Conference Calls Web Conferencing | Budget Conferencing Blog

How to Connect with Prospective Clients

Lorna Love — Wed, 18 Sep 2013 13:37:00 GMT

With prospective clients located all over the world, it can sometimes be difficult and expensive to reach out to them and stay connected. Web conferencing can make this task a little easier. Instead of scheduling flights and booking hotel rooms, you can meet with clients who are halfway around the world in a matter of minutes right from your desk.

Even though online meeting tools may simplify the process of connecting with global prospects, it should not be taking lightly. You should still prepare and practice just as much as you would if you were meeting face-to-face. Although online meeting software can impress your clients, it can also negatively affect your presentation and reputation if not executed correctly.

Follow these 4 simple tips when presenting your next online sales pitch.

Use video

Sitting through an hour long face-to-face presentation can be hard enough. Now imagine sitting through the same presentation starring at a computer screen with moving slides. Boring your potential clients is not the best way to get them to do business with you. Choose a product that has a high quality webcam feature so you can make eye contact with everyone throughout your pitch. This will allow your prospects to build a stronger personal connection with you and help them focus on what you’re saying.

Spice up your presentation

Don’t rely on the same presentation rules you used in middle school. Technology has significantly evolved since then and so should you. Show your prospects and customers that you can think outside the box and use fun presentation tools like Prezi and SlideRocket.

Build a strong, personal connection

Although you and your prospects are representing your respective companies, you are all individuals with personal lives. Incorporate your personal life into your presentation. Use pictures of your children, pets and share your funny stories or favorite memories. In doing so, you will be able to quickly build trust and close that deal.

Go mobile

Finding a time slot when everyone is available can be difficult. Imagine how impressed your potential clients will be when they can join your meeting from their mobile devices without sacrificing a great meeting experience. Your prospects will be able to engage in your sales pitch no matter where they are. In the car, at the airport or even at home—it doesn’t matter.

Using an online meeting tool will make it easier to connect with your global clients and customers. But choosing a reliable and flexible meeting tool will leave a lasting impression and separate yourself from your competition.

Would you like more information on how to make your meetings more efficient? Be sure to follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook

Photo: Spekulator/stock.xchng

When is the Best Time to Meet

Lorna Love — Wed, 28 Aug 2013 15:46:00 GMT

Meetings are a great way to share information with a large or small group of people. One of the first steps in planning a meeting is selecting a location and time. With busy schedules and remote workers, this can sometimes be the most difficult and time consuming part of the entire process.

Thanks to reliable web conferencing tools, finding an agreeable location has gotten a bit easier. Online meeting tools allow individuals to attend and host meetings from anywhere. People can meet from their homes, the airport and even the beach with mobile devices such as smartphones, laptops and tablets.

Although choosing a location might not be a long process anymore, selecting an appropriate time may still cause a headache. Timing is everything and you don’t want to choose a time when your employees are least productive. To ensure a successful and effective meeting, you want to select the best day and time that is available.

What is the best day of the week for a meeting?

Mondays and Fridays are typically two of the least effective days of the week. Many employees use their personal time on Mondays and Fridays to extend their weekends. As a result, key decision makers may not even be in the office on these days. These are also not the best days to schedule a recurring meeting, since most holidays fall on a Monday or Friday. Additionally, employees may still be recovering from their weekends and still in “weekend mode” on Mondays. While on Fridays, they are rushing through their day trying to complete all their tasks in preparation for the upcoming weekend. This leaves you with the middle of the week—Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

When is the best time to schedule a meeting?

Try to avoid early morning meetings. You will quickly see that employees are still a bit sleepy. Also, meetings that start at the beginning of the day will force employees to either prepare for the meeting the day before, or come in earlier in the day. If you schedule a meeting too late in the day, employees may be more concerned about what time it is instead of focusing on the information you’re presenting. This will negatively impact the effectiveness and enthusiasm in your meeting.

When is the ideal time to schedule a meeting?

When Is Good conducted a survey that found most of the respondents accepted meetings that started on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. This time is ideal because by 3 p.m., most individuals have already had their lunch and breaks for the day and their energy levels have resumed. Also, it’s late enough in the day so workers don’t have to alter their schedules by coming in earlier or worry about it running over and making them stay in the office later than normal.

