slang or foul language unless that’s a part of your brand and never engage or snap back at irate customers.

Have a parent/child kind of attitude about this but not in a condescending way. Let them know that they are understood and you will do the best you can to handle the issue with what you have available to you.

Don’t let the phone ring more than 3 times but also don’t answer on the first ring. If you let the phone ring too long, they’ll hang up and may call your competition.

On the other hand, immediately answering is just creepy.

Common Sense Practices to Keep in Mind

• If you’re making a call, think about what you’re going to say before you make your call. If you’re caught off guard, never tell clients you don’t know something but that you’ll check on it.
• When returning a call, do so within the time frame previously mentioned to the client if any or at least in a timely manner. Show your customer that you are trustworthy and keep your word.
• When leaving a message, don’t forget to leave your name, company and call back number.
• Focus on the customer and on the call. Customers like feeling that they are worth your undivided attention.

In Conclusion

Treat them with respect and show them they matter to you, you are honored they chose to do business with your company.  For a more modern feel and more cohesive branding, check out virtual phone systems. A VoIP like MightyCall allows calls to be routed appropriately to the most knowledgeable employee or the first available. Customize your automated menu, hold music or promotional material as well as VIP and blacklists.

The post Phone Etiquette in a Digitized World first appeared on MightyCall.

Client demands for greater value has continued even as the economy rebounds. “Today’s clients are now in the driver’s seat when it comes to shopping for legal services,” according to a 2014 Business of Law Blog post. “Clients want to pay less, they want more predictability in legal spending, and ‘alternatives’ to the billable hour.”

As a result, law firms—especially smaller ones—are under pressure to cut costs and be more efficient. An auto attendant, as well as other features of a small business virtual phone system, can help your law firm achieve those goals.

Here are six benefits of a virtual phone system with an auto attendant for law firms.

1. Reduce costs

An auto attendant for law firms can replace the need to have an employee dedicated to answering the phone which is particularly beneficial for small firms. This frees your employees to assist with other things such as legal research and also helps to reduce employment costs.

Furthermore, most virtual phone systems are fully managed and cloud-based. So there’s need to pay for IT support to install and maintain the phone system, and you don’t need to invest in an expensive hardware phone system, either.

Many firms and solopreneurs have decided to leave the industry stress behind and modernize by opening a firm in the comfort of their own homes. This also helps keep the cost low for both the business and the clients. A virtual phone system that can connect the whole firm from across the city is an important tool that makes this all a possibility. For more on this, see the article “Maximize Your Home Practice”.

Typically, virtual phone systems for law firms often include a bundle of phone minutes in your monthly plan. Knowing what your usage is can help you pick the most cost-effective plan for your firm.

2. Give callers important information

With an auto attendant answering your phone lines, you can provide key information to callers based on call routing settings.

For example, a sole proprietor or small firm might offer one rate for daytime hours and a higher rate for after hours. Callers during the day would be informed of your daytime rate, while callers at night would hear about your night hours.

3. Give top clients the VIP treatment

Some law firms want a person to answer the phones to present a more ‘human’ front to clients and prospects. Yet it’s impossible for a human receptionist to be available all the time. During lunch breaks or after hours, your auto attendant can take over routing calls automatically based on predetermined settings.

For example, you could set up a VIP list of your most important clients. Should one of those clients call after hours, the auto attendant could automatically and simultaneously ring the personal smartphones of all your firm’s partners ensuring that VIP clients rarely, if ever, get sent to voicemail.

4. Let clients call attorneys directly

Virtual phone systems for law firms and other small businesses enable you to give partners and employees their own phone extensions, so clients can call them directly without going through an attendant (virtual or human) or phone tree. As aforementioned, extensions coupled with call routing settings enable top clients to call an attorney directly with a high likelihood that the attorney or an assistant will pick up.

5. Easily record calls for notes, training and other purposes

In addition to an auto attendant feature, a virtual phone system typically offers the ability to easily record calls and share them with others in your firm.

With call recording, you can record phone conversations with clients (with their permission, of course). Associates, interns, paralegals and others in the firm can review the recordings later to ensure notes taken during the meeting are accurate.

The recordings could even be used as evidence in court, if necessary. You can share call recordings with new employees, to help train them on how to interact over the phone with clients and prospects. Call recordings captured by a virtual phone system can also be more secure than recordings made on a smartphone or portable audio recorder which can be lost or stolen.

