Monday, April 6, 2020

The Best Equipment Leasing For Your Business

The cost of equipment can be a staggering expense for any business, especially startups. Depending on what kind of equipment a business needs, a company might be looking at millions of dollars in investment over a period of several years.

Worse, buying equipment outright can mean years or even decades of payments. By the time a business has paid off a piece of machinery or office building’s worth of printers, the equipment is likely to be outdated and in need of repair or replacement.

Because few companies have the cash to buy equipment outright, many turn to equipment leasing. This is a sound financial strategy that can save a business money over time.

The 6 Best Equipment Leasing Companies

Equipment leasing is common across a broad range of industries, from manufacturers to restaurants. Some of the equipment a business might lease includes:

  • Commercial cooking equipment
  • Office computers and printers
  • Trucks and other vehicles
  • Furniture
  • Heavy machinery, such as forklifts and backhoes
  • Medical equipment

Typically, it’s more affordable for a business to lease this kind of equipment rather than buy it. For example, the average office printer can cost $20,000 or more. Instead of coming up with the full purchase price, a business can distribute the payments over a span of months that can extend several years.

Additionally, many business equipment leases incorporate maintenance and service, as the big names in commercial equipment leasing typically offer both leasing and their own in-house maintenance services. In other cases, they have partnerships with service companies that allows them to build the cost of maintenance and service into the lease agreement.

This means companies don’t have to worry about employing technicians who can repair broken equipment. To use the printer example, a busy doctor’s office probably doesn’t want to bother with the hassle and expense of keeping printer repair technicians on staff. Instead, they can simply call a service number if their printer is malfunctioning.

Business equipment leases can include various terms and conditions. In some cases, they come with an option to purchase the equipment at the end of the lease term. Businesses may also be able to extend their lease, with the option to upgrade to the latest equipment.

There are several options for businesses looking for equipment leasing. Here are six top commercial equipment leasing companies to consider.

1. Gordon Flesch Company

• In-house financing & maintenance
• Trusted by 33,000+ customers
• Leases range from 12 to 63 months
• Step & deferred payment options
• Get Started Now

Founded in 1956, the Gordon Flesch Company provides in-house financing and maintenance for a wide variety of business equipment, with a particular emphasis on information technology.

Today, the company has more than 33,000 customers spread across the United States. Headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin, the Gordon Flesch Company has 16 satellite locations. The company maintains a long list of partners, including Canon, Sharp, Lexmark, and Kyocera. According to Gordon Flesch, its customer retention rate is an impressive 88 percent.

Gordon Flesch manages all financing in-house. Leases can range from 12 months to 63 months, with both step payment and deferred payment lease terms available. According to the company’s website, it promises customers won’t be surprised by hidden fees with respect to end of term buyouts.

2. Crest Capital

• Finance new & used equipment
• Borrow $5,000 to $500,000
• Multiple payment plans
• Flexible lease terms
• Get Started Now

Founded in 1989, Crest Capital finances both new and used business equipment, with interest rates varying between 5.5% and 9.5%. Businesses can borrow anywhere between $5,000 and $500,000.

One potential drawback is that Crest Capital requires two years of tax returns and financial statements for businesses that want to lease more than $250,000 worth of equipment. Crest Capital also charges a $275 administrative fee per lease, however, it doesn’t assess prepayment penalties. Leases typically span anywhere from 24 months to 72 months.

Crest Capital is known for its flexible lease terms, which can be key to helping a growing startup business afford the equipment it needs. For example, Crest offers a number of payment arrangements, including a graduated payment plan that starts off with smaller payments and then slowly moves toward larger payments as a company grows.

The company doesn’t seem to require that a business have a certain amount of revenue. Rather, it requires a disclosure of projected revenue along with actual revenue. Assuming a business meets the requirements. Crest Capital offers an online application and, in some cases, a same-day decision.

3. National Business Capital

• Network of 75+ lenders
• Online application process
• Terms can span 12 to 60 months
• Decisions as fast as next day
• Get Started Now

Unlike many other business equipment leasing companies, National Business Capital matches businesses with a network of more than 75 lenders that provide new and used equipment financing. This makes it possible for businesses to do a side by side comparison of financing terms from a variety of potential lenders.

Interest rates will vary based on a company’s creditworthiness, but reviewers report a range anywhere between 8% and 20%. There is also a possibility of discounts if a company pays off its lease ahead of schedule.

Fees vary, and some lenders may charge a loan origination fee. Additionally, National Business Capital receives 2.99% of the origination or closing fee. Lease amounts start at $10,000 and go all the way up to $1 million. Financing terms can span 12 to 60 months.

While the majority of lenders in National Business Capital’s network don’t require a business to provide collateral, the majority require a UCC lien. Borrowers can apply online, and some companies can get a decision by the next day.

4. US Business Funding

• Wide network of lenders
• 95% approval rate
• Wide network of lenders
• $10,000 minimum lease
• Get Started Now

US Business Funding finances both new and used equipment and has a reputation for working with businesses that might have encountered difficulty leasing equipment with a different leasing company. According to its website, the company approves 95% of applicants and has funded $2 billion in business equipment. Applicants will also receive a decision within 24 hours of submitting their application.

US Business Funding works with a network of lenders, with interest rates varying from 8% to 20%. Depending on a business’s creditworthiness and the lender, interest rates might exceed 20%. Most lenders require a UCC lien filed on the asset, and some may require a personal guarantee from the business owner.

The company requires a minimum lease amount of $10,000, but there is no cap on how much a business can borrow. The length of a lease can range from 24 months to 60 months.

5. Smarter Finance USA

• Finance $2,500 to $250,000
• Works with entrepreneurs
• Average 12 to 84 month terms
• Funds in as little as 24 hours
• Get Started Now

A relative newcomer to business equipment leasing, Smarter Finance USA has been in business since 2016. Based in Las Vegas, Nevada, the company is known for working with entrepreneurs as well as companies with challenges that might have prevented them from getting financing through another business equipment leasing company.

This is reflected in the Better Business Bureau reviews for Smarter Finance USA, in which several customers say they struggled to get financing for their business before being accepted by Smarter Finance USA.

Depending on what kind of equipment a company wishes to lease, Smarter Finance USA requires a documentation fee ranging from $300 to $850. Additionally, interest rates start at 6% and can go all the way up to 30%. Borrowers can finance between $2,500 and $250,000, with the length of the loan starting at 12 months and extending up to 84 months.