It’s understandable that you won’t be able to schedule all your meetings on Tuesday’s at 3 p.m. If you have to schedule your meeting during a mealtime, consider providing food or snacks. Many employees find it productive working and eating at the same time, which will allow them to focus better on your meeting topics. Midmorning meetings can also be effective as well. Employees have had time to settle in and check emails, but not get too heavily involved in any daily tasks.

Different times and techniques may work for different situations. When do you tend to schedule your meetings? Let us know in the comments.

To find out more about how you have more effective meetings, Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

Photo Courtesy: Looking Glass/Flickr

Make a Boring Meeting Fun

Lorna Love — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 14:44:00 GMT

Meetings happen every day and unfortunately most are poorly planned, long and boring. Useful meetings are far and few between. However, sometimes a group discussion is the most effective option—it just has to be executed correctly.

If you follow these 6 tips, not only will you have more fun in your meetings, you may also see an increase in productivity.

1. Don’t forget your agenda

Agendas keep meetings organized and help ensure they start and end on time. But that’s not all they do. They can also help with the flow of your meetings. Make sure you start with any good news you have to share. This will help put all meeting attendees in a good mood. Additionally, if you put sprinkle important information throughout the agenda, people will stay focused because they’ll never be quite sure what’s coming next.

2. Food

Food can almost inevitably change the mood of any meeting. It relaxes everyone and helps people feel more comfortable. When food is present, people tend to be happier and you will instantly see energy levels rise.

3. Take a stand

Have you ever been part of an hour-long meeting that only really needed to last for 20 minutes? If this happens to you on a regular basis, try and suggest a standing meeting. In this type of meeting, all guests stand around in a room while they discuss the topics on the agenda. This method helps keep people focused and since no one wants to stand around for an hour, meetings are almost guaranteed to be much shorter and more efficient.

4. Switch it up

You don’t want to give a lecture to your meeting guests during every meeting. Add some variety. You can make your presentations more interactive by adding some videos or fun images. Anything that’s different will help get the attention from your meeting guests.

5. Invite guests

If you have a reoccurring meeting with your department, sometimes it’s nice to invite an “outsider” to speak to the group. Maybe it’s someone in a different department that provides details about their responsibilities or a volunteer from a charitable organization your company supports. Adding anybody new to the agenda will help with audience participation and excitement.

6. Add fun visual elements

PowerPoint has been the go-to tool when it comes to presentations. But don’t solely rely on PowerPoint to communicate your information to your audience. There are several apps available online that can help spice up your presentation. Adding 3D images and short animated videos are sure ways to get your audience sitting on the edge of their seats wanting more.

These are just six techniques you can use to make your meetings more fun. So give one of them or all of them a try for your next meeting.

How do you make your meetings more enjoyable for your guests? Let us know in the comments. To find out more about meetings, Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

Photo courtesy: antoniofurno

To Meet or Not to Meet

Lorna Love — Fri, 09 Aug 2013 16:06:00 GMT

Meetings are a great way to gather a group of people to brainstorm and collaborate on various topics. However, meetings that are poorly managed and unnecessary tend to waste everyone’s time.

Next time you are getting ready to schedule a meeting, ask yourself these five questions. You may find out you don’t really need to have a meeting at all.

1. Is there a goal?

What is the meeting about and what outcome do you hope to achieve? Every meeting should have a clear objective. If you’ve been asked to attend someone else’s meeting and you’re not sure of the goal, don’t hesitate to send a quick email to the meeting host requesting one.

2. Do you have who you need?

Without the appropriate people present, important decisions may be put on hold—indefinitely. If the decision makers are unable to attend, it’s probably best to postpone the meeting until further notice.

With so many global businesses, it’s very probable that a key person may not be able to attend because they are traveling or away on business. If this is the case, try using a dependable web conferencing provider like BudgetWeb. Budget’s reliable audio quality, one-click scheduling and access to mobile apps make it a perfect solution to host or join meetings anywhere, anytime and on any device.

3. Is your presence required?

Sometimes when dealing with large projects, it can get confusing on who is responsible for what. You may get invited to a meeting and quickly realize you have nothing to do with anything that is being discussed. If after looking over a meeting’s agenda, you don’t think the meeting is for you, send a quick email to the host confirming your role and if your presence is really needed.