6. Track time spent on phones easily

A virtual phone system can provide detailed information on your firm’s call history, giving you another way to document billable time spent on the phone with clients.

MightyCall is a virtual phone system with an auto attendant, call recording, phone trees, hold music, and many other professional features starting at $20 a month.

The post Top 6 Benefits for Law Firms Using an Auto Attendant first appeared on MightyCall.

In this article, we are going to cover the following topics:

• Benefits of Using Your iPhone Instead of a computer
• iPhone vs Laptop: Pros and Cons
• Pros and Cons of Tethering Your iPhone To Your Laptop

Last time I went on a business trip, I had a choice of which device to take along: a phone or a computer. After much thought, I decided to take only my iPhone 8. I found that in the iPhone vs laptop competition, the iPhone has some undeniable advantages.

Benefits of Using Your iPhone Instead of a Computer

If your business dealings on the road are mostly phone calls, email and text messages, the iPhone 8 is probably all you need.

Here are pros:

1. The screen is big enough for (some) work.

With the iPhone 8, I’ve got a 5.5-inch screen— nearly the size of some small tablets. Sure, it’s not nearly as big as a laptop screen, but for some tasks like email, web browsing, and light document edits, it’s big enough.

The iPhone X has an even bigger screen not to mention the sapphire glass protection that has long been proven to be extremely reliable and durable material. To keep the phone from bending, Bendgate was added so this phone is really durable, strong and easy to pack and take with you.

The iPhone X has twice as much memory as its predecessor. It is equipped with an advanced, rechargeable battery made with the latest technology so it can hold a charge longer than ever before.

2. Apple makes good use of the larger screen.

When checking your email in the Mail app (in landscape mode) on the iPhone 8, the on-screen keyboard expands with new function keys. Also, you can simultaneously view a list of messages in the pane on the left and read selected message on the right, just like the iPad. Apps from other developers will make full use of this new plus-sized screen.

** An added perk of viewing and editing from your phone is that you get the viewing perspective that much of your audience is already using. With mobile views surpassing computer views, it’s a smart move to use those same channels.

3. There are plenty of handy apps for work.

Microsoft has three full applications: Word for documents, Excel for spreadsheets and PowerPoint for presentations. Surprisingly they work really well on the iPhone! While I wouldn’t want to create an iPhone 8 app presentation from scratch, I could certainly see editing one.

All these apps have a very simple and concise interface that makes it easy to manage the usual features on a small smartphone display. Working on the iPhone, I can choose between the real document layout or an easy-to-read layout. I can also edit with almost all of the tools available in the standard software versions for the PC. Google has similar apps which can be a good alternative to Microsoft products.

Printing out an e-mail, a presentation or another document is not a problem: plenty of offices have wireless printers so I can do it directly from my phone.

** Apps like Splashtop make it easy to remotely access your PC or Mac from your phone.

4. It’s easy to access files from the cloud.

Obviously, the storage on your iPhone 8 won’t match your laptop’s capacity, but it doesn’t need to as long as you store files in Dropbox (my favorite), OneDrive, Google Docs, or another cloud-storage service. With an Internet connection, you can easily access and edit those files on your iPhone and get to work.

5. There are some great external keyboards.

If you want to be really productive, you’ll need an external keyboard. The best I’ve used so far is Microsoft’s new Universal Mobile Keyboard ($80), which is compact but roomy enough for fast typing. It connects to iOS, Android and Windows devices via Bluetooth.

** Many airlines don’t allow Bluetooth in flight (but don’t frequently enforce the policy). If this concerns you, consider Macally’s Lightning Wired Keyboard ($60), which connects via your iPhone’s Lightning connector port.

Here are cons:

I realized that the ideal option would be to take both a laptop and an iPhone. In fact, if I have a normal workload while traveling, leaving the laptop at home isn’t even an option. What are you giving up if you travel solo with your iPhone?

1. A big laptop screen, of course!

Multitasking is more limited as well. On my MacBook Air, I can jump back and forth between multiple, open Word files; that’s not going to happen on an iPhone. I’ve also run into significant limitations when trying to input content into a content management system (CMS) via the iOS Safari browser, as some CMSes don’t fully support that browser.

I wouldn’t want to spend multiple consecutive hours working on my iPhone 8, not to mention how tired your eyes get after a while of this and how vision can deteriorate. If it is already imperfect, you can get a serious headache from eye strain after a few hours of work.