Because Smarter Finance USA frequently works with businesses with poor credit, it typically requires both a UCC lien and a personal guarantee. The company offers an online application, and borrowers can usually receive a same-day decision and, in some cases, access to funds within 24 hours.

6. Wells Fargo

• 5,000 banking locations
• No fees or prepayment penalties
• Terms range from 12 to 84 months
• $35,000 lease minimum
• Get Started Now

With more than 5,000 banking locations across the country, Wells Fargo is one of the most recognizable names in the financial industry. While most consumers probably know Wells Fargo as a bank, the company also offers business equipment leasing to small and large business owners.

Interest rates start at 6.25%, and there are no fees or prepayment penalties with a Wells Fargo business equipment lease. Unfortunately, the most competitive interest rates are reserved for borrowers who also maintain a business checking account with Wells Fargo. Businesses must also lease a minimum of $35,000. The length of loans range from 12 months to 84 months.

A Wells Fargo business equipment lease might not be an option for some businesses. This is because Wells Fargo requires borrowers to prove they have been in business for at least three years. Wells Fargo also requires a higher credit score compared to other business equipment leasing companies. Businesses can apply online or stop by a Wells Fargo branch to speak with a banker in person.

How to Choose the Best Equipment Leasing Solution for You

When it comes to choosing an equipment leasing company, there are a number of factors to consider.

1. Interest Rates and Fees

As with any loan, the interest rate and any accompanying fees are an important factor. The interest rate will depend on the company’s creditworthiness and, in some cases, annual revenue. Also keep in mind that some lenders charge documentation fees.

While every business owner wants to secure the lowest interest rate possible, keep in mind that you might pay a higher rate if you’re a startup company or a business that has struggled with revenue in the past. In other words, don’t rule out lenders that offer equipment leasing at a higher interest rate. As your business grows, it’s possible you can negotiate more favorable terms if you decide to renew your lease.

2. Availability of Funds

Ask how quickly you can expect to receive the funding after you’ve been approved. For any business, time is money. You can’t afford long delays while you wait for funds to become available. Some lenders state explicitly that they offer funds within 24 hours. If you need business equipment in a hurry, this can be a significant factor.

3. Ease of Applying

Is the leasing application available online? Can you submit your application and other documentation to a secure client portal? While the lack of an online option isn’t necessarily a dealbreaker, a lender that doesn’t provide this feature might not be as technologically savvy in other areas, such as customer support.

4. Underwriting Requirements

What kind of criteria does your business need to meet to qualify for an equipment lease? Is there a minimum credit score? Does the lender only work with companies that have been in business for a certain number of years? To avoid wasting time, make sure you know if the lender has specific underwriting requirements before you apply.

5. Repayment Options

When you research equipment leasing companies, it helps to inquire about repayment options, especially if you’re an entrepreneur or running a startup business. For example, some lenders give businesses an option to start with smaller, more manageable payments and then move to larger graduated payments as the business grows and earns more revenue.

6. Reputation

Business equipment leasing is a smaller niche than other types of financial services, such as consumer banking. For this reason, you might not find many reviews for business equipment lending.

However, you might have success finding reviews that speak to other aspects of the lender’s business. For example, Wells Fargo offers financing for equipment leasing, but it also works in the consumer finance sector, offering checking and savings accounts, home loans, and credit cards. If you can’t find reviews for equipment leasing, look at some of these other areas to get a feel for others’ experiences.

7. Customer Service

Business equipment can take up a huge chunk of a company’s budget. When you invest that much money into equipment, you want the peace of mind of knowing you can get help when you need it. This is particularly true if your equipment leasing company also performs service and maintenance on the equipment you lease.

Conclusion

There are a number of top business equipment leasing companies that offer equipment financing to business owners. If you’re a business owner looking to lease equipment, your creditworthiness and annual revenue will determine which lenders are willing to work with you. As with all things in business, it’s important to review your options and work with a company that can best help you achieve your goals.



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The Best Medical Billing Services

Operating a medical practice is a challenging process on a variety of fronts. Caring for patients’ health is the top priority, of course, but multiple other items are important. You need to schedule patients properly, schedule nursing and support staff, order supplies, manage patient records with HIPAA guidelines in mind, and create transcriptions of case file notes.

Ultimately, you do all of this to make money. Caring for patients is of utmost importance, but if you cannot turn a profit, you won’t be able to properly care for patients very long. Keeping on top of your billing process is the key to keeping the profits growing and the lights on at the office.

For quite a few practices, in-house billing is a serious chore. Instead, practices may consider outsourcing this key aspect of running a medical practice to one of the best medical billing services, or revenue cycle management (RCM) services.

The 8 Best Medical Billing Services

Medical billing involves submitting claims to health insurance companies for the care you’ve provided to patients. In modern health care, insurance payments are the key to maintaining a financially viable medical practice.

A medical billing service will file the insurance claims in a timely manner with the proper coding. By following the submission rules the insurer has, the chances increase of receiving a timely payment, giving your practice the cash flow it needs to operate.

These services often will handle the billing process with patients. After the insurance company pays its portion of the bill, the RCM may offer a service where it bills the patient for the remaining balance.

The best medical billing services also will help you avoid making mistakes in insurance claims and bill submission that could force you to forfeit revenue because of poor recordkeeping. Here are the eight best medical billing services we have found.

AdvancedMD

• Works with all types of practices
• Very high first pass success rate
• Works with denied claims
• Checks claims for coding errors
• Get a Free Quote

For medical practices that want the highest possible success with insurance claims on the first pass, AdvancedMD is a strong performer. It guarantees it will deliver one of the highest percentages of success on initial claims submission in the industry at 95%, and it claims to exceed that number under real world conditions.

AdvancedMD has an EMR system that you can use too, which helps with billing accuracy. However, the service does not initially code the claims, so you’ll have to do this part in-house.

Pros

  • Extremely high first pass success rate
  • Will search your claims for coding errors
  • Works with denied claims for you
  • Works with all sizes and types of practices

Cons

  • Does not do the initial coding, so you’ll need an in-house certified coder
  • Has some extra fees

AthenaCollector

• Extremely easy to use
• Works with your team
• 90-day minimum contract
• Great low prices
• Get a Free Quote

When you want your staff to handle the majority of the billing process with a bit of guidance from a service, AthenaCollector is a good choice. This is primarily an automated medical billing service that attempts to catch errors that your staff may make during the billing process.