4. Can you put it in an email?

Have you ever attended a meeting where it was more like a lecture than a collaboration project? Depending on the topic, some meetings only require one-way communication. For these situations, try to put what you have to say in an email. In just a matter of moments, an entire department can read an announcement or update instead of receiving the same information in a 30 minute meeting.

5. Is there any new news?

A lot of teams have weekly standing meetings, where everyone shares what they’re working on or any new updates. Sometimes these meetings become a habit and teams meet even when there is nothing new to share. If there is nothing new to report, send out a short email along with a meeting cancellation. This will allow people to use that time productively and complete other tasks instead of wasting their time in an unnecessary meeting.

Meetings are great tools to use, but we need to learn how to use them wisely. How many unnecessary meetings do you end up attending a week? Share your stories below.

To find out more about meetings, Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

Photo courtesy: Mark Hillary

How to Start a Meeting on Time

Lorna Love — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 18:57:00 GMT

Meetings that start late not only irritate those who arrived promptly, but also wastes everyone’s time. If you are the meeting organizer, try some of the techniques mentioned below to help ensure your meetings start on time.

Insert an arrival time

In addition to including a start time on your meeting invites, add an arrival time. If your meeting starts at 10:00 a.m., set your arrival time for 9:50 a.m. This allows your guests an extra ten minutes to get to your meeting, chit-chat or network. In a world where we are often involved in back-to-back meetings all day, the extra 10 minutes could be a life saver to take a bathroom break or check emails between meetings. If participating in a web conference, the arrival time also provides a great opportunity to set up and sign in.

Send a reminder

With multiple tasks sometimes on our to-do lists, it can be very easy to lose track of time and forget things. Approximately 30 minutes prior to the start of your meeting, send a reminder to all meeting guests. This will give them plenty of time to find a stopping place on anything they may be working on.

Be the example

Have you ever showed up on time to a meeting, only to find the host was 10 minutes late? You can’t expect your meeting guests to arrive on time if you don’t. Respect the time of your guests and be the first one to arrive. You should even be there a few minutes before the arrival time. This will give you ample set-up time and allow you to greet all your guests as they come in.

Provide incentives

Sometimes it’s nice to provide light snacks or maybe even a full lunch to your meeting guests. If you are able to provide such amenities, make them available prior to the start of your meeting. As soon as the meeting starts, cut off access to the refreshments. This will almost always encourage guests to arrive early, especially if meetings are scheduled early in the morning or during the lunch hour.

Be strict with late arrivers

Once a meeting has started, latecomers can cause distractions and delay the meeting. To help avoid this, don’t be afraid to lock the door or lock the room if meeting virtually. Many college professors practice this rule. Although it may seem harsh, their classrooms are always full five minutes before start time. Just make sure that you clearly state the consequences for arriving late to your meetings.

These simple techniques will help your meetings start on time, which will help them end on time. Meeting guests will take notice and appreciate your respect for time.

Do you have trouble meeting on time? What techniques and tricks do you use? Let us know in the comments below. To find out more about meetings, Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

Photo courtesy: 2020VG

Working While on the Go: The Apps That Will Make It Easier

Lorna Love — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 19:09:00 GMT

We live in a fast-paced environment where we are always on the go. As a result, meetings don’t always happen while we’re in an office—or even in front of a computer. This is why it’s important to have online meeting tools and other apps that you can take with you, no matter where you may be. Check out these five must-haves that will help you remain productive while on the go.

Work Snug is a great app that rates nearby laptop friendly workspaces. Sometimes you need a change of scenery or a quick and free hookup to Wi-Fi. Work Snug rates the atmosphere, Wi-Fi and noise levels of various spaces so you can decide if it’s a good fit.

You aren’t the only one who is always on the move—so are your coworkers. This makes it challenging to keep track of everyone’s schedules. Thankfully, apps like Doodle provide a fast and simple solution to scheduling meetings with groups of people. It can be used on desktops or mobile devices and across time zones. Don’t waste your precious time trying to look through everyone’s schedule. Let Doodle do the work.

Without audio, you can’t achieve anything. If you can’t hear the other person on the line, nothing can get accomplished. This is why it’s so important to choose a reliable audio conferencing provider. It’s also ideal when additional features are available such as reporting and recording capabilities, toll-free and toll phone numbers. You should be able to relax and focus on your meeting, not any potential technical glitches.

