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Fax Communications and History

Tuesday, May 8th, 2007

Fax Communication has simplified business and today some 70 million people have fax machines in their home. This makes it very easy to send forms and such via the phone lines. I can remember a time when there were no fax machines and trying to do business was a complete hardship at times.

When I was a young man I owned an aircraft brokerage company and when someone wanted to buy an aircraft, they would fill out the applications and loan stuff and I would have to drive 70 miles each way to deliver them and I had to do it in the middle of the work day during banker’s hours. Sometimes I would have four or five waiting and take them all at once to the aircraft loan bank, there was only one in Southern California at the time.

Without fax machines they had to be hand delivered and that meant lots of cost and travel, we did not have time to use the US Mail. Then along came ZAP MAIL from FedEx which had one of the first fax machines and they put them at their offices, you could go to a FedEx and send something via fax to another FedEx Location, which would then print it out and deliver it by messenger.

This was a God Send, but it was not cheap, albeit cheaper than driving the paper work for me. Within about 20-years fax machines were common place and instant. I could send in the paperwork and sometimes get a verbal phone approval the same day from the bank.

This was all well and good until junk faxing started to fill up the fax machines as businesses would collect business cards with fax numbers on them and then send you advertisements and coupons. Mostly like SPAM nothing you need unless you have a problem with getting your member up. I never have.

Today what would we do without our fax machines? I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Posted in Computers-and-Technology, Finance, Games, Retail | No Comments »

Making Your Virtual Business Appear Larger

Friday, January 5th, 2007

A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a client who wanted to refer more business my way. She didn’t realize that I work alone from my home office and thought that my company web site was an actual huge corporation. “Your web site makes you seem like a much larger company.” she said. That is exactly the point I wanted to get across. Here are the ways I make my business appear larger than it really is:

Web site: A virtual business needs a web site. In my case, it was easy for me to set one up because I’m a web developer. However, hiring a web developer isn’t too expensive now a days, and you’ll be better off in the long run. A professional looking web site will help boost your credibility when clients are able to find information about your services and view your portfolio. It also serves as a “home base” - meaning, clients can always find a way to contact you should they misplace your information. They can also refer you easier by giving potential clients your web address.

Separate phone line: Working from home means that more than likely you’ll have a home office or a space dedicated to your business. You don’t want to use your home phone number unless it’s all you can afford to do. If not, I highly suggest a separate phone line or cell phone dedicated to your business. Again, this will display professionalism and help keep your sanity because you don’t want clients ringing your home phone at all hours.

Business cards: Carry these at all times. There have been many times I have given out my business card in situations that wouldn’t seem very likely. Just a few weeks ago, I had my teeth cleaned and my dentist asked for my card so that we could discuss building a site for his new office. Your cards don’t need to be extremely fancy but nice enough to display your key information.

Customer service: This has to be the most important of all. You have to be there for your clients. They need to know that they can get a hold of you and have their projects completed in a timely manner. It keeps them coming back, keeps you in referrals, and if they don’t realize that you work alone, they will assume you are a big organization which doesn’t hurt your reputation at all.

More than likely, you are not really working alone if you outsource some of your work or have a few employees. The key is to appear large and give the big boys a run for their money. I have a good friend who has been at his virtual business for about a little over a year and is growing by leaps and bounds. Just because you start small doesn’t mean you have to stay that way! In my case, I don’t mind staying small. I’m always trying new things and am still trying to figure out what I want to do next. Staying small makes it easier to experiment.

In any case, it’s all about planning and thinking big. If you think big, you’ll act big, and your clients will be none the wiser.

Eartha Haines is the author for http://www.selfemployedblog.com and http://www.homebasedbusinessbliss.com. Both are web sites which share ideas, services, products, and opportunities that may help others move closer to their dream of working for themselves.

