GSBot

One of the challenges small businesses have is in developing trust in their customer base. While some customers are happy to work with the small guy, others need the impression of size to help them feel comfortable that they're not dealing with a fly-by-night organization.

This is a particularly difficult challenge for virtual companies, which are companies consisting of team members that are spread out geographically.

How do you have a single company phone number for a team of people that are spread out in different cities? One solution is Grasshopper. In fact, that's exactly how 37signals' CEO Jason Fried decided to manage his phone for his office hours, where he sets aside dedicated time to speak with customers, prospective customers, or anyone with an interest in or question about 37signals.

While Google Voice seems to be getting all the press these days, it's a solution that focuses on the individual. If you're trying to run a team and present a cohesive, "bigger business" image to your customers, you might need to step up to something like Grasshopper. While not free, Grasshopper has plans starting from $9.95US per month, making it accessible to even the earliest of startups.

Make your small business sound big with Grasshopper originally appeared on Download Squad on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.







Business - Small business - Download Squad - Company - Google