Have you ever had trouble remembering something? With Evernote, you won’t have these problems anymore. Evernote allows you to save snapped photos, entire webpages and even share your notes with colleagues as a great collaboration tool. As an added bonus, all of your content can be made available on every device and computer you use.

There’s nothing worse than needing access to a document and realizing it’s saved to your laptop, but you only have your smartphone and tablet. With an app like Cubby, you can easily share and organize all of your files across desktops, tablets and smartphones. To share your documents, just provide them with a public link. If you want them to have edit capabilities, invite them to your cubby and they can make any changes, which will be reflected real-time.

It’s so important that as we move around the world, we can still remain connected and close with our colleagues. With that said, it’s vital to our success that we choose various mobile apps and tools that are reliable and effective.

Did I miss any apps that you take with you when you’re not at your desk? Let me know in the comments below. To learn more about Budget Conferencing’s audio or other services, give us a call at 866-983-0700 or contact us today!

Photo courtesy:mikecogh

Better Balance Your Work and Vacation Lives

Lorna Love — Wed, 03 Jul 2013 12:27:00 GMT

A good work-life balance will ultimately increase your productivity at work and just make you a happier individual. However, sometimes finding the right balance between the two can be challenging.

To prevent becoming overworked and burned out, it’s imperative to use your vacation time to get out of the office and away from the stresses of work. Nevertheless, Americans are doing just the opposite. In a survey performed by Right Management, 70 percent of employees who responded said they didn’t use all of their vacation time in 2011 because they are scared of seeming less-than-dedicated to their jobs.

It’s understandable that sometimes you may not be able to completely remove yourself from work. For some reason the timing never seems just right. If you appropriately balance your work life with your vacation life, you can briefly stay in touch with work while spending most of your time relaxing and having fun with family on vacation. These few simple tips can help you achieve that healthy balance.

Make a schedule and stick to it

Select small pockets of time when you can boot up that computer or smartphone and respond to emails or do any other work-related tasks. Maybe you choose 20 minutes over coffee in the morning or you’re a bit more aggressive and check in every hour on the hour for 10 minutes. No matter what window of time you select, make sure you stick to it. Don’t let 10 minutes turn into 25.

It’s also important to discuss this schedule with your family. Balancing work and vacation is a compromise between you, your job and your family. Remember, when you’re checking those emails, you’re not spending quality time with your friends and family.

Make coworkers and clients aware of your time off

Prior to leaving, you should make sure everyone knows what day you’re leaving and when you’re coming back. You should also update appropriate coworkers on the status of all of your ongoing projects. Also, it is helpful to select a back-up person that people can reach out to while you’re gone. You can leave your cellphone number with select coworkers so they can reach you in case of emergencies.

Don’t forget to put up your “Out of Office” notification on your email. Make sure to include the dates you will be out, your back-up person’s name and contact information. Also be sure to write a quick note explaining how connected you are to the office—maybe you will have limited access to emails so people should expect a delay in answers or maybe you won’t have access at all. Let them know what to expect.

Let go and trust

Sometimes last minute projects and deadlines may arise concurrently with a previously scheduled vacation. In these situations, you must learn to delegate tasks and trust they will be handled. Choose someone who you can trust so you don’t have to worry or continuously call to check-in.

Remember, you’re on vacation

Going on vacation will bring create some connectivity limitations. Maybe internet or cell service isn’t that great. Don’t let it frustrate you and ruin your vacation. There are online meeting tools that allow you to attend those important meetings while away, but remember that you’re not supposed to do everything that you would do if you were in the office. You don’t have to be in every meeting or respond to every email.

Keep your priorities straight. You’re ultimate reason for a vacation is to enjoy yourself and take a break from work. Spend time with your family and have fun making memories.

Although it is important to be a reliable employee and coworker, it’s also vital to be a great friend and family member. Understanding that purpose of your vacation will help you enjoy it more and make those memories more valuable.

When you go on vacation do you completely fall off the grid or do you take time and check those emails and voicemails? Contact us here so we can help you find the tools that will help you get the information you need faster so you can spend more time with family and friends on vacation.

Photo courtesy: Kolobsek

Run Shorter, More Efficient Meetings

Lorna Love — Thu, 27 Jun 2013 13:44:00 GMT

Many people don’t like meetings because they usually end up being a waste of valuable time. They have a tendency to interrupt your workflow, start late and last too long. Unfortunately, meetings happen every day in offices around the world. Here are 6 tips that will help you deliver all of your content and not waste anyone’s time.

