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Best Business Phone Services for Small Business

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Best Business Phone Services for Small Business

Are you looking for the best business phone service for your business? Adding a phone service can help you efficiently manage calls with customers. In this article, we have hand-picked some of the best business phone services that you can use.

Why and When You Need a Business Phone Service?

Normally, you can just add your landline or mobile and use that to receive calls from customers. However, your phone number wouldn’t look professional, and you will not be able to communicate effectively.

Adding a proper business phone service allows you to do the following:

  • You can easily track call duration, hold times, wait times, and overall usage.
  • Most business phone services come with call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting, call routing, call recording, and more.
  • Share one number among several users simultaneously (auto attendant feature allows you to route call to the first available representative)
  • You can use a desk phone, mobile cell phone, or a computer to receive and make calls
  • Easily add new employees without calling in a technician.
  • Business phone systems transmit voice over internet (VoIP systems), which means you can take your local or toll-free number anywhere you want. All you will need is a high-speed internet connection.

If you are running an online store or a small business website, then adding a professional business phone service can help you grow your business. You can use it to build better customer relations with professional sales and support provided over the phone.

That being said, let’s take a look at the top business phone services that you can use.


1. Nextiva

Nextiva

Nextiva is the best business phone service in terms of features and ease of use. They offer a large set of features, with quick setup and reasonable pricing. It comes with a simple web-based admin panel which makes it easy for small business owners to easily manage the unified communications platform like a pro.

Nextiva’s VOIP phone service for small businesses includes advanced call routing, unlimited free domestic calling, voicemail to email and text, online faxing, text messages, and more.

You also get a free local or toll-free number, free number porting, and all the standard features like caller ID, call forwarding, routing, custom greetings, and more. As a platform Nextiva also offer other powerful features including CRM, Live Chat, online surveys, call analytics, and other solutions that work very well with the business phone system.

Pricing for Nextiva’s business phone service starts from $19.95 per user every month. Their pricing gets cheaper as you add more users. You can also create a pre-paid account to save more money.

2. RingCentral

RingCentral

RingCentral is another popular business phone service for companies of all sizes. They offer one of the most feature-rich small business phone systems on the market. Their business phone platform includes all the standard features you would need including call forwarding, caller ID, call waiting and transfer, share one line on multiple mobile devices and users, and more.

Apart from that, it also comes with video meetings with screen sharing, 1000 toll-free minutes, and integrations with Gsuite, Dropbox, Microsoft, and other services. It comes with an intuitive cloud based administration that makes it super easy to set up and manage your calls.

Their Essentials plan starts at $19.99 per month for each user (billed annually), and you can add up to 10 users. Other plans come at different pricing and features.

3. GrassHopper

Grasshopper

GrassHopper offers virtual phone numbers over VOIP phone service and is great for solopreneurs and small businesses. A virtual phone number means it can forward calls to any phone number or mobile device. However, for outgoing calls you will still need a regular phone line.

They offer intuitive web and mobile apps to manage your account and phone service. You can use multiple extensions for your number, and you can choose from local, toll-free, and vanity phone numbers. It offers US, Canada, and UK based local and toll-free numbers.

GrassHopper comes with all standard features like call forwarding, routing, waiting, call hold music, voicemail to email transcripts, and more. It is perfect for remote teams because you can add extensions that can be used from anywhere using mobile or desktop apps.

Their plans start from $29.99 per month with 1 number and up to 3 extensions.

4. Phone.com

Phone.com

Phone.com is another good option for small business phone service. They offer a simple web and app-based administration panel with standard phone service features like call forwarding, call routing, caller ID, conference calling, and more.

They include several European countries and Canada in their local call minutes which makes calling to those countries way cheaper. You can also integrate your business phone service to third-party CRM software like Salesforce and Zoho.

They have two types of pricing options pay per minute and unlimited. Pay per minute plans start from $12.99 per month and unlimited plans start from $22.99 per month.

5. Vonage

Vonage

Vonage is another excellent business phone service with tons of features to make your business communication more effective. Apart from the standard cloud business VOIP services, it uses Amazon Chime to integrate online meetings and video conferencing to their platform.

It comes with a web-based control panel which allows you to easily set up, add new users, and manage your calls. It also includes features like mobile access which makes it a good fit for remote teams with no hardware requirements.