Posted in Business, E-Books, Health-and-Fitness, Retail | No Comments »

Press Releases Are Not Just For Big Announcements

Friday, January 5th, 2007

Despite what you may, think press releases are not only for
when you have important news or a big announcement to make.
All it takes is a slant on what you are putting out and you
can write press releases any time and get them published.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind when you are
looking to have your press release published, however.

The first is to let them know how your community has a niche
that your company fills. This could be anything from a
Kosher deli to custom Harley paint jobs. The important
thing is to let the community know that you are the answer
to their questions or things they didn’t even know they
needed.

If your company donates to the community through money
donations, through labor or even by donating products, it is
acceptable to write a press release stating what you have
been up to since the last time you released news. When your
employees go out and help build a home for Habitat for
Humanity, spend time reading to kids or feeding the hungry,
a press release will not only make the employee feel valued,
but it will pass along the information to the community.

You can even do a human-interest type piece about how your
company got started. What was the idea that made you think
you could make living selling doggy sweaters in Florida? Was
it tough to get funding? How much did you struggle to get
the money together to open the franchise? Did you have
support from your family or was it all on your own? Whatever
the answers are to these questions, write about it.

Watch the news; tell how your business relates to current
events. If gas is at an all time high, tell them how your
mechanic services will help save gas by making their engines
run more efficiently.

Another great thing to keep in mind is, when readers look at
press releases, they are looking at it as a story, not an
advertisement. That’s because most people think that press
releases are written by the newspaper and must be very
important news.

Rod Beckwith is a software publisher that has created “Press
Equalizer,” which generates FREE publicity and backlinks for
its users. For more information see:
http://www.pressequalizer.com

Posted in Business, Health-and-Fitness, House-Plans, Retail | No Comments »

Discount Golf Travel Bags – A Shoppers Delight

Thursday, January 4th, 2007

Professional golfers have to travel a lot. As many stores especially online stores offer discount golf travel bags, golfers do not think twice but choose the bag that best suits their needs. Many of the stores offer brands such as BagBoy, Ogio, Club Glove, Ping, Golf Travel Bag, GTB and SKB.

Golf travel bags are available in a wide variety of sizes, colors and materials with many features. Some discount golf travel bags such as the GTB Caddy Travel Cover are made of a strong polyester blend material with many pockets and fully wraparound zipper with PVC bottoms and they are available in red, blue and silver colors in sizes 53″ X 14″ X 10″.

Some golf travel bags have buckled security straps and comfortable grip handles. Many of the golf travel bags hold up to 9″ and 10″ as well as a padded top and non-slip shoulder strap. Some have a carry handle and ID holders to add to the convenience. Some also have legs that fold out when they are placed on the ground and stand upright so you do not have to bend down and pick it up.

Nylon-based golf travel bags with deluxe wheel systems are also available that are more durable. Some bags have in-line skate wheels made of polyester material such as the Bag Boy T-10 Hard Top/Soft Sided Travel Cover. These bags are designed to fit into any car trunk with impact resistant handles. Some bags such as Club Glove Burst Proof Travel Cover Wheels offer a two year limited warranty with embroidery available too.

These bags are available at discounts ranging from $30 to almost $70 and are of good quality as well as being reliable. Brand names such as, Datrek, Nike, Dunlop, Sweet Spot, Sun Mountain, and Last Bag are also offered with discounts ranging from 7% to 20%. Many of them offer free shipping too.

Carefully select the golf travel bags of your choice after having made an informed decision and after considerable research. Basically, all you want when traveling is to bring your golf equipment so your golf travel bag should offer protection for your clubs, specially when traveling by air. Hard-sided bags offer more protection, though they are heavy, while soft-sided bags offer convenience as they weigh lighter, but they have less protection. Compare prices, features, suitability and hardiness before buying the discount golf travel bags.

Visit golf online stores to find a variety of golf equipments. Check out discount golf shoes here. Also discover how to improve your golf experience.

