Why is a Logo so Important?

How long does it take to make a first impression? Would you guess ten or fifteen minutes? Nope. How about seven seconds? Well I am sure that you have heard that fact in a business conference before, but that is also not the answer. The Association for Psychological Science says it take a person about a tenth of a second to make a first impression just based on the features of a person’s face! You have no time to make an impression. That is why you come dressed in your nicest suit with, your biggest smile, and your best prepared discussion points and hope for the best.

However, you can’t be there all the time making a good impression for your company. So, isn’t it important that your company make a good first impression with its “face”?

A company’s “face” is how it is presented to a client. The company “face” is the first thing a potential client will see on the messages you send, your company website, and finally the building they enter as they come to see you. So it is important that your logo actually represents your services. Take for example LT~CRS’ logo.

Many of our clients ask us why we have a tilde symbol (~) in our company’s written name and logo. The answer is the tilde is a symbol for cost savings, and that is what our company specializes in. The tilde (~) was actually used back when there were scribes whose jobs were to copy books and documents by hand. In order to save money on ink, the scribes would write a tilde to replace letters. For example, “We n~d to sp~k with the doctor.” The tilde made the scribe more efficient and reduced cost. Since our company has expertise in those areas, we chose the tilde to be in the center of our name.

In the same way a logo represents your company – Your vendors REPRESENT YOU! Your suppliers and vendors control the outcomes of your business services. If your elevator stalls, if your products fail, if your electric, utility or internet providers fail to provide the services in your agreements, the FACE of your company is impacted. Select vendors and negotiate contracts that will always represent your company and make a good first impression. This is imperative to your success!

If you would like to know more about Vendor Management Solutions to protect your company’s impression on your clients contact us at www.limitlesstechnology.com.

Maybe Businesses could learn something from Shoppers about truly reducing expenses and saving money.While we know that every year there are millions of shoppers that run to stores either on Black Friday or jump online on Cyber Monday and some go to the extreme to camp outside store for days … how much are they really saving? We did some research “since we are the cost reduction experts” and we found that more than 154 million consumers shopped in stores and online over the weekend, which was about 3 million more than last year, according to a National Retail Federation survey released Sunday.

But the NRF, which tracks consumer visits and spending data, said those consumers also spent about $10 less on average — about $290 this year compared to nearly $300 in 2015.

NRF officials attributed the difference mostly to heavy discounting brought on by a “promotional environment” in stores. According to the organization, about 36% of shoppers this year said all of their purchases were on sale, compared to 32.5% last year.

It is nothing new that people delight in saving money and reducing cost for expenses. So we wake up early, or stay out late, wait in lines, push through crowds and then we reap the benefits.

In business, we should also reap the benefits of savings. And we have good news! You don’t have to fight the crowds or camp outside waiting for the doors to open. It is much easier to reduce costs within your business. While shopping for personal savings you may want to consider what you may be overpaying within your organization. Ways of overspending include, but are not limited to overcharges in your telecom billing, errors in billing which is very common, duplication of fees, incorrect taxation, 3^rd party fees, usage mistakes, utility metering errors,  and more.

Your telecom and utility expenses cover a large portion of your operating expenses. Overlooking what you are spending in any of these areas could be costing you every month. Not having the time to research in depth your bills, contracts or agreements is a big issue for most companies. Misappropriated fees, rates and bad contract terms mean more money is taken from your business.

So while we feel that it is always a good idea to find ways to SAVE MONEY – we challenge you to take the same approach to your Business Savings as you may to your Holiday Savings. Before the end of the year take time to investigate these savings and see how much you can save.

We understand if you don’t have the time. That is OK – It’s an easy phone call or email and we will provide a FREE CONSULTATION on how to address these telecom and utility costs. See – you are already saving!

www.limitlesstechnology.com

Nationwide: 866-504-4050. We will answer the phone!

Request more info: http://limitlesstechnology.com/contact-us/

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Billing Optimization
Controlling your Telecom and Technology monthly expenses

It’s a new year. 2015 profits are in and accounted for in most cases, with maybe a few accrual items hanging in the balance. Big question is… were we profitable enough, and how could we have been more profitable? Most companies turn to the big items first, as they of course have the biggest impact. but how many other costs are bigger than we think? Take one large item like telecom costs.

Telecom & Technology Services are necessary but also very confusing and operationally costly. Therefore, these must-have monthly bills are likely to be overlooked when a company is looking to improve bottom-line performance. According to a study by Aberdeen, “…few enterprises have had a comprehensive and accurate way to determine what they are spending on telecom services, with whom and why.” The study also notes that 85 percent of mid-market companies pay their telecom bills in full without auditing.