Their mobile plan starts at $19.99 per user every month but it is limited in features. The premium plan at $29.99 and advanced plan at $39.99 offer you the best combination of features and usage limits.

6. 8×8

8x8

8×8 is another good option for small business phone service. Their prices are slightly lower than other top small business phone systems, but they also lack some of the advanced features offered by their competitors.

8×8’s VOIP phone service includes all the standard features like call forwarding, number sharing, voicemail to audio email, automatic call attendance, mobile apps, chat, SMS, and more.

Their pricing structure varies based on the plan you choose. You can start for $24.99 per user each month with 250 outbound minutes to the US and Canada and $0.029/minute thereafter. For unlimited minutes, you can choose plans starting at $39.99 per user each month.

We hope this article helped you find the best business phone service for your WordPress site. You may also want to see our guide on how to create a free business email address and the best email marketing services for small business.

What Does Car Insurance Cover?

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What Does Car Insurance Cover?

A single car insurance policy can include several types of coverage. To decide what to buy, it’s important to research the options available, which types of coverage are required and how different forms of coverage work.

Keep in mind that your policy covers you, the licensed members of your household who are listed on the policy, and usually anyone else you give permission to drive the car.

Meeting your state’s car insurance requirements

Almost every state requires you to carry a minimum amount of auto insurance to cover the cost of damage or injuries caused by your car in accidents.

The minimum car insurance requirements vary by state. Here are types of coverage that may be required where you live:

  • Liability insurance
  • Personal injury protection or medical payments
  • Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage

Liability insurance

Liability insurance pays for damage and injuries you cause others in accidents. All states except New Hampshire require minimum amounts of liability coverage. Bodily injury liability pays the medical expenses of others who are injured; property damage liability pays to repair or replace their cars or other damaged property.

The amount of liability coverage is usually expressed as three numbers, such as 100/300/50. Here’s how to translate that:

  • $100,000 bodily injury per person
  • $300,000 bodily injury per accident
  • $50,000 property damage per accident.

Your car insurance will pay up to the limits on the policy. You’re on the hook for expenses that exceed those limits.

Personal injury protection or medical payments insurance

Liability insurance pays out to other people. For your own medical costs, you might consider personal injury protection (PIP) or medical payments coverage (MedPay), which may be available as part of your car insurance quotes. These pay any medical bills you or your passengers may incur if you’re injured in an accident. They can also pay for funeral costs.

One or the other is required in 16 states, but coverage works a little differently in each state. PIP can also cover lost wages and the cost to replace services normally performed by the injured person. MedPay is usually sold in smaller amounts than PIP.

Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage

Even though most states require liability insurance there are a lot of uninsured drivers on the road. You could try to sue them if they crash into you, but they might not have the money to pay you. In that case, uninsured motorist (UM) coverage might come in handy. It pays your medical expenses if you’re injured in an accident caused by a driver who is uninsured.

There’s another closely related coverage type: Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage pays out if the other driver doesn’t have enough liability insurance to pay all your medical expenses. The coverage kicks in once the costs exceed the other driver’s liability limits.

UM or UM/UIM is required in 19 states.

Another type of coverage, uninsured motorist property damage (UMPD), pays to repair or replace your car if an uninsured driver wrecks your vehicle. UMPD isn’t available everywhere.

Collision and comprehensive coverage

While liability insurance pays to fix others’ cars, collision and comprehensive insurance pays to fix your car or reimburse you for its current value if it’s damaged beyond repair. No state requires drivers to carry collision and comprehensive coverage, but your lender will require it if you financed or are leasing a vehicle.

  • Collision insurance pays out if your car crashes into an object or another car or if it flips over.
  • Comprehensive insurance pays out if your car is stolen, or damaged by anything other than car accidents. That includes damage from storms, floods, falling objects, explosions, earthquakes, vandalism or contact with an animal, such as hitting a deer.

Collision and comprehensive are usually sold together and include a deductible, which is how much of the insurance claim you’ll have to pay before your insurance pays. The higher the deductible you choose, the lower the premium for collision and comprehensive coverage.

