24Conference.com

Small Business Conference Calling

by Lee Simonson 

 

Small business conference calls are growing in popularity because they enable small business owners and operators to save a tremendous amount of time while communicating less expensively with more contacts. With telecommunication costs going down, and travel and meeting costs going up, it is only logical to see small enterprises converting to teleconferencing.

 

Small businesses have a number of conference calling options available to them. The vast majority of companies with less than 500 employees outsource for conferencing services and do not maintain or staff conferencing centers. The vast array of conferencing services, combined with very competitive pricing, makes the idea of purchasing conferencing hardware or software impractical.

 

Outsourcing your conference calling services is quick and easy. Establishing an account is usually free, and once you are set up you will receive via email a call-in number and a set of passcodes -- one passcode for the moderator or leader of the conference (there can be more than one leader) and one passcode for the participants or conferees. At the designated time, everyone calls the same phone number, punches in their passcodes and your conference begins. You can also obtain web conferencing or video conferencing services which will enable you to show PowerPoint presentations or live video streams during your audio conference. Conferencing can be simple or sophisticated, depending upon your particular application or needs.

 

One of the most popular services is called flat rate teleconferencing which provides for unlimited usage for a fixed monthly fee. You can access your conference bridge anytime 24/7 and talk as long as you want. There are no reservations needed and no per minute charges. Small businesses find flat rate teleconferencing convenient and much less costly than traditional conferencing.

 

Another option for occasional conference call users is the pay-as-you-go service which bills you on a per minute basis. You pay for what you use, no more or less. You can also get a toll free access number with this service which is portrays a professional image, especially for prospects or customers. There is another toll free service that is similar to a cell phone plan, where you can purchase a set number of minutes per month for a discounted price, and pay extra for any minutes that go over your plan.

 

The most professional and exclusive conference call service is operator assisted teleconferencing. This is when professional operators manage and organize your call. They can even call out to participants and place them in the call for you, providing the ultimate convenience. These calls are used when talking to investors or high profile sales calls. 

 

All in all, small business teleconferencing will continue to grow in importance and popularity as managers look for more ways to cut costs, improve productivity, and enhance connectivity between internal and external company contacts.

 

You can see what kind of small business conference call services are available by clicking here: http://www.24conference.com/flatrateteleconference