Top 5 Mobile Apps for Users “On-The-Go”
For today's business professionals, staying connected while working remotely or traveling is a must. Aptela helps customers do just that with features such as Find Me, Aptela Mobile and Call Flip. However, there are other mobile tools on the market that can enhance your connectivity as well, and Aptela employees have come together to share their favorite "on-the-go" tools of the moment.
These mobile apps can help you with anything from booking a trip to purchasing a last minute present for someone while out on the town. And the best part? They're available on iPhone, iPad and Android!
So without further ado, the Top 5 "On the Go" Apps:
1. Kayak - Need to book a last minute hotel or flight while at a business dinner? Have no fear - Just pop open your Kayak app, type in your destination and start comparing prices! You can even set alerts to notify you about price drops.
2. Yelp - Entertaining guests and not sure where to eat? Use Yelp to find popular eateries in your immediate area. For the picky types, Yelp even offers reviews so you can make sure your choice is well-liked!
3. The Weather Channel (TWC) - Stuck in traffic on the way home and noticing ominous clouds in the sky? Use TWC app to check to see if you still want to attend that softball practice.
4. Amazon - Sitting at your daughter's dance class and realize you forgot to buy your brother a birthday gift? Pull out your phone and use the Amazon app to find the perfect gift. Make your selection, purchase it and ship it all within the Amazon app! Birthday saved, and you still look like the great sibling that you are.
5. Facebook - The social app for staying in touch anytime, anywhere and with anyone. Whether you like to check in once a week, once a day or 10 times a day, this is a must-have app that you shouldn't be without!
Do you have any mobile apps that you can't live without? Share them below!
Posted in: Small Business on Sep 27, 2011
Vocalocity and Aptela Merge – Creating the Fastest Growing Hosted Communications Provider Devoted to Small Business
We are excited to announce Aptela’s merger with fellow hosted communications provider Vocalocity. Joining forces with Vocalocity, the fastest growing communications provider focused on small business, brings advantages to both sets of customers. The merger allows us to grow our services even more, which will result in a better customer experience and more innovations for our customers. Aptela customers will see a stronger, even more reliable provider emerge as a result of two great companies coming together.
Wain Kellum, CEO at Vocalocity, announces the merger in the video below.
Now that Aptela and Vocalocity are one company, customers will benefit from the expertise of both providers. Already, Vocalocity is making investments in the Aptela infrastructure. Besides providing extra levels of capacity and redundancy, nothing will change for Aptela customers today or in the near future. Customers can interact with Aptela just as they do today and will see no change in their level of service or pricing. We will communicate with customers well in advance of any future changes.
Both companies came together with a passion for delivering the best service in the industry and a joint executive team is being formed to run the combined company. We will continue to focus on the needs of small businesses and that includes exceptional customer service and quality.
For more information on the merger, read our press release.
For help and support, continue to contact Aptela customer care at 855-Aptela0 or submit a web ticket.
Posted in: on Aug 17, 2011
Top 5 Reasons to Start Your Own Business
Thousands of entrepreneurs fulfill their dreams every year by starting their own business. Need a few words of encouragement before you take the plunge? Since Aptela is a small business, we take pride in relating to our own SMB customers. Listed below are the Top 5 perks to owning your own business:
1.You're the boss
When you start your own business, you get to make the decisions. How nice does that sound? As your own boss, you can choose the direction your business goes, as well as the products you are going to offer. In addition, you'll never have to ask for a raise again. Since you are putting yourself at financial risk by starting a business, you get to reap the benefits. According to WSJ author Rosalind Resnick "While getting a business off the ground is never easy, every dollar that you put in and every hour that you work is an investment that returns profit back to you. "
2.Tax incentives
You know that new iPad you just bought? Or how about the printer? Not to mention everything you still need to get like the laptop, phone service, and other supplies...You can write these items off as business expenses! Click here to learn more about the section 179 deduction for businesses.
3.Follow your passion
According to Inc.com, people who like to make decisions and act as the leader, "Type-A" personalities, tend to consider themselves entrepreneurs. Inc.com also says that even though starting and owning a business requires working long hours, many entrepreneurs don't feel like its work because they are having fun. In addition you can gain a greater personal sense of pride at your success.
4. You control your work/life balance
Another perk of owning your business is setting your own rules. This includes hours, location, and dress code - just to name a few! Working at home? No problem. Staying in your PJ's today? That's fine too. More convenient to work after dinner instead of during the afternoon? You got it. Controlling your own time allows you balance your work and your life better and more conveniently.