Car insurance extras

You can choose from a variety of extra perks, which usually don’t cost much to add to a policy, but can come in handy in an emergency. You’ll need to buy collision and comprehensive to be eligible to purchase most extras, such as:

  • Rental reimbursement, which pays for a rental car if your car is in the shop following a covered collision or comprehensive claim.
  • Roadside assistance or towing insurance, which provides help if you need a battery jump, flat tire changed or tow to a repair shop after a mechanical breakdown.
  • Full glass coverage, which pays to repair or replace chipped or broken window glass, without a deductible.

Comparing car insurance quotes for coverage

Once you understand the types of coverage available, decide the kinds and levels of insurance protection you need.

How Can Tax Relief Program Write Off Your IRS Debt

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How Can Tax Relief Program Write Off Your IRS Debt

Even the IRS understands life happens. That’s why the government offers IRS debt forgiveness when you can’t afford to pay your tax liability

Under certain circumstances, taxpayers can have their tax debt partially forgiven. When the IRS considers forgiving your tax liability, they look at your present financial condition first. This means the IRS can’t collect more than you can reasonably pay. If any collection action would force you into a financial crisis, the IRS can’t collect the back taxes.

Pay Less Than You Owe with Offer in Compromise

If you have the resources to pay a partial amount of their tax debt, there’s still hope. You can apply for the IRS government payment plan called an Offer in Compromise (OIC) to resolve the remaining amount. Depending on your financial capacity and upon acceptance, the IRS significantly reduces the total debt that you can pay. This reduced amount can be paid in a lump sum or in fixed monthly installments.

See If You Qualify for the IRS Fresh Start Initiative

To make it easier for taxpayers to qualify for an OIC, the IRS has expanded their Fresh Start initiative. Now, you won’t have to disclose extensive financial details to the IRS to judge your paying ability. The Fresh Start initiative makes it easier to afford your IRS tax payments.

  • The IRS now looks at only one year of future income for offers paid in five or fewer months when determining your collecting potential. This is down from the previous five years. For agreements of six to 24 months, the IRS now looks at two years of future income instead of the previous five years.
  • Taxpayers are now allowed to make their student loan’s minimum payments for post-high school education loans guaranteed by the federal government.
  • Taxpayers may, under certain conditions, pay delinquent federal and state or local taxes in monthly installments if they cannot pay it in full.
  • The IRS has expanded the Allowable Living Expense standards. This allowance now includes credit card payments, bank fees and charges, and other miscellaneous allowances.

What’s Next If You Owe Tax Debt?

Understanding your tax debt and dealing with the IRS isn’t easy to do alone, even with available programs like Fresh Start. Fortunately, there are professionals who can help you navigate your options.

In What Cases You Need a Personal Injury Attorney

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In What Cases You Need a Personal Injury Attorney

If you’ve suffered an injury in an accident, you might be wondering whether you should hire a personal injury lawyer. If you have suffered serious bodily injuries it is critical to consult with a personal injury attorney. Because filing a personal injury lawsuit requires specialized skill and training, as well as a thorough knowledge of the legal system, you should never file a personal injury lawsuit without a lawyer.

There are certain types of accidents and injuries that almost always require an attorney. In these cases, hiring a personal injury lawyer will be worth the fees you must pay him or her to represent you. This is because in some situations, only a qualified personal injury lawyer can obtain the compensation you deserve for your injuries and other losses.

4 Signs That You Should Hire a Personal Injury Attorney

You may need to hire a lawyer to represent you because you suffered serious injuries, or the legal rules implicated by your personal injury claim are highly complex. Sometimes, the insurance company refuses to settle in good faith. If you were involved in any of the following types of accidents or suffered very serious injuries, you should contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in your area right away.

1. You Suffered Long-Term or Permanently Disabling Injuries

If you sustained serious injuries in an accident that will require long-term care or left you with permanent disabilities, you should hire a personal injury lawyer immediately. Only an experienced lawyer can calculate how much your injuries are worth. Moreover, figuring out how your injuries will impact your earning capacity over time can be difficult and generally requires expert assistance. To get the most out of your personal injury claim or lawsuit, you need a lawyer who can pursue all available forms of compensation for your injuries and other losses.

2. You Suffered Severe Injuries

The amount of compensation you ultimately receive for your injuries largely depends on how severe your injuries are. Insurance companies measure the severity of your injuries by the type of injuries you sustained, the amount of your medical bills you incurred, and the length of your recovery time. As the amount of your potential compensation increases, the more likely you are to reach the policy limits of the at-fault party’s insurance policy. If this is the case, the insurance company may only be able to pay you a fraction of what you deserve. In these types of cases, you should hire a personal injury lawyer to make sure you receive the total amount of compensation to which you are entitled.

