CloudPhone Blog

Last week we wrote about the convenience of having a virtual PBX service in your pocket when you travel. From on-the-go account management to call recording and much more, most virtual PBX services have a slew of travel-friendly features for entrepreneurs. This week we are talking about travel features that help keep costs down-- specifically: avoiding those pesky international roaming charges on your mobile phone.

Traditional business phone systems are not so easy to manage once you leave the confines of your office and roaming charges on mobile can rack up in no time. A virtual PBX service provides several ways to stay in touch without extra charges or being tied to a landline—despite the fact it works directly through your mobile phone.

Here are a few creative ways to use your virtual PBX service to keep in touch with business contacts while enjoying a little R&R and keeping costs low:

1. Forward business calls to your hotel room number

While on vacation, why not take a little vacation from your cell? You can set up your virtual number to forward calls to your hotel room phone. If you're expecting a business call, it's a great way to eliminate any chance of roaming charges, especially if you don't have WiFi or your connection is down. Setting up call forwarding to your room’s landline is a sure way to keep your entrepreneurial ventures uninterrupted while also being able to enjoy all that this world has to offer when you're off the clock. This can also work with extensions for your work colleagues when they are traveling!

2. Check voicemail without roaming charges

Not only is visual voicemail convenient for those who don’t want to (or simply don’t have time to) listen to multiple voicemails, it’s also available to view over WiFi—which means if you can pick up a WiFi signal you can read it for free through an app, assuming the virtual PBX service provider offers this feature (Cloud Phone does!). An added bonus is that visual voicemail lets you reference the call’s information without having to go back and sift through your old messages.

3. Voicemail transcription

Similar to the perk above, you can connect to WiFi and retrieve your transcribed voicemails via email or you can also get texts with voicemail transcriptions, if you so choose. Best part: you can then forward the voicemail transcriptions to your business partners or colleagues back home! After all, you can’t be expected to take care of everything.

4. Conference calling via WiFi

Sometimes meetings just can’t wait, even if you’re in the middle of enjoying a pina colada. That’s where conference calling comes in. Find a quiet space (away from the tiki bar), connect to WiFi and dial in the gang —it’s that easy! Make sure your virtual PBX service provider has a solid conference calling feature. Voxox Cloud Phone, for example, will let you conference in 5 people through the Cloud Phone app.  

5. Professional greeting 

Say you forgot to record an out-of-office voicemail greeting before you went abroad. With a virtual PBX service, you can easily swap your greeting anywhere you are via mobile app -- no need to call your business number and incur roaming charges. You can change your greeting as many times as you need based on your fluctuating travel schedule and availability, all without roaming!

Leaving soon? No problem! If you already use a virtual PBX service, then just make sure you have the service's mobile app on your smartphone and you're all set. When you get to your destination you can manage your settings, forward calls to your hotel number, etc. If you haven't signed up yet, check out Cloud Phone! There's a 30 day free trial, so all the more savings. Some texting is included for free with your bundled plan, so savings there too. After a few easy steps, you’ll be ready to hit the beach – or wherever you choose to go – all with your business contacts in the palm of your hand.

Valentine’s Day is next week! We all know that it’s the perfect time to add a little fun to your small business' image. Many businesses, like floral designers or hometown chocolatiers, make this holiday a priority and prepare far in advance with their marketing strategies. However, even if your business is not in the Valentine's Day spotlight, you can still get in on the V-Day love with just a little creativity and minimal time – simply use your business’ voice presence to get festive in a simple and super fast way!

For those of you using a virtual phone system, like Voxox Cloud Phone, you already know you have a slew of features at your fingertips. Here are a few ways to use those features to tap into the love that swirls around us mid-February.

1. Update your business voicemail with a timely festive greeting

Recording a festive voicemail greeting is a fun way to engage with your callers without ever picking up the phone. By including a quick Happy Valentine’s Day or using festive language – cupid, arrow, heart, candy - shows clients you’re not only committed to business, but also have a personal side.

On the off chance you’re one of the rare small business owners taking Valentine’s Day off, you can use this as an opportunity to update your voicemail to acknowledge the closure, convey when your business is reopening, and of course, wish your callers a Happy Valentine’s Day!

2. Add a menu option to promote your Valentine’s Day special

Many types of businesses offer Valentine’s Day specials, even the unexpected – dry cleaners, sandwich shops, and CPAs. If you are offering a V-Day special, adding in an option to buy or learn more about your V-Day special at the beginning of your caller menu will help build awareness and could even boost sales.

Looking for something out of the box? Add a menu option to talk to Cupid! Your callers will love it and you may gain more clients from the hype. Just be sure to have someone ready to answer the line.

3. Send a heart-felt SMS to your clients

We all loved getting Snoopy Valentine’s from our classmates. So why not give those same feels to our clients with a festive SMS? Sending a text to your customers wishing them a Happy Valentine’s Day, or sharing a V-Day promotion, is a simple way to engage clients and build brand awareness.

Really want to show the love? Run a text promotion and show your customers how much they mean to you by offering special, limited-time Valentine’s Day deals for current customers only. It could be a BOGO offer, a discount on their next service or purchase, or a free gift the next time they come in. Whatever it is –your customers will come running with open wallets (ahem, arms).

Incorporating these tactics into your business’ voice presence this Valentine’s Day is a quick and easy way to get in on the holiday love, connect with your clients when they may not expect it, and promote your specials and promos. If you don’t have a virtual phone number yet, it’s not too late. You can get one now with Voxox Cloud Phone and see how its features can go to work for you business.