Posted in Acne, Business, Personal-Tech, Retail | No Comments »

Using Your Fax Marketing Campaign Effectively

Thursday, December 21st, 2006

Using Your Fax Marketing Campaign Effectively fax marketing campaign is a very useful way to collect clients especially in countries where faxing is cheaper than telemarketing. There a lot of factors that you should consider to make such a campaign successful. The Legal Aspects of Fax Marketing Like any mode of communication a fax machine can be used as a method of marketing for certain companies and vendors. Moreover, like any mode of communication there are rules and laws that govern its use.

The law generally forbids any company or individual to send a fax message to anyone without prior notice or permission. Fax numbers used for business should also be registered so as to regulate messages that are sent and received. Therefore, before starting a fax marketing campaign, it is necessary that you do some research on the policies that govern fax communication in your state or country.

Fax Marketing Leads Management Before starting your fax marketing campaign, organize your leads into certain categories so you can efficiently manage the flow of your campaign. It is sometimes essential to group certain contacts into their respective international or regional codes. This will help you manage both the content of the message and the cost of faxing the message to your receiver. Make sure, too, that your messages are specifically addressed to the right person at all times. Fax Marketing Message

Fax messages sent through fax for marketing purposes should also be concise and clear. If possible try to formulate your messages in such a way that they could be immediately understood. Also set your fax machine in such a way that messages sent through it are readable and clear. The fonts used for your messages should be aptly sized and simple enough. Furthermore, ensure that all contact information needed for response is both clear and legible.

Marketing Multiplicity It is also advised that you should not rely on fax marketing alone. Try to utilize other media simultaneously with your fax broadcasting campaign. Since fax marketing requires you to send the simplest message possible, added media methods would give you the ability to expound on the message that you have sent. Fax Marketing Response and Cost-Effectiveness

Responses to fax marketing usually happens within minutes of receiving the message so you should see to it that your marketing response team is ready at all times. An effective fax campaign will not possible if you have not the capacity to handle the responses that resulted from your campaign. To have an effective response you should always try to foresee the results of your campaign. Allot a sufficient number of people and set up systems for easy handling of any calls, emails or orders that will be coming in response to your marketing campaign.

Also see to it that your campaign is both efficient and cost effective. A marketing campaign is done in order to increase the number of your company,s customers or buyers so as to increase your earnings. If fax advertising is not a cost effective method, do not persist in using it. There are always a variety of other marketing methods to choose from.

Written by Steve Pavis

In the last year Steve’s companies have generated over 1.5 million dollars worth of business using different strategies one of them been internet marketing online at http://onlinemarketingelite.com Steve is a leading expert with 25 years experience in the business sector has offices in both the United States and the UK. The most solid advice you will ever hear is “find an easy market” with little competition and research your keywords correctly, research is the key

Posted in Finance, Home-and-Family, Retail | No Comments »

1985 Called-It Wants It’s Fax Machine Back

Sunday, December 4th, 2005

Big hair, leg warmers, fax machines, and The Dukes Of Hazzard. What do all of these things have in common? They all should have been left in the 1980’s. The most surprising 80’s trend that is still lurking in the present is the fax machine. With technology developing, improving and changing at such a rapid pace, how did the fax machine survive up until now? Well the truth is, it may be surviving but it is definitely on the endangered species list. With the advances in internet technology the fax machine is being rapidly phased out for a more efficient and less expensive fax solution. A simple comparison between the two technologies makes it clear why.

Efficiency- With internet fax, all faxes can be sent and received without leaving your desk. Faxes can be delivered to one email address or many. Some internet fax providers even offer a web access panel so that faxes can be viewed online from any computer with internet access. Sending internet faxes can be accomplished right from your desktop using fax software supplied by the provider or a web access panel. With a standard fax all of this has to be accomplished with trips back and forth to the fax machine. When waiting for a fax to be received, many trips might be necessary before it actually arrives. The internet fax is especially efficient for home based businesses where space is limited as well.

