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The Dangers of Accepting the "New Normal" January 2020 seems like a lifetime ago for many of us. For business owners, it may feel like a good deal longer. But that’s the last time many of us can remember operating under normal parameters before COVID-19 changed everything. For months we’ve had to cope with crippling uncertainty and ulcer-inducing anxiety. They’ve had to adjust to a state of affairs that’s terrifyingly referred to as “The New Normal”. A state of affairs that’s anathema to the tireless entrepreneur. Business owners from all walks of life have had to make sweeping operational changes on the...

An Internet Protocol (IP)-based phone system is much more than a few new phones plugged into your network. It transforms your phone system into a next-generation communications hub, complete with cutting-edge technologies that let your organization deliver better customer service while cutting costs. An IP-based phone system piggybacks on your IP-network, connecting to the public-switched telephone network (PSTN) via your internet connection. Use this checklist to sell management on a new IP-based phone system: Reduce the cost of phone charges.IP telephony can significantly reduce the cost of your long-distance charges. It also reduces the number of circuits to the PSTN you...

Before the coronavirus crisis, remote working was surging. Now, it is here to stay and will become even more common in the months and years ahead. If your company isn't gearing up for remote working solutions, you'll be left behind by your competition. Here are 8 reasons why a cloud phone system is a transformative game-changer for remote working: 1. Remote workers can make and receive calls — as well as access many other functions such as chat, SMS, and presence — simply by plugging in an IP phone to their computer or laptop. Using a landline is not necessary. 2. Hybrid...

Right now, tens of millions of people who would otherwise be working in a corporate office are working from home. This is a good thing. If the COVID-19 pandemic happened 20 years ago, remote working would be far less viable of an option. Yes, people had internet at home back then, too. But connectivity speeds were much slower, and many were still using dial-up modem technology. Imagine taking 15 minutes to download a presentation (and even longer to upload one). And as for real-time video conferences: forget about it! However, the fact that millions of people are working remotely right now...

Building Back A Better America America is a very different place than it was just a couple of weeks ago. When the COVID-19 virus first emerged, we were all told to wash our hands properly and follow typical guidance for stopping the spread of viruses. Now we’re told to stay at home. While there have been many crises over the years, this has changed life as we know it significantly, and all in a short space of time. It’s truly an unbelievable turn of events.But as with any crisis, we will make it through the other side. The lessons learned at...

Will your morning commute from home to the office be forever replaced with a bleary-eyed stroll from the bedroom to the kitchen in your fuzzy slippers? Maybe -- the COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses to rethink how to manage their employees and remain productive, and a physical office setting isn’t a necessity anymore.   Notable employers like Twitter and Facebook are giving notice to workers that they will be able to work from home permanently. Others, like Barclays and Nationwide, have announced intentions to reduce their office space. “We’ve been investing in our technological capabilities for years, and those investments really paid...

If you are a business owner or executive, then obviously you want to find ways to save money — especially these days with so much uncertainty about the future. Switching from a landline telephone system to a cloud telephone system will save your business anywhere from around 20%-50% per year (and possibly more). Plus, your staff — regardless of whether they are in a home office or workplace location — will have access to a full range of enterprise-grade calling features like voicemail-to-email and auto attendant that will help them be more productive and efficient. On top of this, your customers...

This week, Twitter announced that many of their employees will be allowed to work from home not just for the duration of the coronavirus pandemic shutdown, but forever. Other companies are grappling with when to reopen their physical offices and, how many of their employees to allow to work remotely. Barclays and JPMorgan Chase & Co may not bring all employees back at the same time. Austin, Texas-based Dell Computers says that more than 50% of their more than 160,000 employees may never return to the office. The decision by Twitter and other employers signals a growing shift in attitude in...

The look on people’s faces is asking the same thing: How could this happen so rapidly? In just a few weeks, we have gone from being advised to wash our hands properly -- which, frankly, is something that we should always be doing regardless -- to being ordered to stay in our homes for all but the most vital activities, like buying essential groceries or going to the drug store. True, our nation has faced larger catastrophes before. But we have never experienced so much remarkable change in such a small period of time. This isn't merely dizzying. It's staggering. However,...

Welcome to lockdown! This is a weird time for everyone, and that's putting it lightly/ so many of us are used to waking up early and rushing through morning exercise, breakfast, a coffee or two, and even kissing our partners on the cheek goodbye. Often, we may not see our family before leaving the house. However, with lockdown, everything has changed. Working from home is the new normal for many, and if you've never worked from home before, then it can be a challenge to adjust. To help you overcome this sudden and unexpected shift in your life, here are five...