Small Business and Cell Phone Etiquette, Part One

How to have good cell phone manners in the business world

We love them, these little gadgets known as cell phones. We can’t seem to live without them, and we certainly can’t imagine what we did before we owned one. They’re convenient, and yes, necessary. They’ve also brought about an entirely new set of questions regarding cell phone etiquette.

We’ve all experienced the loud and obnoxious cell phone user having a heated conversation right next to us in a checkout line, a restaurant, or a lobby. And we’ve probably all experienced the untimely important cell phone ring right in the middle of a meeting, or in other inappropriate circumstances. So what are the rights and wrongs when it comes to cell phone use? Specifically, as a professional, where should you draw the line? In this series we’ll take a look at the basics of cell phone etiquette:

Ring-a-ding-dong. You know what they sound like, those whimsical cell phone rings that belt out the latest Top Ten hit or marching band beat. It might be cute to the owner of the cell phone, but to the rest of us, it’s annoying. Don’t fall prey to loud, irritating rings for your business calls. It may just make the wrong impression on a very important person.

Limit your calls. It’s tempting to check in with your spouse, partner or business associate the minute your airplane lands or the second you get a break in your conference session, regardless of how important it is. If you’re in a situation where you can’t distance yourself from those around you, rethink the need of your call. When you give others no choice but to hear your entire conversation, then try to limit your calls to more appropriate times.

Lower the volume. Cell phones tend to bring out the same instinct you get when talking to someone who speaks a different language. You automatically go into “loud” mode. Your cell phone is sensitive, and can easily transmit your “normal” voice. Remember to keep your volume down and speak in a natural tone.

In the next part of this series we’ll discuss additional rules of etiquette to keep you within the “good manners” boundaries of cell phone use.

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Call Forwarding Takes The Stress Out of Taking Time Off

It’s the nature of a small business — each and every employee is often integral to daily operations, and most wear multiple hats.

This is largely because of the many tasks that are a necessary part of an ongoing business — phones need to be answered, Google AdWords accounts need to be monitored, clients need to be wined and dined, the trash needs to be taken out, etc.

This reality was underscored in the results of a recent eVoice survey. Among the findings: “Covering multiple jobs” (53 percent) and “Not enough time to get everything done” (50 percent) were the most cited difficult aspects of running a small business—more so than “Making a profit” (35 percent).

As important and demanding as the day-to-day portion of a business is, the need for time off is always present and just as important — be it because of medical emergencies, family issues or just a much-needed break.

Staying well is integral for small business continuity, and many studies have found that vacation time promotes health. A study by Joudry and Wallace found that active pursuits away from the office, including golfing excursions and vacations, greatly reduced job stress in a random group of lawyers.

And here’s a surprise: recent data shows that in some cases, working on vacation might also help with stress.

An Intuit infographic shows that around two-thirds of business leaders spend a sizable amount of time worrying about their business while on vacation, but 52 percent find relief in the fact that their phone can allow them to stay connected to the office.

A call forwarding number enables a small business owner to work from anywhere without worrying about missing a call or losing touch with the business. For example, Call Forwarding Service allows incoming calls to your business number to be routed anwyhere you designate — cell phone, cabin, satellite office, etc.

Thanks to this feature, you can take a client call all while sipping a fruity umbrella drink, watching a lazy sunset from the shore of a white sand beach (and the client doesn’t even have to know!)

So, that getaway you’ve been considering? Take it! You might be surprised at how relaxing it can be knowing you’re not leaving your business behind!

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Be reached anywhere in the world! Call forwarding benefits when traveling overseas.

Be reached anywhere in the World! Simply forward your 800-number to the International call forwarding destination (Hotel, Cabin, Cell Phone, etc) and receive your calls smoothly! With Low International Rates, it is more cost effective to receive calls than dialing internationally.

Call Forwarding benefits for Overseas Travel

  • Renting a Cell Phone while Overseas? Forward calls to the Cell Phone and save money with calls coming to you.
  • Give One Number to Family and Friends
  • Overseas Office? Give your customers a toll free number to call and save money with great International Rates!

Call Forwarding benefits for Local Travel

If you are at a business convention or on a business trip and you do not have reliable telephone access then you can have your 800 toll free number forwarded to your cell phone. And if for some reason your cell phone doesn’t get a signal then you can have your callers leave a message on your voicemail. The toll free number can automatically forward to any phone at any location.

If you have a long commute to work or you travel to different business locations then an 800 call forwarding service is ideal. And if you have a PDA with email capabilities then you can also receive faxes and emails to your phone because they are forwarded via email as PDF attachments.

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Featured

Forward Cell Phone Calls to Another Cell Phone

Voice and data service are now available for AT&T and T-Mobile USA customers in several NYC subway stations. Boingo Wireless is providing free Wi-Fi and call forwarding to all riders, sponsored by HTC One, World Wide Call Forwarding and Global Call Forwarding (our provider for local and international call forwarding services).

Forward Calls Where?

Choose Your Subway Line to View Active Stations

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1 – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – A – C – E

Forward Calls When?

Rollout of wireless phone service will take place in multiple phases over the next several years. The plan has been designed to ensure that stations across the four boroughs are brought online in equal measure throughout the project. If you would like to forward calls when accessing a wireless network, be sure to contact one of our International Call Forwarding services.

Forward Calls How?

If you are an AT&T or T-Mobile USA cellular customer, you will connect automatically to the network when entering the operational subway stations.

All riders can connect to the free Wi-Fi. It’s as easy as:

Go to the Wireless Settings on your device
Select the network SSID: FreeWiFibyHTCONE
Open your web browser to get connected
The Technical Details

The wireless carriers co-locate their equipment at a secure Wireless base station, a resilient, fault-tolerant facility with redundant air conditioning and power. The network supports a wide range of cellular bands and technologies including GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, TDMA, HSPA, HSPA+ and LTE.

The signals are then distributed on fiber optic cable through ducts under city streets to subway stations where the cables connect to multi-band radio frequency (RF) nodes, which are placed on platforms, mezzanines and at various points within public access passageways. Finally, the signal is extended to strategically located antennas throughout each subway station to provide seamless coverage from above ground to underground stations.

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