Cost- Internet fax providers range in price of course, but most will have a product within the $10.00 a month range. Providers also differ in how they charge for faxes sent and received. Some are going to charge per page while others per minute. (Per minute usually works out to be less expensive.) That’s it. You will have a monthly system charge and charges for your faxes sent and received. With a standard fax you have the cost of the cumbersome piece of equipment, fax paper (that always runs out in the middle of an important transmission.), ink (will go right after you replace the paper during that important transmission), and maintenance for when you have changed the paper and the ink and it still won’t work. If you would like, you can also factor in the loss of valuable productive time that is taken up by the trips back and forth to the fax machine and time lost while trying to free up the paper jams.

Every trend and technology has its day. Some technology, it seems, has a couple of decades. Such was the case with the fax machine. It was a wonderfully useful and efficient technology, but has since been replaced by a better technology in internet fax. Internet fax is more efficient and cost effective. So when 1985 calls and wants its fax machine back, shall we give them your number?

Brandi Cummings, an expert in the field of virtual telecommunications, recommends checking out Fax800.com (http://www.fax800.com), a leading provider of internet fax technology for small and home based businesses.

Posted in Arthritis, Finance, Health-and-Fitness, Retail | No Comments »

Fax Marketing Do It Right Or You Will Have A Fight

Sunday, November 13th, 2005

A fax machine can be a way in reaching your customers without difficulty. They can also send out their orders or possible purchase orders through it. In fact there are a number of ways that one business could get in touch with their customer. So why would you choose to employ fax marketing as marketing tool?

The onset of the Internet almost makes the existence of fax marketing obsolete. However, because of the cheaper and faster nature of fax marketing, this tool has remained untouched. Look at offices which use the Internet to do their businesses, can you see a machine lying on the corner that continually beeps and do the job by itself ? I am sure that is a fax machine sending out business letters to clients and they receive a digital copy of the letter instantly. That is without all the fuss of printing it to a printer like the computer does.

What will you do to achieve a successful business through the use of fax marketing? Since when the use of fax has been put under the blanket of regulation agencies due to the misuse of it, many business organizations are changing their business letter outlines. Yes, one should be careful in using the fax as their form of marketing.

They should go by the standards of these regulation agencies to avoid being branded as a sender of unsolicited fax messages. So I advice you to be careful in using this tool and in sending messages to your prospects. Be sensitive on what your prospects might think or on their reactions when they receive a fax message.

Will they consider it or not?

So it is recommended that you place a confirmation clause within the context of your letter. This will give the client choices either to accept or decline as a recipient of your business letters. You can also supply the letter with your contact details so that when the prospects have any questions they can reach you easily.

Fax marketing gives you an advantage of personalizing your messages according to who your prospects are. So you better know important details about your client like personal information and why would you send them a particular letter. The marketing power of building a strong business relationship is now on your hands through the use of fax marketing.

If you need to fill in a large number of list and you do not have the time to do the fax messaging all by yourself you can take advantage of fax marketing services that specializes this job. Utilizing these fax marketing services will be a good idea if you want to send a bulk of messages to a numerous prospects and clients.

Written by Steve Pavis
In the last year Steve’s companies has generated over 1.5 million dollars worth of business using different strategies one of them been internet marketing online at http://onlinemarketingelite.com Steve is a leading expert with 25 years experience in the business sector has offices in both the United States and the UK. The most solid advice you will ever hear is “find an easy market” with little competition and research your keywords correctly, research is the key

Posted in Ecommerce, Finance, Internet-and-Businesses-Online, Retail | No Comments »

Using Internet Fax Comparison Charts To Find The Best Fax Service

Thursday, September 15th, 2005

Using comparison charts is a time tested method of quickly
finding the best deal for any product or service you wish
to buy. Whether you’re looking for the latest large screen
TV or the cheapest Internet fax service, comparison charts
will quickly give you the necessary information you need to
make an informed decision.

