Time: if only we had more of it.
In business, it is the single most potentially transformative component of the management toolkit.
Yes, technology is key.
But – for small businesses in particular – it’s finding the headspace to learn, deploy and adopt that tech that often presents the stiffest challenge.
Those types of businesses are often at full pace simply doing what they do. They may be owner-managed with small workforces. They may not have dedicated IT resources. They may simply be unaware of how easy it now is to transform how they operate.
Communication is the perfect case in point.
It is now easier than ever for small businesses to modernise; to respond to the sophisticated demands of today’s always-on customer for whom a slick, 24/7 omni-channel experience is the expected norm.
Of course, the cloud is where much of that magic now happens – a place that can be sorely misunderstood by small business owners and managers. Some might even say they fear it.
It means that, for small businesses looking to make a brave step forward, simplicity is key.
That, plus maybe the guiding hand of a vendor, reseller or Managed Service Provider to hold.
“Small business customers and partners want a frictionless communication experience that reflects the instant, mobile-first nature of how we all now live our lives,” says Natassia Allery, Global Sales Director at cloud communications platform provider 3CX, whose clever 3CX StartUP solution is the perfect case in point.
“It’s all about finding a solution that seamlessly integrates all forms of communications into the one centralised platform. Besides traditional voice calling, messaging, video collaboration, automated chatbots and Instant Voice Recognition (IVR), they also look for a system that’s affordable and easy to deploy.
“Many small businesses are at the point where they want to take these steps but they lack the confidence to do so because they also lack the time needed to consider their needs, study the options and understand the processes.” The 3CX StartUP solution in particular provides small businesses with everything they need to make that first step.
Designed with simplicity in mind, it replaces outdated, on-premises phone systems with a fully-integrated, out-of-the-box, cloud-powered voice, message and video conferencing solution; all accessed and managed via a single user interface on any connected device.
The free offering also includes a ring group, one auto-attendant, 3CX Talk links live chat, call queueing functionality, multi-level IVR, call reporting and analytics functionality and access to mobile apps (Android and iOS).
It takes just minutes to set up and requires no IT experience to configure and deploy. Plus, ongoing management is easy because administrators or receptionists can do so via an easy-to-use web client, while 3CX takes care of the system management and updates. 3CX StartUP Free also eliminates all hosting costs.
It’s slicker, cheaper and more reliable than traditional telephony – and it has the ability to flex and scale as businesses thrive and grow.
It’s free for up to 10 users and there are affordable 3CX Start UP Pro 10 and Pro 20 versions for up to 10 and 20 users respectively. These are designed to bring even more sophisticated features and freedom to customer communication, as well as give the option to increase the number of users.
“Small businesses know they need all of this modern functionality and now they can make it happen,” says Allery.
“Transforming their communications in this way need not place onerous demands on their time or resources and, in the long term, it will deliver a significant return on investment because productivity is improved and efficiency increased.
“Larger enterprises are of course much further down this road and now small businesses must follow. We like to think that we can show just how easy it can be.”
To learn more about how 3CX can help your and your customers’ small businesses transform and thrive, visit 3CX.