If you're looking to save more money in 2018, you're not alone. In fact, nearly 40% of people have committed to spending less in the New Year, according to YouGov. While you may have good, but short-lived intentions to eat in more often or do less online shopping, one thing you can easily save money on all year long is your business phone.

Chances are you are spending way too much on your traditional business phone system and not getting all the features you want. So now is the time to replace it with a virtual PBX system. This type of virtual business phone system is entirely in the cloud and connects to the mobile device you already own, saving you tons on extra equipment and set up fees, and offering total convenience for on the go communications. Most virtual PBX systems also come with a slew of professional features you'll need to propel your business into high gear this year. With easy set up and no hassle maintenance, this will be the one resolution you can keep.

Here's what you need to know:

1. No new equipment costs

Virtual phone systems are just that – virtual –which means it requires no hardware to buy or set up. Virtual numbers allow you to transform your smartphone into a full business phone system by connecting your new business line to ring to your cell, and also to any other phone(s) of your choice.

2. Free professional features

Virtual phone systems hook you up with a slew of enterprise level features. Some services, like Voxox Cloud Phone, give many of those capabilities to you for free. From time saving features like auto-attendant and voicemail transcription, to business SMS and fax, every communication feature your business needs will be with you wherever you go.

3. Phone numbers that fit your business

Every business has its own communication needs, which is why many virtual phone systems offer both toll free and local numbers. Voxox Cloud Phone gives you the option to have multiple numbers available within a single account. You can even port and use your existing number so you won’t have to update clients or change your business cards.

4. Pay for only what you need

Most virtual phone systems allow you to avoid expensive contracts with affordable month-to-month service and/or pay as you go options. Some also let you add or remove numbers and extensions as your business needs change, meaning, if your business grows, it’s easy to have your plan grow with you – without breaking the bank. Some systems (Voxox Cloud Phone included!) offer a 30-day free trial so you can try it out for yourself!

5. Online management

Virtual phone systems are fully managed in the cloud so you can manage your account on the fly. For example, Voxox Cloud Phone allows you to pay your bill, update users, add numbers and see usage accounts right from your personal dashboard. The user experience is simple, but contains robust features and functionality.

6. Easy set-up

With no outdated hardware to figure out or cords to tangle up, a virtual business phone system can be set up and working in just minutes. To get started, choose your provider of choice, sign up, and choose a number. It’s really that easy. Setting up more advanced business calling like menus and other customized features (pressing 1 for sales and 2 for accounting, etc.) is pretty simple too!

Virtual phone systems enable small businesses to quickly, easily, and affordably set up business phone numbers without having to purchase hardware or establish expensive contracts with local carriers. So what are you waiting for? Go make your New Year’s resolution of spending less a reality. Sign up for a virtual PBX service now and start saving.

You want to take a vacation this summer. But you can’t afford to completely shut your company's doors for two weeks. Have no fear – your virtual PBX service is here to help.

Entrepreneurs are busy people. Early meetings, long days and late nights make for success– but come summertime everyone wants to get out and enjoy the sunshine. While many might think they can’t take a break without putting a hold on business matters, the truth is cloud technologies like virtual PBX allow entrepreneurs to keep tabs on their business while globetrotting.

Here are a few convenient ways you can use a virtual PBX service to stay in touch with colleagues and clients while abroad:

1. Keep your same number, even abroad.

Making clients pay to call you (aka international fees) is never a "feel good" moment. Plus, clients can get confused by the international area codes, so you might miss important calls and business opportunities, etc.. With a virtual PBX service, you can keep your same number no matter where you are. Say you're traveling in Mexico, but your virtual number (from your virtual PBX service) has a U.S. area code. All your U.S. contacts can reach you via your dedicated U.S. business number, regardless of your actual location, and you can pick and choose which business calls to take and which ones to send to voicemail. 

2. Manage your phone system from anywhere.

Having complete control of your business phone system is important and saves a lot of headaches. Managing bills and settings with a virtual PBX system is easy. Since virtual PBXs are web-based services you can change your settings from anywhere around the world. Add a line, remove a line, read notifications, etc. No matter what you need to do, it can be done from your app or browser. Make sure you select a virtual PBX provider with a simple user experience yet robust features and functionality.

3. Transfer calls on the fly.

Have you ever been on an important phone call, only to have to hang up because of a dead cell battery? It happens more than you might want, and slows down business. That’s where call transfer comes in handy. When your business phone number is through a virtual PBX system, it's possible to transfer calls on the fly from one device to another wherever you are in the world. Say your mobile that you've been using on WiFi has a low battery. Just switch over to your hotel room phone while it charges. Not all virtual PBX services offer this feature, so ask before you buy because it's very handy for travel!

4. Call recording.

Say you want to take advantage of your new time zone for a quick call with an international business contact who has the opposite work time schedule with you when you're at home. Record your call and send it over to your team back at home and delegate some action items!  When you select your virtual PBX service provider, take a look at the feature list and make sure you see the call recording feature on there. Super convenient. 

5. View faxes anywhere.

Faxes may be on the way out as far as popular business communications go. But when you need to read them, you need to read them. Say you need to review a time-sensitive contract for your colleagues back home to sign off on. Rather than bottlenecking their progress until you’re back in the office, have them fax you the contract. Take a look and shoot them a call, text or email approval. It’s that easy, and your clients (and staffers!) will appreciate your attention.

With a virtual PBX phone system and a little know-how, it’s possible for entrepreneurs to take a break without completely shutting their doors for business. Before you head out on your getaway, be sure to find the perfect virtual PBX system for your needs (we can help!) and don’t forget to check back for Part 2 of this post, which highlights a few ways you can avoid roaming charges while abroad.