It is easy to use, and training requirements don’t take a long time, so you can be up and running quickly.

Because AthenaCollector only has a 90-day minimum contract, you can try this RCM service to see if it fits your needs without a major commitment.

Pros

  • Extremely easy to use
  • Designed to help your in-house service
  • Shorter than average minimum contract length
  • Price point is a bit below average

Cons

  • Not made for those who want a complete third-party billing service
  • First pass success rate in claims is a bit lower than others

CareCloud

• Strong matching EMR system
• 1 year minimum contract
• Multiple plans
• Competitive pricing
• Get a Free Quote

One of CareCloud’s biggest advantages versus other RCMs is its ability to tailor its pricing tiers to match the way your practice works. Rather than a one-size-fits-all billing, CareCloud adjusts its billing based on the complexity and frequency of your claims.

With CareCloud, you’ll receive a below average percentage cost, based on your monthly billing amount, but you will have to pay some hefty startup fees.

If you want to match your EMR software with your biller, CareCloud offers a strong EMR system.

Pros

  • Multiple pricing tiers with competitive overall pricing
  • Has a strong matching EMR system
  • Offers a minimum contract length of one year
  • Excellent coding results

Cons

  • Startup fees are high for new clients
  • Requires a minimum monthly guarantee

Cerner

• Great for large practices
• Multiple advanced features
• Patient account collection services
• Handles all aspects of billing
• Get a Free Quote

For those medical practices that have complex billing needs, the Cerner billing service is able to handle these requirements. However, with the advanced features comes some challenges in training, so don’t expect to be up and running quickly with this biller.

Cerner will handle the entirety of the billing process from start to finish, including resubmissions of denied claims and account collections from patients. Cerner is best for larger practices.

Pros

  • Multiple advanced features for large practices
  • Handles all aspects of billing
  • Will manage patient account collections for you
  • Once you figure out how to use it efficiently, this is an impressive service

Cons

  • Higher than average pricing
  • Training process is long and involved
  • Customer service has hit and miss results

CureMD

• Geared toward small practices
• High first pass success rate
• No minimum contract
• Low startup costs
• Get a Free Quote

Small practices that want to start using a medical billing service without shelling out a significant upfront investment will appreciate CureMD.

This service has a first pass success rate for claims at up to 98%, which is one of the highest in the industry. It handles all aspects of the billing and claims process, including generating codes, so it’s a full service option.

CureMD excels at generating helpful reports too.

Pros

  • Low initial price for basic service
  • Geared toward small practices
  • No minimum contract requirement
  • Very high first pass success rate on claims

Cons

  • Has multiple add-on fees, depending on the level of service you need
  • Will not support some uncommon specialty areas

DrChrono

• Full service plans
• No minimum monthly guarantee
• Start to finish claim submission
• High percentage of success
• Get a Free Quote

For smaller than average sized medical practices, a full service system that encompasses EMR, practice management, and billing services may be the best option, which is what DrChrono offers. (You cannot be a DrChrono customer for medical billing services unless you also use its EMR software package.)

DrChrono claims a first pass success rate on insurance claims of up to 97%, which is extremely strong. This billing service delivers full service to its clients, regardless of size, including generating the codes for you.

Pros

  • Geared toward both general practices and specialty providers
  • Works with small practices with no minimum monthly guarantee
  • Will handle the claims submission process from start to finish
  • Offers a high percentage of success on first pass of insurance claims

Cons

  • Must be a DrChrono EMR software client
  • May not work as well for larger practices

Human Medical

• Best for smaller practices
• Highly flexible plans
• Personalized & customized service
• Great customer service
• Get a Free Quote

When you want a highly personalized and customized service from a medical biller, Human Medical is an excellent choice. It is not a large company, but its customer service is strong. It is willing to work with its clients to come up with the best solution.

Human Medical does not offer other types of software, so it’s a nice choice for practices that already have EMR and practice management software in place and do not want to change vendors.

Its percentage charges are higher than average, so you will pay a bit extra for the flexibility you receive.

Pros

  • Highly flexible service
  • Handles all aspects of the claim generation process, including coding
  • Great for smaller practices
  • Very good customer service

Cons

  • Has no EMR or practice management software option
  • Percentage fees are a bit higher than average

Kareo

• Flexible service plans
• Works with resubmissions
• Training options
• Competitive pricing
• Get a Free Quote

If you are a customer of the Kareo EMR and practice management software, you’ll receive an excellent price on the Kareo medical billing service.

Kareo gives you flexibility in how you use its billing services, as it can handle the entire billing process from start to finish, or it can handle any single segment of the billing service. It also handles resubmissions as required.

You will have to pay a setup fee and a monthly minimum with Kareo, but these amounts are reasonable versus some others.

Pros

  • Competitive pricing
  • Handles all aspects of medical billing, if desired
  • Works with resubmissions
  • Nice level of training options

Cons

  • Must use Kareo’s EMR and practice management software
  • Some questions about its customer service reliability

How to Choose The Best Medical Billing Service For You

Finding just the right medical billing service to meet your needs requires completing a bit of homework on your part. Think about which RCM services are most important for your practice (and in which areas you need the most help), and find a service that has the strengths in those areas.

Price

Cost is a significant differentiator among RCM services. As a start, the majority of medical billing services will charge you a percentage of the revenue they run through the billing process. Around 6% is average, but some RCMs charge as much as 9% or 10%.

Unfortunately, you cannot consider price alone when comparing the best medical billing services. You also need to fully understand how the biller calculates the percentage. In addition to the amount of the insurance claims the RCM runs for you, the amount on which the RCM bases the percentage also may include:

  • Any clearinghouse fees you pay
  • Any copays you collect before the appointment

The RCM may charge you additional fees for extra features, such as the total number of claims you file per month and the number of different insurers you use. Be certain you fully understand the service’s fee structure before signing any contract.

The RCM also may have a minimum amount it will charge you each month. If you are a small practice that doesn’t generate enough claims to reach this minimum amount, it will end up costing you quite a bit more than a straight percentage vendor.

