How Aptela Can Help You Enjoy July 4th Without Losing Business Opportunities

Posted by: Kristen Callahan

With the holiday weekend rapidly approaching, the marketing department at Aptela wants to give you a few tips on how to have the best food and the best business this 4th of July! While this weekend is all about celebrating with great food and great company, many of Aptela's customers also realize the importance of staying connected to their business.

One of our favorite traditions on July 4th is to make a delicious fruit tart. Surprise your guests (or customers!) this weekend with this healthy and mouth-watering dessert. Following below is the recipe from Paula Deen of the Food Network:

Ingredients
Crust:
• 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced
Filling:
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
• Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries
Glaze:
• 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• Whipped cream, for garnish

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners' sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the strawberries into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries. Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.
For the glaze: Combine the limeade, cornstarch, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze. Keep the tart in the refrigerator. Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into 8 wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

Between mouthfuls of this delectable dessert, many small business owners will need to stay connected to work during the long weekend. With Aptela's advanced features and functionality, staying connected to your business while out of the office has never been easier! Listed below are three key apps and features that will be useful to you during various July 4th parties and festivities:

• Aptela Mobile App: The Aptela mobile portal is available from any mobile device with data and web browsing services enabled. This App is perfect for business owners on-the-go this holiday weekend! Whether you're vacationing or just busy, Aptela Mobile allows you to act as if you were still in the office- even though you're not! On your phone or device, open the web browser and enter http://m.aptela.com, then enter your Client ID, username, and password. Click login.
o Voicemails: You will be able to see all new voicemails in a list and click the play icon to play voicemails. Click "call voicemail" to call into the voicemail system and listen to all voicemails at once. In addition, you can click on a phone number to then return the call.
o Find Me List: You will be able to view your find me list and click on a number in the list to enable or disable it.
o Company Phonebook: You will be able to view your company phone book to look up extension numbers. Then click on an extension to initiate a call.
• Find Me/Follow Me (Personal Locator): While you're out of the office this weekend, forward calls to one or more other phone numbers to ensure you never miss a call. You can ring multiple numbers simultaneously or in a user-defined sequence.

• Voicemail to Text Integration: Offered through Aptela's partnership with Line1 Communications, you can now quickly and easily have your voicemails transcribed to text and sent right to your email or mobile device. This will allow you to easily and discreetly check work messages without missing out on the party!

       

 

In addition to using Aptela's phones and services this weekend, community marketing is also an important tactic to maximize during a popular holiday like July 4th. Many towns will have parades, fireworks, and fairs to celebrate the festivities. These community gatherings are perfect for small business owners to attend: you can bring your family for a day of fun and games while still promoting your business! Whether you do something small like hand out business cards and wear a company shirt, or something larger like setting up a tent with free giveaways, you're sure to stay in a festive mood while doing what is best for your business!

 

What is your favorite recipe or tradition for July 4th? Comment Below!