The main reason shoppers use comparison charts is time. You
can save time by accessing all relevant data (prices, sizes,
ratings, customer support, merchants, etc.) you need to make
an informed decision. Comparison charts will give you all this
vital information at a glance.

When choosing a business service such as Internet fax we have
to be especially careful before we make our decision. Whenever
we are buying any service we have to be extremely prudent.
How reliable is the service? How good is the customer support
if we should have problems? Are there any hidden fees which
will rob us blind? Is the service completely scalable for any
company or business which suddenly expands?

Buying a service like Internet fax does require that you do a
little homework first. Especially when you consider this is an
ongoing business expense which you will have to pay for each
month. Wise decisions now could save you a lot of money over
the long haul.

Almost everyone now realizes Internet fax is very cost
effective: no extra phone lines, no bulky fax machines, no
messy ink and paper jams, no busy signals… you can receive
and send your faxes wherever you have the Internet. And in our
increasingly wireless world that’s just about anywhere.

There are many factors to consider when choosing an Internet
fax service. Here’s a few that should be at the top of your list.

1. Service

First and foremost, you must get a quality service, one which
has proven itself in the marketplace. In this day and age,
the Internet itself is a good place to check customer ratings
or recommendations of the different services. Never dismiss
word of mouth recommendations… what fax service are your
colleagues or business partners using and recommending. Check
out any Internet fax service thoroughly before you sign up.
Check with the BBB Better Business Bureau to see if there
have been any complaints.

2. Price

Next you must check out the prices or costs very closely.
What are the monthly charges? What are the monthly allowance
of faxes you can have… how many inbound? how many outbound?
Number of faxes can range from a 100 to 1000 pages so check
closely. How much do extra pages cost? These can range from
3 cents to 10 cents per page. How much does international
faxes cost? Are there set-up fees? Are there extra monthly
charges for a Toll Free number?

If you’re a large company or someone with an active small
business these costs can add up very quickly. Some fax
comparison shopping now can save you money over the long haul.

3. Availability

Does the Internet service have an online interface or login
site where you send and receive your faxes? Is there online
storage, if so, how much? Can you use the service on any
desktop applications? Which ones? Are there local fax
numbers? Are there Toll Free numbers?

4. Support

Perhaps, the main question you should ask: how good is customer
support? Will they offer help when you need it? Will the company
go out of its way to assist you if any problems should arise?
Current users of a fax service is usually a good judge of this
so check Microsoft Marketplace under Internet fax and you will
see customer rankings of the different services.

5. Smaller Can Be Better!

Many companies, managers or ordinary personal fax users tend
to choose or go with major Internet fax companies such as
MyFax, eFax, TrustFax, RapidFax… but these large fax
companies are not your only choices. Smaller lessen known
fax companies such as Metro Hi Speed and Faxage offers
great service at a much better price. Because their client
base may be smaller than these larger companies, individual
attention may be more attainable! Don’t dismiss these fax
companies from your list when you’re considering a fax
service for yourself or your company. The best things
sometimes come in small packages.

Regardless of which Internet fax provider you choose, make
sure you’re getting one that fits your needs. Make sure
you’re getting a quality, reliable service at the best
price possible. Use all the points listed above to help
you find the right Internet fax service for you or your
company. Choose wisely.

For a handy online comparison chart of all the major
Internet Fax Service Providers click here:
Online Fax Comparison Chart
For a more detailed review of the different fax
services try here: Internet Fax Service Guide

Posted in Finance, Health-and-Fitness, Retail | No Comments »

Fax to E-mail Anywhere

Friday, July 29th, 2005

As the world is becoming more tech-savvy, restricting ourselves to only receive faxes via fax machines has become obsolete. The new method of receiving faxes that has changed technology entirely is fax to e-mail. This means getting a fax as an e-mail instead of on paper. In fax to e-mail service, you are given a phone number that is used as your fax number. A fax is transformed into an image and you receive it as e-mail attachment as PDF or TIFF image.