Contract

The medical billing service likely will want you to agree to some sort of contract length before it takes on your practice as a client. This is a common occurrence among RCMs.

A minimum contract length will be one year, but you often find billers that want you to sign up for a two- or three-year contract. Some even use five-year contracts. You can try to negotiate shorter contract periods, but success rates are hit and miss.

The good news with a contract is you will know what your costs will be for the length of the contract, as the biller shouldn’t change the billing rate on a whim during the contract period.

Pay attention to any fees and penalties you must pay if you want to cancel the contract early. Should the medical billing service fail to meet the guidelines for performance spelled out in the contract, make sure the contract allows you to cancel the service without penalty.

Guarantees on Coding

If you find a low priced medical billing service, it may be because the service expects you to take care of the initial coding on insurance claims. Using proper coding is a significant part of filing insurance claims properly, and incorrect coding leads to rejected claims. You’ll want a medical billing service that is able to achieve successful claim submissions at a high percentage the first time, which reduces delays in receiving payments.

If your practice struggles with making coding errors, you may want to find a medical billing service that handles all of the coding for you. Be certain that the service hires only certified coders, ensuring you receive the most accurate possible results. The service needs to be able to handle the ICD-10 coding system, which most can. (And it should have plans in place for how it will migrate to ICD-11 after this system’s adoption in the near future.)

If you have someone on staff who has success with generating insurance coding, you probably can save some money with a medical billing service by generating the codes yourself.

Managing Denials

When selecting the best medical billing service, figure out how the RCM handles claims that the insurance company denies. Will the billing service fix and resubmit any denied claims?

Some services will not resubmit a claim if the mistake occurred on your end, not without charging you an additional fee. Others will fix everything as part of your base price, regardless of where the mistake originated.

Working With Specialties

If you engage in an area of specialty at your practice, your insurance coding can be a challenge. Before picking a medical billing service, make sure it has the ability to handle your specialty needs, especially if they generate some uncommon insurance billing codes.

Working With Your Software System

For the smoothest possible integration of your billing needs, look for an RCM that is able to connect with your EMR system. If the medical billing service can pull the necessary data directly from your system, this will reduce errors in submitting claims.

Some medical billing services have their own EMR and practice management systems. If you match the biller to the software you’re already using, it can deliver the maximum efficiency for your medical practice. In fact, some billers only will accept you as a client if you use the biller’s EMR and practice management software.

Additionally, the service also may be able to generate reports about the way your medical practice is operating, passing them directly into your practice management software. This helps you see which areas of your billing process may be hindering your practice’s growth and bottom line financials.

Working With Patients

Some medical billing services will be able to handle all aspects of billing, including working with patients on their accounts.

The service may take a variety of items off your plate, including:

  • Sending statements directly to patients
  • Monitoring the progress of patients making payments on a balance
  • Working out a payment plan
  • Turning over unpaid accounts to collections
  • Operating a patient portal where patients can make payments on account balances

Understand that some medical billing services will charge you extra for these patient management options, while others include them in the monthly percentage fee you pay.

Privacy Guarantees

It is vital that any medical billing service is able to follow all HIPAA rules and guidelines. As the service will be handling sensitive patient data, it must have a process in place to guarantee the safety of the information.

If you are working with an American-based company, you’ll have a better chance of receiving HIPAA compliance than if you’re using a foreign-based company.

Customer Support

Make sure the medical billing service you select allows you to contact it using the method you prefer, whether that is via email, telephone, or live messaging.

Some services offer customer support 24 hours a day and seven days a week, while others only offer support during normal business hours.

Summary: Putting a Medical Billing Service to Work for You

Some medical practices choose to handle medical billing and insurance claims with in-house personnel. If you have the budget to hire insurance coders who know how to handle the medical billing process, this choice may work nicely for you.

However, doing medical billing properly does take significant time. You may not have the staff available to handle this key task. The best medical billing services will give you excellent and reliable results. These services keep you on track with your revenue stream. If you try to perform medical billing in-house and you fall behind, it can be almost impossible to catch up again, which will cost you cash flow.

Certainly, medical billing services have an expense associated with them. You may end up paying more for RCM services than what you’d pay someone in-house to handle the work. But the extra expense may be worth the peace of mind a billing service gives you, as well as the steady flow of successful insurance claims.



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The Best Telemarketing Services

Contrary to popular belief, telemarketing is still a viable marketing strategy for businesses.

The best telemarketing services offer more than just cold calling random numbers to sell something. They assist with lead generation, campaign management, and other essential services to make sure you’re generating a high ROI.

Some telemarketing services even have complete call center solutions, from answering services to call forwarding and more.

If you’re looking for the best telemarketing service for your business, I’ll help you find one that fits your needs.

The 10 Best Telemarketing Services of 2020

There are hundreds of different telemarketing companies on the market today. Finding the best option for you can be tough if you don’t know where to start.

After conducting extensive research, I’ve narrowed down the top ten telemarketing companies:

This guide contains an in-depth review of each service. We’ll cover the features, benefits, and other factors to consider during your search.

Best Telemarketing Services Reviews

DialAmerica

• In business for 60+ years
• Located in the United States
• Full-service sales & marketing
• Wide range of services
• Get a Free Quote

DialAmerica has been around for 60+ years. They have 19 call centers that are all located within the United States. Each year, DialAmerica makes 100 million calls.

With DialAmerica, you get more than just telemarketing. It’s a full-service sales and marketing organization.

The call center agents at DialAmerica are not taught script reading. Instead, they learn active listening skills for establishing rapport with customers. These sales skills help them use personalized and persuasive techniques.

By adding a human touch to these calls, customers are much more engaged than they would be from listening to a script.

The marketing campaigns from DialAmerica are based on data and advanced reporting. These are highly customizable and always accessible. The analytics used by the DialAmerica representatives make it possible for them to adjust and improve campaigns on the fly.

Common industries that use DialAmerica’s telemarketing services include:

  • Healthcare
  • Retail
  • Ecommerce
  • Education
  • B2B sales and service
  • Communications
  • Financial services
  • Government
  • Nonprofit
  • Publishing

DialAmerica has call center services for lead generation, appointment setting, customer acquisition, customer retention, and customer service. They even offer direct mail fulfillment.