2. Your battery is low

In addition, when you travel with many devices the risk that they will run out or fail all at the same time is minimal. If you only have one iPhone, you risk being left entirely without communication with the outside world if the battery suddenly dies or you drop it and it breaks.

Pros and Cons of Tethering Your iPhone To Your Laptop

Both devices (a laptop and an iPhone) are very convenient to use together but that is not always possible. If you’re out and about and there’s no free Wi-Fi, you can use your iPhone’s internet connection on another device like a laptop or tablet. This feature is called “Personal Hotspot” on the iPhone (also known as “tethering”), and you can use it over Wi-Fi or USB.

With the hotspot it is always possible to connect your iPhone to your laptop and use the gadget that is the most convenient in any given situation. For example, you can sync your iPhone to your laptop and download photos and pictures, transfer music from your laptop to your iPhone and always stay connected.

Keep in mind that when you use your iPhone as a data connection, you are using your mobile data plan. That means that if you have a data cap it will take away from your available data. Just be mindful of what you’re using your computer for when connected to your iPhone as a hotspot. That’s something that slipped my mind during my trip and I exceeded my data cap which was an unpleasant surprise.

Even if you have unlimited data, there’s a good chance you have a limited amount of tethering data — or, at least, high-speed tethering data. Your carrier may charge extra if you need more.

What is cool is that there are now VoIP systems with secure personal numbers and mobile apps (like MightyCall) that help you reduce these charges. You can also accept and make calls from anywhere with this system with thousands of talk minutes and SMS in each monthly package. There are lots of great things about a good VoIP system, but the last thing I want to mention is that they also offer extensions. Now any of your teammates or employees can also benefit from being added to your plan.

Learn more about VoIP and how it works.

The post Ditch your Laptop or Nah? first appeared on MightyCall.

This goes just as equally for the men as it does for the females in that we all feel the need for partnership. Just like the thought of winning the lottery, it’s wishful thinking that the right person will eventually come in your life sweeping off your feet.

Rather than wish for it to happen, you’ll have to obviously go out there and chase after your prince charming or the girl of your dreams and expectations.

How can I find that one person I can find love with?

Well, as my dad would also say, “you have the internet son!” In this day and age who has the need to go up to people with the guarantee that you’ll be called a “creep” at the bar? If you’re not about that then you’ll probably use popular sites and apps like Tinder or OkCupid, great ground for meeting people without being face to face.

Here at MightyCall we love A/B testing using phone numbers and these platforms offer a great opportunity to become a “scientist” or better yet a “flirt scientist” using two different numbers that route back to your personal cell phone without actually using your personal number.

This is A/B testing dating approaching using different phone numbers is great as it adds no real repercussions as you can later erase these associated numbers and keep contact of the people you actually connected with.

See if offering your number on the spot could get you anywhere based on your flirting skills, variation in a picture or even a different description on your “about.”

Here’s the A/B phone number testing in action (including other general advice on hitting on people on these apps) by varying the approach in which you message an individual:

Overall goal:

Get a callback from potential dates you see online by using two different phone numbers associated with your personal phone.

Step One:

Pick two dating sites, in this example we’ll go with both Tinder and OkCupid. Ideally have two of the same picture with the same description. The only variation is the way approach an individual.

Test A:

Let’s go on Tinder for this one.

Here try out the variation of approaching someone by using the words, cute, sexy, or beautiful.

Suggested approaches:

Hey you’re cute, how are you?

Hey beautiful, how are you?

If you happen to have a conversation with them at some point insist (in a smooth way) in giving away your number and give away version one of your routed number.

Test B:

This time on OkCupid try a different variation of approaching and this time replace the words you used on Tinder with awesome, fun, cool, or nice.

Suggested approaches:

Hey you seem awesome, how are you?

What a fun picture you seem to have on your profile, how are you?

Again, if you happen to have a conversation, insist (in a smooth way) in giving away your version two of your number.

Step Three:

See what numbers called the most based on the approaches of each site. This is great in seeing what actually worked between two approaches for you personally and use that knowledge to better pickup people online.

If you’re up for the challenge, get two numbers that route with your personal phone number, get on those dating sites, and see how far one variation of a pickup line can make a difference! If you need help getting two numbers that route to your personal phone, check out our free account option on our MightyCall homepage.

For more online dating tips, check out Exactly What To Say In A First Message via OkCupid’s Blog.

The post A/B Testing Method to Successful Online Flirting first appeared on MightyCall.