Telecom & Technology service providers are not required to and, in most cases, do not audit client’s bills. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure correct contracted rates are being invoiced and that the services being billed are actually in use.

Who In Your Company Is Responsible?

Often times, companies leave this responsibility to the IT Department. The IT Department is thought to control this because, after all, telecom bills are related to “Technology”. However nothing in an IT manager’s training has prepared them to understand and keep track of the telecom industry with respect to the myriad of ever changing plans and rates. Couple the vast amount of telecom rate options with the a wide range of potential sources including CLECs, LECs, Brokers, Agents …etc. that can provide these critical services and you can see how these expenses get lost in the shuffle. So IT continues ordering lines, phones and other related services based on requests from a wide variety of managers, department heads, directors and locations without regard to cost controls or contracts that may be in place. The end result is telecom bills continually spiral upwards without anyone ensuring that services being paid for are actually necessary or even used!

Add to this to the fact that the accounting department, who pays the telecom bills, simply does not have the time or expertise to adequately scrutinize these invoices and cost escalate without evaluation.

The honest answer to the question “Who in your company is responsible?” often is that there is no person whose job description matches that responsibility…but don’t you think that it is still necessary to eliminate costs you do not need?

What is the solution?

Companies who engage with an independent, recommended, and expert 3rd party Billing Optimization Provider experience average saving of 25% or more and are positioned recognize and prevent the constant upward spiral for 3 – 5 years after the process is complete. How do you know which company to choose? Ask any billing optimization company approaching you this question:

“Do you make 100% of your company income by optimizing companies’ telecom expenses or do you also represent the very companies or their competitors that will be scrutinized?”

If they are reps for the carriers that they are talking about auditing, you may need to think twice about what you’re getting.

Do Not be fooled by brokers, agents or software companies. They all want to perform this service but do so as a way to sell you their solutions. This is not about buying more or different, but rather critically evaluating what you have vs. what you need and correcting the delivery, rates and errors. Once a comprehensive audit on the services you already have is completed, you may safely work with these companies from a position of knowledge and with the security of knowing what you are paying is correct forcing them to provide you with better and hopefully less expensive solutions in order to win your business

What should the process entail?

• Determine which services are required
• Review existing contracts, rate plans and existing services
• Confirm contracted rates, taxes, tariffs & applicable discounts are being billed
• Obtain and analysis Customer Service Records (CSRs)
• Perform “Ring no Answer” on all lines associated with every bill and inventory specific function
• Research competitive rates and plans.
• Assist you in centralizing management of the services.
• Optimize existing equipment eliminating excess and preventing unnecessary additions.

In conclusion if you’ve not had third party perform billing optimization in the past 3 years it’s time to review these critical and often times expenses services. Ask yourself what a 25% annual reduction would allow you to do. Hire, retain, expand, or simply improve your bottom line. This money is far better in your hands then in those your Telecom and technology providers.

You can keep as quiet as you like, but one of these days somebody is going to find you.”

-Haruki Murakami

Verizon has taken new steps to becoming a leader in the mobile industry. They are now allowing consumers to increase their data for free, or allow them to stay at their same level of data for ten dollars less. Each plan for different levels of GB is a different price. This is a deal that could save each existing mobile plan $120 dollars per year. For businesses, this could mean thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars saved.

However, Verizon reps are not automatically giving existing customers these discounts. Instead, they are making it the customer’s job to monitor these deals and making no effort to tell them about the promotion. Not only do the customers have to be constantly aware of new promotions, they also have to call the company and sit on hold to tell Verizon they want this discount. Both consumers and businesses alike are too busy to monitor these confusing promotions. This trend of mobile service providers discounting services and host promotions for new clients, without informing existing customers is occurring too often. This is because telecom service providers normally focus on obtaining new clients, and not retaining existing customers.

Thankfully there are expert third party telecom specialists available to you that are aware of all telecommunication promotions and can work with your providers to get the lowest rates possible. These companies take over the job of monitoring new savings and working with reps to alter contracts. However, a simple warning, make sure to use a third party telecom vendor that wants to work with you as a partner and is experienced in contract negotiation. This can make the pivotal difference between you saving hundreds of dollars, instead of thousands of dollars.

Being part of a positive and team-oriented culture will bring success to your team.  There are five habits that any leader should utilize to achieve success in your team.

First, always ask “What will I do today to add value to the team?”  Whether it is a conceptual concept like building trust within the team or the physical reduction of costs to relieve team stress, adding value to your team ensures that you are constantly improving as a unit.