Flatworld Solutions

• Wide range of services
• Cold calling
• Affordable pricing
• Telemarketing services that scale
• Get a Free Quote

Flatworld Solutions offers a wide range of outsourcing services. In addition to call centers, this company provides photo editing, software development, design, data entry, transcription services, and more.

They have a global reach with offices and delivery centers in the US, India, and the Philippines.

Flatworld Solutions has the infrastructure and everything you need for telemarketing at scale. Here’s a quick overview of the telemarketing services that they offer:

  • Cold calling
  • B2B cold calling
  • Real estate cold calling
  • B2C cold calling
  • Inbound telemarketing
  • Outbound telemarketing
  • Telemarketing consulting services
  • List marketing services

Flatworld Solutions uses some of the best call center software on the market today. They use Zendesk, HubSpot, Five9, LiveAgent, Salesforce, and more.

Let’s take a look at the affordable pricing rates for the call center services offered by Flatworld Solutions:

  • Telemarketing and non-technical support — Starting at $8 per hour
  • Technical support — Starting at $10 per hour
  • Advanced technical support — Starting at $15 per hour

Rates vary based on factors like volume, call complexity, and other contract terms. But with telemarketing services as low as $8 per hour, it’s a great way to get a high ROI.

Squeeze Media

• Full-service BPO firm
• Inbound & outbound calling
• Specialty services
• In business since 2009
• Get a Free Quote

Squeeze Media is a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm based in Utah.

Launching back in 2009, Squeeze Media is a bit newer and smaller compared to some of the other companies on our list. But that’s definitely an advantage for those of you who want a more personal relationship with your telemarketing service provider.

B2C telemarketing is one of the many specialty services offered at Squeeze Media. With a mix of inbound and outbound calling, the Squeeze Media agents can sell your products and services.

Squeeze Media offers other services, including call center solutions such as:

  • Lead generation
  • Live transfers
  • Lead development
  • Consultative sales
  • B2B pipeline development
  • Marketing automation
  • Inbound customer service
  • Outbound customer retention

For those of you who want to work with a smaller US-based telemarketing service, Squeeze Media will be a top option for you to consider. As a full-service BPO firm, they have the resources and tools you need for success.

Callbox

• Specialize in lead generation
• Target high-value prospects
• Focused on B2B telemarketing
• Used by 7,000+ businesses
• Get a Free Quote

Callbox is a bit unique compared to some of the other telemarketing services in this guide. That’s because they specialize in lead generation and appointment setting for B2B organizations.

The agents at Callbox know how to target high-value prospects.

But rather than closing leads themselves, like a low-ticket value B2C telemarketing campaign, Callbox will qualify those leads and set appointments for you. So your sales team will still need to make the sale, but Callbox makes it easier for them by providing qualified leads with confirmed appointments.

Big companies like HP, Forbes, ADT, Motorola, and DHL all trust Callbox with their B2B telemarketing needs.

Callbox also provides services for things like account-based marketing, customer profiling databases, and event marketing.

More than 7,000 businesses have used Callbox for B2B lead generation. This service provider has set up 520,000+ appointments for its clients.

Quality Contact Solutions

• PCI Level 1 service provider
• B2C outsourced telemarketing
• B2B outbound marketing services
• Wide range of solutions
• Get a Free Quote

Quality Contact Solutions is a PCI Level 1 service provider. Businesses that process $1 to $6 million in credit cards per year need to use a Level 1 PCI call center to remain PCI compliant.

This ensures that any credit card information captured over the phone is completely secure.

Quality Contact Solutions provides B2C outsourced telemarketing and B2B outbound marketing services. They also have solutions for consulting and outsourced telemarketing quality assurance.

The majority of the B2C telemarketing services from Quality Contact Solutions is geared toward existing customers.

  • Cross-sell to existing customers
  • Up-sell to existing customers
  • Information blitz to new and existing customers

The list of B2B telemarketing services is a bit more extensive. Common solutions include:

  • Lead generation and qualification
  • Appointment setting
  • Inbound customer service
  • Existing customer cross-sell and upsell
  • Technical support center
  • Inbound customer service

Pricing for Quality Contact Solutions telemarketing services typically falls into three separate categories—hourly, performance-based, or hourly plus performance.

The majority of these fees fall somewhere between $2,500 and $10,000. You can request a quote based on the needs of your business.

Go4customer

• Dozens of service options
• Strategic consulting
• Telemarketing services
• Inbound call center services
• Get a Free Quote

Go4customer has one of the most extensive product and service offerings on our list. In addition to call center and telemarketing services, they provide things like strategic consulting, data management, debt collection, online reputation management, app marketplace promotion, HR outsourcing, and more.

These are just a handful of the dozens of services that Go4customer handles.

Telemarketing is one aspect of Go4customer’s outbound call center services. They also offer appointment scheduling, lead generation, customer surveys, and verification services.

Go4customer has been in business for roughly 20 years. Consistency is something that they promise and strive for every day.

If you’re using Go4customer for telemarketing, you might also want to consider taking advantage of the inbound call center services. They provide customer support, help desk solutions, tech support, product information requests, inquiries, and toll-free services.

Here’s an overview of the industries that Go4customer commonly works with:

  • Automotive
  • Healthcare
  • Travel
  • Luxury
  • Ecommerce
  • Real estate
  • Information technology
  • Banking
  • Energy
  • Telecom
  • Agriculture
  • Public services

If you fall into one of these categories and you’re interested in other services beyond telemarketing, Go4customer will be a top choice for you.

Strategic Calls

• Strategic telemarketing services
• Targets CEO's & decision-makers
• Cold calling services
• Simple pricing
• Get a Free Quote

Strategic Calls offers telemarketing services that target C-suite and executive-level decision-makers. If you’re a B2B organization that wants to target CEOs, CTOs, CFO, CMOs, and other executives, Strategic Calls will be the best option for you.

You can also run campaigns to target mid-level management or cold calling services direct to customers.

Campaigns from Strategic Calls take place over a five-day period. Here’s a quick overview of what happens each day.

  • Day 1 — Prepare a prospect list, identify call purpose, develop script and workflow.
  • Day 2 — First attempt of outbound calls.
  • Day 3 — Second attempt of outbound calls.
  • Day 4 — Third attempt of outbound calls.
  • Day 5 — Analyze results and plan the next steps.