The fax to e-mail service offered by PhoneFusion surpasses any other service. With PhoneFusion, you can get your fax anywhere in the world.

PhoneFusion is a business service that integrates fax, e-mail and voice messaging together and makes them accessible from any touchtone phone or PC. This service will allot you a distinct fax number enabling you to get fax in your landline voicemail mailbox.

PhoneFusion offers the latest technology to let anyone to unify home, office, cell, fax, and broadband VoIP numbers into one common phone number. Now you don’t need to worry about losing a diary or remembering all the important numbers. Some other features include Call Screening, Call Record, No Busy Signals, Voicemail to E-mail, Fax to E-mail and Meet Me Conferencing.

PhoneFusion also provides the service of PBX type telephone systems for firms without the cost of additional equipment. By providing ‘Virtual Attendant Service,’ PhoneFusion lets its clients sound professional and have telephones with all the features similar to a costly phone system in one low monthly payment.

PhoneFusion is more reliable and secure than any other company. PhoneFusion gives you a hassle-free experience by providing just one number for all of your communication needs. This isn’t possible with any other VoIP service providing company. PhoneFusion saves your family, friends, clients and business partners from the trouble of dialing different numbers to get in touch.

For an individual with a hectic life and multiple contact numbers, PhoneFusion can manage all incoming calls just like a secretary. It will also unify with landlines, faxes, cell phones and VoIP lines.

Visit phonefusion.com for guide of voicemail and conference calling Also offers various services including VOIP, PBX type telephone systems without cost of any additional equipment.

Posted in Automotive, Finance, Retail | No Comments »

Working On a Fax Resume

Friday, December 24th, 2004

A resume represents who the applicant is in the eyes of the recruiter. This is because the one who will be reviewing the document does not know anything about the person except for the details that are written down on paper.

There are many ways to write it and this depends if the applicant is a fresh grad or an executive. The graduate does not have work experience so the person will have to focus on academic feats and extra curricular activities. The executive on the other hand has to sell oneself based on the work done in the past.

When an ad is seen in the newspaper, the Internet or on television, the applicant should submit the resume at once. There is usually a deadline mentioned and late applications will not be entertained.

If sending this via snail takes too long and the company does not have an email address, the fastest way to do this will be by sending this using the fax machine. The individual should put the document in and in a few seconds send this to the potential company.

It will be a good idea to call the company once again to make sure the document was clear and complete.

Before sending the fax, here are a few things that the applicant must remember.

1. A career objective must be placed so that the recruiter will know what position is the individual applying for. One or two sentences will do and it has to be clear and concise.

2. The next thing, which recruiters will review very carefully, is the person’s accomplishments. It doesn’t have to be something big like saving the company from a meltdown. It should simply state the things that the executive did including one’s duties and responsibilities.

3. There are many ways to state these things. Applicants should avoid lengthy paragraphs and probably use bullet points instead to get the message across.

4. It is also not a good idea to state how much will be the desired salary for the job unless otherwise requested. It is a huge turnoff given that the person will have to get in first and prove oneself to those who are already working for the company.

4. The last thing to do is to proofread the resume. Typos and other grammatical errors must be omitted prior to submission. Once that document is sent by fax, there is no way to make any more corrections. This will be in the hands of the recruiter who has the power to keep it on file or throw it in the trash.

When everything is ready, this is the time that is sent through the fax. It will take some time before a recruiter decides to call and schedule an interview so one has to be patient.

During this time, it wouldn’t hurt to also send this to other companies because there is always room for someone qualified in the job market.

It will be a good idea to practice answering certain questions prior to the interview. Giving a one-sentence response does not do much so the applicant has to expound on giving the recruiter a chance to know more about the individual.

Fax papers don’t last that long. During the interview, bringing an original copy is best and then giving this to the interviewer.

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written over 200 articles on various subjects. For more information on resume distribution or a job finder service checkout his recommended websites.

Posted in Computers-and-Technology, Finance, Retail, Software | No Comments »

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