Ok, it’s pretty obvious the economy’s bad hair day is not going away for a while. If you’re running a business, it’s best to find a good pair of scissors, comb, brush, or styling products to have a good grooming before it goes bald with the economy. Yes, this is also my own personal fear when I see myself in the mirror… Realistically, it’s about control, cutting costs, increase productivity, and finding new creative ways to promote your business that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. This is one of the things I’ve learned working at OneSuite.com. Our company culture can be spelled as FRUGALITY. Most of the products and services we develop are based on the experience of our own needs, on personal level and on business level along the path of growth from start-up.
We’ve been criticized by a tech magazine editor expressing doubts on how OneSuite could survive by charging $1 a month for OneSuite Fax Basic with free unlimited fax to email service. Well…I just have to say, telecom is all a numbers game. If you look carefully at what’s offered in the market today, be it domestic or international long distance calling, VoIP services, internet fax, wireless services, they’re all selling a fixed “plan.” Most of these companies cleverly package a certain amount of “minutes or pages” for a fixed monthly charge, so if you don’t use up the allowance, then it’s a fatter profit margin for them. On the other hand, if your usage surpasses the “plan,” then you’ll be charged at an overwhelmingly high rate. They need the high margin in order to pay for their exorbitant advertising budget. But not us! We think our services speak for themselves, and our customers will speak for us. At the end of the day, what’s more effective advertisement than customer endorsement and referrals?
Anyway, let me make my long wind short. Start evaluating the services that your company subscribes to or buy products from. See if there are any other options that will help you save money directly and indirectly. Directly, I mean how much the service is actually costing/saving you, and indirectly if it’s saving you time, resources, and manpower. Take FoIP, or internet fax as an example. The fringe benefits, perks for using internet faxing, are the savings on paper, ink cartridge, and it’s so mobile and maintenance-free. And you actually contribute to a greener environment. So start grooming your business now!