5.Get your business off the ground with Aptela business VoIP
The last perk of owning your own business is signing up for Aptela business VoIP phone service. Aptela doesn't require expensive on-site equipment and with our features and functionality you'll never miss a call (whether you are in your office or on the go). Aptela offers low competitive pricing for your small business. To learn more about how Aptela can help get your business off the ground visit aptela.com.
Just remember, "All glory comes from daring to begin." -Eugene F. Ware
What do you think are the top perks to owning your own company? Comment below!
Posted in: on Aug 11, 2011
Simplify Your Life Week 2011
This week at Aptela we are celebrating Simplify Your Life Week (August 1st-7th)! Many things in life are not simple or easy, like running a business or having a family. So why complicate the things that should be simple, like your business phone service? Many small businesses suffer from obsolete, expensive, immobile, or complicated phone systems. By switching to Aptela's business VoIP phone service, your company will benefit from having a unified communications system, which allows for greater productivity, flexibility, affordability, and functionality.
Aptela's VoIP service offers over 70 features, all of which help streamline your business. With the Smart Find Me List, one of our most popular
features, you to never have to stress about missing an important call- whether you're in the office, at home, or anywhere in between! This customizable list enables you to forward calls to one or more additional phone numbers before going to voicemail. You can also ring multiple numbers simultaneously or in a user-defined sequence. Want to learn more? Please visit our YouTube channel for step-by-step videos about our Find Me List feature.
With Aptela there are no contracts. You can make changes to your service as needed, providing maximum flexibility for your business. As a small business, we know that things can change unexpectedly. Because of this, we want you to have the freedom to add or drop lines whenever, instead of locking you into a contract.
Phone installation and maintenance can be a big hassle- one that can be avoided with Aptela's VoIP service. Simplify your business communications by eliminating expensive equipment. You may have to purchase IP phones, but otherwise we host the service so you don't have to worry about it! Avoid a costly, on-premise phone system and do away with phone system installation and maintenance charges.
Instead of letting your phone service further complicate your life; consider the simple solution of Aptela business VoIP. Between our features, which give you the ability to work from wherever you are, our no contracts promise, which gives your business maximum flexibility, and our easy-to-use interface, switching to Aptela is the perfect step to simplifying your life. So this year for "Simplify Your Life Week", make the switch to Aptela! Visit aptela.com for more information.
Posted in: on Aug 4, 2011
5 Tips for a Stress-Free Vacation
Taking a vacation can be a stressful ordeal for any business owner or employee: Before: The days before leaving you may be scrambling to finish projects or tie up loose ends. 
During: While on vacation you may be constantly checking your work email and voicemail. After: Once you return home you will have to play catch-up on what you missed.
The good news is that it doesn't have to be like this! With the right timing, scheduling, and planning you can have a successful, stress-free vacation.
1. Notify and Designate.
Springing a vacation on your boss or partner will only add to your (and their) stress level. Give your co-workers and important clients timely notice on the dates you will be out the office. Make sure to leave them the contact information of a partner or co-worker while you are away. Designate essential projects to a trusted staff member. Assign one person to contact you while you are on vacation - for emergencies only! Don't forget to edit your Aptela Smart Find Me List before you leave for vacation. You may want to reroute calls to a colleague instead of to your cell phone. To watch a step-by-step video on how to edit your Aptela Find Me list, click here. (Check out this article for additional tips.)
2. Prioritize and Set Up.
Create a To-Do list of important things you will need to take care of upon your return to the office. This will help you leave the office feeling more 
organized. Deal with any unresolved issues or tasks with co-workers and/or clients. Lastly, set up an automated out-of-office email and voicemail so clients don't think you are ignoring them. (Similar tips can be found here.)
3. Be Consistent.
Before you leave, decide whether or not you will be checking email, voicemail, etc. Let your partners (and/or clients) know what you decide. If you do decide to check your email, allocate a time limit (say, 30 minutes each day) to deal with issues. By setting a time limit, you can attend to the most important matters, and everything else can wait. (Click here for more tips.)
4. Relax.
Trust that you have left your company in good hands - whether it's a business partner or co-worker. If there really is an emergency, remember that you already designated someone to notify you, so there is no need to constantly be checking emails.
5. Plan and Focus.
When you return from vacation, avoid coming back on Sunday. By arriving on Friday or Saturday, you will have a day or two to adjust before heading back to the office. The first day back at work, focus on going through the email and voicemail that was sent to you while you were away. If you ignore these things, you may end up swamped later in the week! (For more info click here.)
Posted in: on Aug 2, 2011