Strategic Calls charges $1,000 for three rounds of calls (over five days) to 50 C-level prospects. The rate for three rounds of calls to mid-level management is $750.

For those of you interested in telemarketing to individual customers, Strategic Calls charges $250 for one round of calls attempts to 500 prospects.

Worldwide Call Center

• Call centers across the globe
• Wide range of services
• Low costs & rates
• In business 20+ years
• Get a Free Quote

As the name implies, Worldwide Call Centers has, yes, you guessed it—call centers across the world. With locations in the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Philippines, India, Pakistan, and Africa, this provider has the biggest global presence on our list.

The benefit of using a telemarketing service in one of these countries is the cost. Using call center services outside of the US and Canada will give you access to the cheapest rates.

If you’re comfortable using a traditional scripted approach to telemarketing to save some money, Worldwide Call Centers is perfect for things like:

  • Market research
  • Tech support
  • Lead generation
  • Surveys
  • Appointment taking
  • Back office processing
  • Sales
  • Help desk
  • Customer support
  • Direct response

For 20+ years, Worldwide Call Centers has been an industry leader in outsourced telemarketing services. Contact them today for a custom quote. You can choose your call center and get a rate based on your monthly call volume.

SAS

• Specializes in answering services
• Native English speakers
• Focus on lead generation
• Pay based on usage
• Get a Free Quote

SAS specializes in call center answering services. In fact, that’s where the acronym SAS comes from (Specialty Answering Services).

While this might be their primary service, SAS also has exceptional telemarketing solutions.

SAS is 100% US-based. All of the reps are native English speakers that live and work in the United States. SAS puts a strong emphasis on quality control, with QA teams screening 2,000+ calls per month.

The telemarketing services at SAS primarily focus on lead generation.

In addition to traditional outbound telemarketing, SAS has a few specialty lead generation categories that include appointment making, insurance appointment setting, and janitorial appointment setting.

With SAS, you’ll pay based on usage (per minute). Rates start as low as $31 per month + $1.19 per minute, which is ideal for low volume telemarketing. These rates go as high as $7,749 per month for 10,000 minutes.

It’s safe to say that SAS has a plan for everyone. You can try their services for free with a 14-day trial.

Superhuman Prospecting

• Inbound & outbound services
• Cold calling & lead generation
• Appointment setting
• Focused on B2B
• Get a Free Quote

Superhuman Prospecting is a division of Pereus Marketing. This Pennsylvania-based agency is an outsourced sales team.

All of the call center representatives have a background in sales at the B2B level. This makes them perfect candidates for selling to your prospective clients.

Superhuman Prospecting takes the time to understand your business and its needs. As experienced sales men and women, they have been thoroughly trained in the art of pitching to yield higher conversions.

The services offered by Superhuman Prospecting can be segmented into three main categories:

  • Cold calling
  • Lead generation
  • Appointment setting

They also offer inbound call center services, in addition to the telemarketing options listed above.

Superhuman Prospecting has experience working with industries like small business, law firms, property management, construction, real estate, tech, security, education, automotive, food service, consulting, and more. Contact them today for a free quote on telemarketing rates.

How to Choose the Best Telemarketing Service For Your Business

Not every telemarketing service will be the best option for your business. There are certain factors that you must take into consideration when you’re evaluating prospective choices.

This is the methodology that we use and recommend. I’ll give you a brief overview of each element below.

Call Center Location

The location of call centers is important for a couple of different reasons.

For starters, this has a significant impact on the rate you’ll pay. If you outsource telemarketing overseas to countries like India or the Philippines, you’ll pay much less than you would if you’re using a US-based call center.

With that said, some companies would rather pay a premium to use call centers with native English speakers. But if you’re on a tight budget, outsourcing to a global telemarketing center would be better for your business.

Business Type and Industry

Some telemarketing services specialize in certain industries, whether it’s law firms, retail, financial services, or something else. One firm might excel in sales, while another is better for something like appointment setting.

Your target market will impact the decision on which service you choose as well. For example, there are telemarketing services that target CEOs and other C-level executives, whereas other services are better for cold calling general consumers at scale.

Additional Services

In most cases, telemarketing won’t be the only service offered by the provider you’re considering. The majority of the options on our list also provide a wide range of additional services.

From inbound call center solutions to full-service BPO providers, you can benefit from packages that go beyond the phone. Check out those other offerings. It’s easier to get these all under one roof instead of outsourcing to multiple agencies.

Reputation

Telemarketing can be a tough business. Somewhat unfairly, it’s developed a negative reputation over the years. But that’s largely due to service providers cutting corners when it comes to quality.

Take the time to conduct due diligence before you sign a contract. Some of the service providers on our list have been in the industry for 60+ years. I typically lean towards working with well-established companies boasting a credible reputation.

Conclusion

What’s the best telemarketing service for your business? Here’s a recap of the top ten telemarketing services that we reviewed in this guide:

  • DialAmerica — US-based call centers with 60+ years of telemarketing experience.
  • Flatworld Solutions — Cold calling telemarketing starting at $8 per hour.
  • Squeeze Media — Small BPO (business process outsourcing) provider based in Utah.
  • Callbox — Best telemarketing service for B2B lead generation and appointment setting.
  • Quality Contact Solutions — Telemarketing services with several pricing models.
  • Go4customer — Extensive list of other services beyond call centers and telemarketing.
  • Strategic Calls — Best telemarketing service for targeting executives and managers.
  • Worldwide Call Centers — Best cheap telemarketing service with global call centers.
  • SAS — Answering service with telemarketing rates based on usage.
  • Superhuman Prospecting — Telemarketing agents with a background in sales.

Whether you’re a small business targeting general consumers or a B2B company targeting executive-level decision-makers, there’s a telemarketing service for your organization on this list. For all budgets and call center needs, use this guide to help you make a decision.



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Thursday, April 2, 2020

Google Loves My Site! Niche Site Project 4 Monthly Report for March 2020

March 2020 was a very good month for OwnTheYard.com! Not only was it a record traffic month, but it was also a record earning month. The site broke $3,000 in earnings…a nice milestone for sure. The best news is that…

The post Google Loves My Site! Niche Site Project 4 Monthly Report for March 2020 appeared first on Niche Pursuits.