Next, reflect on your actions.  Take the time to remember what needs to be accomplished and to ensure that every step is being taken to complete the task.  If your team does not have the resources in order to complete the task, you need to find the third party resources that can accomplish your end goal.

Third, be organized.  Often, offices don’t understand where their inefficiencies are coming from because they are not organized. Make sure you are checking in on your records to understand how you keep track of your expenses and costs.

Practice personal and professional development.  This will keep you and your team moving forward.  Always assume you do not know enough and there is always an expert, internal or external, that can improve your team.

Finally, work outside of your comfort zone.  As you continue to work outside of your comfort zone, your boundaries will continue to broaden.  This will keep you and your team striving forward.  Explore new ways to save, work, and communicate in order to drive your business forward. These habits will encourage your team to positively impact every area of your business.

Telecom & Technology Services are necessary but also very confusing. Therefore, these must-have monthly bills are likely to be overlooked when a company is looking to improve bottom-line performance. According to a study by Aberdeen, “…few enterprises have had a comprehensive and accurate way to determine what they are spending on telecom services, with whom and why.” The study also notes that 85 percent of midmarket companies pay their telecom bills in full without auditing.

Telecom & Technology service providers are not required to and, in most cases, do not audit client’s bills. It is the client’s responsibility to ensure correct contracted rates are being invoiced and that the services being billed are actually in use.

Who In Your Company Is Responsible?

Often times, companies leave this responsibility to the IT Department. The IT Department is thought to control this because, after all, telecom bills are related to “Technology”. However nothing in an IT manager’s training has prepared them to understand and keep track of the telecom industry with respect to the myriad of ever changing plans and rates. Couple the vast amount of telecom rate options with the wide range of potential sources including CLECs, LECs, Brokers, Agents …etc. that can provide these critical services, and you can see how these expenses get lost in the shuffle. So IT continues ordering lines, phones and other related services based on requests from a wide variety of managers, department heads, directors and locations without regard to cost controls or contracts that may be in place. The end result is telecom bills continually spiral upwards without anyone ensuring that services being paid for are actually necessary or even used!

You think, well should the accounting department correct these issues?         The accounting department, who pays the telecom bills, simply does not have the time or expertise to adequately scrutinize these invoices and cost-escalate without evaluation.

The honest answer to the question “Who in your company is responsible?” often is that there is no person whose job description matches that responsibility…but don’t you think that it is still necessary to eliminate costs you do not need?

What is the solution?

Companies who engage with an independent, recommended, and expert 3rd party Billing Optimization Provider experience average saving of 25% or more and are positioned recognize and prevent the constant upward spiral for 3 – 5 years after the process is complete. How do you know which company to choose? Ask any billing optimization company approaching you this question:

“Do you make 100% of your company income by optimizing companies’ telecom expenses or do you also represent the very companies or their competitors that will be scrutinized?”

If they are reps for the carriers that they are talking about auditing, you may need to think twice about what you’re getting.

Do not be fooled by brokers, agents or software companies. They all want to perform this service but do so as a way to sell you their solutions. This is not about buying more or different, but rather critically evaluating what you have vs. what you need and correcting the delivery, rates and errors. Once a comprehensive audit on your services is completed, you may safely work with these companies with the security of knowing what you are paying is correct. This knowledge forces them to provide you with better and hopefully less expensive solutions in order to win your business

What should the process entail?

• Determine which services are required
• Review existing contracts, rate plans and existing services
• Research competitive rates and plans.
• Assist you in centralizing management of the services.
• Optimize existing equipment eliminating excess and preventing unnecessary additions.

In conclusion if you have not had a third party perform billing optimization in the past 3 years, it’s time to review these critical and often times expenses services. Ask yourself what a 25% annual reduction would allow you to do. Hire, retain, expand, or simply improve you bottom line. This money is far better in your hands then in the hands of the Telecom and technology providers.

Recently a state proposal was released to cut over $470 Million dollars in taxes on telephone, satellite, and TV.  If this bill were to pass, it would mean a 4.3% savings for the average household on its telecom expenses. Consumers are looking favorably upon this bill because it is a liquid injection of money into the economy.

Businesses will see the rewards as well. Reducing the state tax rate by 4.3% will impact businesses greatly. State taxes on telecom are very large as the average business pays 9.17% on their telephone and nearly 14% on their cable. This improvement in local businesses bottom lines could have a tremendous impact.

Will this bill affect the way telecom and TV carriers do business in Florida? As a business owner, could a 4.3% decrease in telecom bills make significant impact on your annual spend? If not what would be a great enough savings to make your company notice?

Tell us what you think, we want to know!

