Today, improving the image of the small business, or rather creating the appearance of a larger corporation, can be achieved by many small businesses through the implementation of a Virtual PBX System. The features of such a system are numerous, including the ability of the Small Business to connect to employee teams across the country, or create virtual departments within their business.
Easy and affordable to implement, the Small Business can readily compete today with the larger functionality of the Fortune 500 phone system used by larger corporations.According to a report written by Derek Leebaert, in Journal USA dated January 2006, on “How Small Businesses Contribute to U.S. Economic Expansion”, he outlines several interesting factors including, how “firms of 100 to 1,000 workers are spending money eight times faster on technology than are big corporations”. He also points out how “small businesses act as a shock absorber for fluctuations in employment caused by globalization and downsizing” by highlighting the fact that 53 percent of small businesses are operating out of an individual’s home. These businesses range from Hair Styling to Business Consulting Services, and more.
The Virtual Switchboard is the perfect example of the Small Business Owner jumping on the technology bandwagon to stay ahead of, or just compete effectively with larger companies. Useable features in these online systems can paint a professional image of a small company being larger than it physically is. Some features of the Virtual PBX include:
Multiple Extensions and Greetings;
Dial-by-Name Directory;
Customizable Music-on-Hold;
Answering Rules;
Flexible Call Forwarding;
Total control over Managing Incoming Calls.The Small Business Owner Can also set-up fax and voice mailboxes for employees, and can select a toll free number that is right for them. One of the more obvious benefits to the small business owner is their ability to live and work in one city and acquire a local number from another city.
Again, according to statistics provided from the above article, Fortune 500 companies now employ 9 percent of the workforce in the USA, versus the 20 percent employment ratio they provided in 1980. In the last decade, an average of 9.36 of the American population started their own business. Contrary to what many people think — ‘that new businesses are likely to fail’ — two thirds of all businesses started are still open after two years.
By implementing innovative production techniques from technologies such as the Virtual PBX, and generally stream lining operations, the small business can adapt faster to shifting economic conditions, and can, in most cases, successfully compete with the image of their larger business counterpart.