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Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Best Call Center Software

In a world where everything has gone digital, phone support still plays a vital role in providing excellent customer service. According to a recent study, 48% of consumers say they prefer to communicate with companies on the phone.

Furthermore, 75% of people say they want human interaction for customer support.

Historically, call centers were typically associated with larger enterprise-level organizations. But modern technology and software has made it possible for any business to set up a call center.

Since call centers today are driven by software, you won’t have to worry about expensive hardware or anything like that. In most cases, you’ll be able to continue using your existing phones and devices to manage your call center.

The 7 Best Call Center Software of 2020

After extensive research, I’ve narrowed down the seven best call center software solutions on the market today.

As we continue you through this guide, I’ll give you an in-depth review of each provider on this list. We’ll discuss the features, benefits, pricing, and other considerations so you can make an informed decision for your business.

Best Call Center Software Reviews

RingCentral Contact Center

• Great for sales & service teams
• 40+ robust features
• 99.99% guaranteed uptime
• Wide range of options
• Get a Free Quote

Most of you will probably be familiar with RingCentral. This company ranked first on our list of the best video conferencing services, and they also ranked high on our guide of the best VoIP phone systems. These are two of RingCentral’s best-known products.

But the RingCentral Contact Center is also a top option for any business seeking call center software.

It’s an ideal solution for both sales and customer service teams.

RingCentral Contact Center has more than 40 robust features like intelligence routing, CRM integrations, and workforce management tools. You’ll also benefit from administrative and management features like surveys, call recording, and analytics.

RingCentral is safe, secure, and reliable. They have a guaranteed uptime of 99.99%, and the software gives your agents the ability to work from anywhere.

Here’s an overview of the RingCentral Contact Center plans:

Basic

  • Inbound voice support
  • Standard IVR and ACD capabilities

Advanced

  • Omnichannel support and integrations (email, chat, SMS, social media)
  • Advanced IVR and ACD

Ultimate

  • Inbound and outbound voice
  • Predictive, progressive, and preview dialing
  • Campaign management

You’ll need to contact the RingCentral sales team to get a quote for your business.

But as you can see, they have options for everyone. Smaller teams that only need solutions for inbound calls can use the Basic plan. If you want omnichannel inbound call center support, the Advanced option will be best for you. For both inbound and outbound calling, you’ll need the Ultimate plan.

RingCentral is a trusted name in the VoIP phone and video industry. Their call center software is consistent with the high-level quality you’d expect from this provider.

Freshcaller

• Free 14-day trial
• Cloud-based solution
• Wide range of features
• Used by 6,000+ businesses
• Try for Free

Freshcaller is call center software provided by Freshworks, which is another well-known, trusted, and established name in the world of business solutions.

Like other Freshworks products, Freshcaller is a cloud-based solution that’s both simple and modern. It’s easy for any business to use, regardless of its size and technical expertise.

More than 6,000 businesses use Freshcaller’s software for a call center. It’s used by inbound sales agents as well as customer support teams.

Pricing for Freshcaller is a bit unique. You’ll pay a monthly rate for the plan you select based on the features offered. But you’ll also pay per minute based on usage.

Let’s take a look at those plans first before we dive into the usage rates.

Sprout — $0

  • Best for startups and freelancers
  • Unlimited agents
  • Basic call queues
  • Custom greetings
  • Forward to phone
  • Custom ringtones

Blossom — $19 per agent per month

  • Advanced queues
  • Blind transfers
  • Import bulk contacts
  • BYOC (bring your own carrier)
  • Business hours
  • Call masking and recording
  • Custom voicemail, voicemail transcription, and voicemail drop

Garden — $40 per agent per month

  • Advanced call metrics
  • Agent extensions
  • Conference calling
  • Call monitoring
  • Routing during non-business hours
  • Virtual hold
  • European and Australian data cent
  • Click-to-call Chrome extension

Estate — $59 per agent per month

  • Abandoned call metrics
  • Service level monitoring
  • Omnichannel routing
  • Custom agent status
  • Answer bot
  • Agent activity reports
  • Call recording opt-in

From startups to growing teams and global companies, Freshcaller has an option for everyone.

Call rates are based on factors like device (browser vs. phone), country, and whether or not the call is incoming or outgoing. Incoming rates start as low as $0.016 per minute, and outgoing rates start at $0.022 per minute.

You can try Freshcaller for free with a 14-day trial.

8×8 Contact Center

• Customized solutions
• Omnichannel routing
• Real-time analytics
• Improve agency productivity
• Get a Free Quote

The 8×8 Contact Center is an ideal solution for omnichannel routing. It’s a way for your company to enhance the customer experience from a single touch point.

Top features include skills-based call routing, queued callback, web callback and IVR (interactive voice response). 8×8 also has inbound chat, email, and social channel contact solutions for your call center software.

You’ll also benefit from real-time analytics and reports. This information is available from any device. It details customer journeys and wait times for every customer across all channels.

8×8 has tools to help you improve agency productivity. A private knowledge base, expert connect, simple interface, and comprehensive communication hub ensures that all customer communication is handled quickly and efficiently.

Your 8×8 Contact Center integrates with CRMs like Zendesk, Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, and more.

8×8 is a top solution for large businesses and enterprises. It has advanced features with a global reach.

The 8×8 Contact Center has exceptional security. It’s compliant with HIPAA, FISMA, and more. 8×8 has tools to ensure privacy for sensitive data entry fields as well.

You’ll need to contact the 8×8 sales team for a custom quote on your solution.

Five9

• All-in-one contact center solution
• Cloud-based solutions
• Work from anywhere
• 2,000+ business customers
• Get a Free Quote

Five9 is an all-in-one contact center solution. It’s used by big brands like Lululemon, Expedia, Carfax, Omaha Steaks, and DHL. This company has been providing cloud-based solutions to businesses for roughly 20 years. Its 2,000+ business customers worldwide manage 5+ billion calls each year.

The Five9 Intelligence Cloud Contact Center gives your customer service agents the power and flexibility to work from anywhere.

Five9 is completely customizable. It’s built to meet the needs of your business, regardless of your size or industry. The software delivers crystal clear voice, strong security, and a 99.99% uptime rate.