Limitless Technology ~ CRS wants to take a few seconds to describe how thankful we are for so many of the aspects of our business. Although there are many more reasons, we wanted to give 8 reasons we are thankful

1. The fact that we are in an industry which succeeds when we help other companies succeed

2. Our wonderful clients for taking time to understand and approve our savings recommendations

3. For the many wonderful thank yous, references, and referrals we have received from our clients.

4. The world-class employees of LT~CRS and their constant drive to help the clients save money and help LT~CRS succeed

5. Our charity which raised $41,000 dollars last year for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and blood cancer research.

6. The fact that LT~CRS just celebrated its 8th birthday!

7. LT~CRS’ continued expansion into new areas of the United States

8. The fact that we live in such a great nation with so much opportunity to thrive and prosper as an organization.

These are just a few things that we cherish about our clients, company, and nation. Thank you for taking the time to read this list and see what truly matters to our company. If you have interest in learning more about us, just visit http://limitlesstechnology.com/ .

Micromanaging’s definition is “to control every part, however small, of an enterprise or activity”. Micromanaging has a stigma associated with it. Most employees hear micromanage and they think of their boss hovering over them and telling them how to do their job. However, this article discusses how micromanaging can be a useful and even a necessary component of an organization’s operations.

First, the negative stigmas associated with micromanaging, which are generally related to employee management. An example would be an employee has been hired because they have the skills necessary for a specific job. A manager feels he has more experience than the employee begins to constantly tell the employee how to do the job. In extreme cases, managers can even take over the employee’s job and ignore manager role. Micromanaging in this form makes the employee feel as if the manager has little faith in their knowledge, skills, and abilities. The reason micromanaging people is so negative is because employees lose motivation. Micromanaging people, in the long run, stops two employees from doing their job, reducing overall productivity.

However, there is a positive side of micromanaging. If you look back at the definition, micromanaging simply means to have control over the company. If a company is not controlled, then it will most likely fail. However, what needs to be highly controlled is not how the employees do the work, but overall operations. Managers need to be constantly looking at the revenues and costs of their sector and making sure they are doing everything possible to control them. For example, it does not matter how talented salespeople handle their leads (Calling many times a week or once a month), as long as the salespeople are keeping their costs down, are making good revenue for the company, and their clients are happy. A company should particularly micromanage costs since they are one of the biggest potential threats to any company’s success. Costs need to be analyzed thoroughly in order to make sure the company is receiving the best bottom line possible.

In conclusion, operational functions should be micromanaged while employees should be given a relative amount of freedom in how to do their jobs successfully. Employees will respond better and want to do more work for a company they feel trusts and respects their ability to do the job. Constantly monitoring the operational functions of the company will ensure that, when there is a problem, the problem will be seen and corrected faster than with a company that loosely manages its operations.

Recently, AT&T has been under fire for misleading its customers on several of its program’s pricing strategies. Additionally, the FTC just discovered that AT&T is also affecting how a customer’s data functions in order to reduce AT&T’s data costs.

AT&T has developed the promotion of the Unlimited Data plan which is supposed to charge a relatively low flat rate for all the data usage the customer needs in a month without charging them overages. This is a highly competitive tactics since other telecommunications providers say that there are too many costs associated with unlimited data problems.

Seems too good to be true? Well, the Federal Trade Commission says that it is. Based on FTC research, AT&T is being sued for mis-advertising the unlimited data plan. Apparently, once the customer gets to a certain level of data, the service slows up to 90% of the speed, making it impossible for customers to use the data quickly and forcing them to either wait for their connection or give up and stop using it. The barrier ensures that AT&T does not have to pay excess costs for data, essentially setting a technical limit on an unlimited plan. This technique is called throttling and it is not legal. It is illegal because AT&T is telling customers that they will get the same access to unlimited amounts of data, but really they are guilty of false advertising by making it impossible to use the data (even though technically they are providing unlimited data to the user).

Although this is frustrating for an individual AT&T user, it could be detrimental to businesses using AT&T services. Businesses rely on access to large amounts of mobile data to speak, present, and share information with clients. The unlimited data plan is enticing because business owners and corporations generally use a large amount of data. However, AT&T’s tactic ensures that business communication will slow and valuable partnerships could potentially end because of lack of response.

In many articles, I speak of how important it is to monitor costs. However, it is also important to know the company providing a service respects you and your business. Telecom providers often are not seen as partners to a business because they are a necessity. However, you need to remember that you are a client to them and their main focus should be to make their service work best for your business, not to make money. Make sure that those you form business relationships with are serving your best interests, or find another resource that wants to see their client’s succeed.