3. There Are Multiple Parties Involved or Liability Is Not Clear

If you were involved in an accident where multiple parties may be liable for your injuries, you should contact a lawyer. When multiple parties are involved in an accident, insurance companies can be very complicated. Because several people may have been injured, there may not be as much settlement money to go around. You could also be the subject of insurance claims from the other parties, ultimately having your settlement offer decreased or reduced to nothing because of your proportional fault for the accident.

You should always contact an attorney if you have been injured in an accident and may be partially at-fault for the accident. An attorney can help protect you against counterclaims and cross-claims by the other parties who were involved in the accident.

4. The Insurance Company Refuses to Pay or Engages in Bad Faith Tactics

Sometimes, insurance companies simply refuse to make a fair settlement offer or refuse to make any settlement offer at all. If you are unable to secure a fair settlement offer from the at-fault party’s insurance company on your own, or negotiations with the insurance company have broken down, you should contact a personal injury lawyer right away.

There is also a chance that the insurance company is engaged in bad faith insurance tactics. In that case, you will need assistance from a lawyer who has experience litigating bad faith insurance claims.

How to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer

If you were involved in any of the scenarios discussed above, you should contact a reputable attorney right away. Hiring a personal injury lawyer is a very important decision. Your lawyer will represent your interests in settlement negotiations with the at-fault party’s insurance company, and will do so in court should you and your attorney decide that filing a personal injury lawsuit is necessary. You should make sure that your attorney is someone you trust and feel comfortable working with.

Importance of an Experienced Car Accident Attorney

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Importance of an Experienced Car Accident Attorney
Isn't it easy to avoid the accident?

Everybody has a right to pursue compensation if they are injured in a car accident through little or no fault of their own. Car accidents can happen to anyone, changing lives in the blink of an eye.

Why Choose Car Accident Attorneys

After a serious accident, you want to find the best possible representation, so you can receive maximum compensation and put all this behind you.

What to do after a car accident

Collect evidence from the scene, including photographs, eyewitness statements, and police reports. Before you forget, write down all the details you can – the date, time, place, lane, direction traveled, speed, weather, and where you were headed.

You also want to be sure you avoid some of the big mistakes people make following a motor vehicle accident. Never talk to the opposing insurance company without an advocate! You may inadvertently provide incorrect information or get trapped into making a recorded statement that can be used against you in court to invalidate your claim. It’s all too easy to jet away from the scene, without calling the police, exchanging insurance information, or taking pictures.

Getting medical treatment after a car accident

Even if you don’t feel like you’re disabled after the crash, seek immediate medical attention to substantiate your injuries. The symptoms of whiplash, concussions, or minor bone fractures can be subtle at first. Follow the attending physician’s orders and appear at all follow-up appointments. It helps immensely to receive care from a respected doctor who can validate your injury claim.

Dealing with insurance agents when filing a car accident claim

You may notice that there is a flood of calls from insurance companies in the days that follow your accident. At face value, it may seem these people genuinely care how you’re doing. However, it’s our experience that the negligent driver’s insurance company wants to settle matters as quickly as possible, for as little as possible. While their initial offer may seem like a good sum of money at first, you have to take into account what future expenses may arise and how much others are getting paid for similar accidents. Why settle for $30,000 if you could receive as much as $3 million? Advocacy from a skilled attorney lets you know what is reasonable to expect and protects your best interests.

What does it cost to hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

Contingency fees can range from 33 to 40%, with additional fees for police reports, filing, postage, investigator fees, expert witness fees, medical records fees, trial exhibits, and depositions taking. However, to offset some of these costs, you can sometimes negotiate to have these legal fees included in the final settlement or jury award to maximize what you collect.

Contact one of our Los Angeles Car Accident Lawyers to Discuss your Auto Accident Injuries

If a car accident flipped your world upside-down, a car accident attorney is a great friend to have at this point in life. You may not be sure if a lawsuit is the best course of action, but speaking with an experienced lawyer can help you figure out the next steps to take following serious injury to ensure your future options are not hindered by inaction today. But at the same time nobody can guarantee specific results.