The top features and benefits of an all-in-one contact center software include:

  • CRM integration
  • Open platform APIs
  • Call routing
  • Omnichannel support
  • Global voice
  • Self-service tools
  • Analytics
  • WFO
  • Predictive dialing

Five9 has a wide range of solutions based on the type of business you have. They provide call center software for sales, telemarketing, customer service, collections, outsourcers, small business, medium-sized businesses, and enterprises.

The Five9 contact center is fast, reliable, affordable, and easy to use. Contact their sales team to request a demo and get a custom quote.

CrazyCall

• 14-day free trial
• Plans start at $11/month
• Makes sales calls more efficient
• Great solution for sales teams
• Try for Free

CrazyCall is a top call center solution for sales teams. It offers features like auto dialing, call monitoring, call script, call transfers, click to call, and a callback widget.

All of the CrazyCall features and benefits are designed to make sales calls more efficient.

CrazyCall has other solutions for ecommerce shops, small businesses, and support teams, but the sales features are still the highlight of this software. It even has tools for lead generation on your website.

Here’s an overview of the CrazyCall plans and prices:

Starter — $11 per month per user

  • 200 free minutes per user each month
  • 45 days of data storage
  • 3 active projects

Team — $22 per month per user

  • 500 free minutes per user each month
  • 365 days of data storage
  • Unlimited active projects

Professional — $45 per month per user

  • 1,250 free minutes per user each month
  • Unlimited data storage
  • IP restriction
  • Tailored reporting tools
  • Unlimited calls to US and Canada

All plans come with a free phone number, API and integrations, and 24/7 customer support. The free minutes each month apply to 122 countries. Beyond that, calls to US landlines start at just $0.01 per minute.

You can try CrazyCall for free with a 14-day trial.

Zendesk Talk

• Free lite plan
• Upgrades start at $19/mo
• Cloud-based solution
• Integrates with Zendesk Support
• Try for Free

Zendesk is best known for its customer service CRM. But it has a separate solution, called Zendesk Talk, for call center software.

This cloud-based call center solution is built directly into the ticketing system for Zendesk Support. Your agents will have access to the full customer history and additional features like call recording and automatic ticket creation.

The software is designed to improve your support process, while eliminating unproductive tasks. Your agents can focus on solutions, conversions, and customers, as opposed to workflow bottlenecks.

Top features of Zendesk Talk include:

  • Inbound and outbound calling
  • Custom greetings
  • Local and toll-free numbers
  • Browser-based calls
  • Call forwarding to phones
  • Call blocking
  • Conference calling
  • Group routing
  • Callback from queue
  • Inbound and outbound SMS
  • Advanced analytics
  • Real-time dashboard
  • Call recording and call record permissions

Similar to other call center software on our list, Zendesk Talk is based on a combination of your plan and usage.

Zendesk Talk has a wide range of plans for you to choose from. The list and features for each one are quite extensive. So rather than giving you a complete overview of those, I’ll just quickly cover the starting prices to give you an idea of the cost.

  • Lite — Starting at $0
  • Team — Starting at $19 per agent per month
  • Professional — Starting at $49 per agent per month
  • Enterprise — Starting at $89 per agent per month

Zendesk offers a paid partner edition starting at $9 per agent per month. This is for every agent taking calls with Zendesk Support. To estimate your usage rates, Zendesk Talk has a calculator tool that you can play around with.

Talkdesk

• End-to-end customer experience
• Omnichannel support
• Customized solutions
• Used by 1,800+ businesses
• Get a Free Quote

Talkdesk has a wide range of products and solutions for businesses. The company offers tools and software for things like customer engagement, workforce engagement, and reporting.

The contact center software from Talkdesk is one of its best and most popular offerings. It’s marketed as an end-to-end customer experience solution.

It’s designed the meet the needs and expectations of the modern customer. These people have a certain expectation when they call your company. Talkdesk will help you improve productivity while reducing costs and increasing the customer experience.

Top features of Talkdesk include:

  • Outbound dialer
  • Customer self-service
  • Omnichannel support
  • Agent desktop and mobile agent tools
  • Call recording
  • Integrations with Salesforce, Zendesk, Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.
  • AI virtual assistant
  • Reporting and analytics

For the most part, Talkdesk is used by businesses across a handful of major industries. This includes retail, ecommerce, financial services, healthcare, travel, and hospitality.

Talkdesk has solutions based on call center type (sales, support, BPO) and business size (small, mid, enterprise).

Contact the Talkdesk sales team today for a quote. Join the 1,800+ businesses like Peleton, IBM, and Dropbox using this call center software.

How to Choose the Best Call Center Software For Your Business

As you can see from this list, call center software is extremely versatile. There are so many different features and benefits at your disposal. But with all of these options, how can you possibly know which one is best for your company?

There are certain factors that you should be evaluating when making your decision. This is the methodology that we use and recommend here at Quick Sprout.

Omnichannel Support

Any business in the market for call center software is likely communicating with customers across other channels as well.

Consider if you want to integrate those communication tools like email, live chat, and social media into your call center software. This will allow your agents to better serve the needs of your customers throughout each stage of the support process.

Call Center Type

What type of call center do you have?

Do you need software to support inbound calls only? Or do your agents need outbound dialing capabilities? Not every solution offers both.

The purpose of these calls will also have an impact on the software you choose. There are certain options that are better for sales, while others are better for customer support, troubleshooting, and ticketing.

Integrations

The best call center software will integrate with your CRM solution.

Some of the options on our list have their own full-service CRM systems as well. So you could potentially get an all-in-one solution from the same provider.

Pricing

It’s important that you have a clear understanding of how you’ll be billed for customer call center software. Not every company lists their prices online.

In most cases, you’ll pay based on a combination of usage and support agents. The majority of call center solutions have different plans for different the features you need. Make sure to find one that best fits your needs and budget.

Conclusion

Every business providing phone support for customers can benefit from call center software. From startups to enterprises and everything in between, these are the top seven call center software solutions on the market today:

  • RingCentral Contact Center — Best overall contact center software.
  • Freshcaller — Simple contact center software for teams of all sizes.
  • 8×8 Contact Center — Best contact center software for enterprise-grade security.
  • Five9 — Best all-in-one contact center software.
  • CrazyCall — Best call center software for outbound sales.
  • Zendesk Talk — Best call center software for support and automated ticketing.
  • Talkdesk — Best call center software for end-to-end customer experience.

Whether you need assistance with sales, customer support, or both, there’s an option for your business on this list.



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