1. Create an agenda

Prior to the meeting, you should create an agenda and send it to all meeting participants. This will help inform attendants on meeting topics so they can come prepared. When you are creating your agenda, make sure your topics are listed in order of importance. It’s better to get the more important discussions out of the way first.

2. Know who is invited

There is nothing worse than sitting in a long meeting and realizing you really don’t have to be there. Make sure to only invite people that can add to the discussion or are decision makers. And don’t worry about hurting someone’s feelings by removing them from the guest list. They’ll be grateful to get that time back in their day to complete other tasks. This also helps because meetings with fewer people tend to be more effective. It’s easier to have discussions and come to decisions.

3. Limit distractions

Although useful, cellphones and other electronic devices are full of distractions. There’s always an email or text message you feel you have to check as soon as it comes in. It’s best to ban all cell phones, computers and even tablets. Ideally, the only person with a laptop should be the person assigned to taking notes. Fewer distractions will help keep meeting participants more engaged and keep the meeting focused and on schedule.

4. Don’t provide food

Unless it’s over lunch, don’t provide food. People tend to get a little too comfortable while munching on snacks. It’s almost a sure way to lose focus of the agenda and start off topic chit-chat.

5. Consider a “standing” meeting

Consider getting rid of the chairs for your next meeting. No one is going to want to stand for a long time. This is a simple way to quickly shorten meetings while still delivering all of the important information.

6. Get clear on next steps

To show the meeting is coming to a close and make sure everyone is on the same page, the organizer should briefly go over what was accomplished and mention any next steps. After the meeting, an email should be sent out to all those who participated with a bit more detail and name those who are responsible for any follow-ups.

What are your most effective meeting techniques for keeping meetings short and productive? Let us know in the comments below. To find out more about meetings, Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

Photo Courtesy of: Eustatiub

5 Tips on How to Do Well in a Video Interview

Lorna Love — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:07:00 GMT

As technology continues to improve each and every day, more and more companies are turning to video conferencing technology to expedite the interviewing process. Video conferencing allows hiring managers and recruiters to quickly conduct first round interviews with top-talent from around the world, while saving on travel costs.

Although very similar to an in-person interview, you might want to take some extra steps when preparing for a video interview. Here are some tips to ensure you do well in your next virtual interview.

Know the equipment

     Before your interview begins, make sure you’ve had plenty of time to familiarize yourself
     with the online meeting tools. First, make sure your computer is compatible with the video
     conferencing software. You may want to sign-up for a free trial and practice with a friend.
     Your friend can also provide feedback on your interviewing skills. Do you speak too fast,
     are you fidgeting?

Arrive on time

     When arriving to an in-person interview, it’s important to arrive at least 15 minutes early.
     This however, is not the case with video interviews. Most online meeting tools do not
     have lobbies or waiting rooms. As a result, you may join a meeting early and interrupt a
     previously scheduled meeting. Don’t embarrass yourself and irritate the interviewer. You
     can either join the meeting right on time or one to two minutes early.

Dress to impress

     Even though an interviewer may not be able to see anything below your shoulders, you
     should still dress professionally from head-to-toe. Unlike an in-person interview, you need
     to be more cautious about the colors you wear. Cameras do not pick up bright colors,
     stripes or bold patterns very well. It’s best to avoid these all together so the interviewer
     can focus on what you’re saying—not what you’re wearing.

During the interview

     Make sure you are set-up in a quiet environment away from any distracting noises. Try to
     find a room with a door so you can close it. If you are sharing your space with others, let
     them know ahead of time what you’re doing so they can keep noises to a minimum. Also,
     make sure your area is clutter free with no personal belongings in sight of the webcam.

Eye contact and body language

     It may seem strange, but when you’re speaking, look directly into the camera as if you’re
     making eye contact with the interviewer. It’s normal to want to see who you’re speaking
     to, so you may be tempted to look at the interviewer’s pictures on the screen—but to the
     interviewer, it looks like you’re looking off into space. Don’t forget to use your hands and
     facial expressions as you are speaking and listening. Also, don’t get too comfortable in
     your chair. By leaning slightly forward, you will appear to be interested and attentive to
     what’s being discussed.

It’s important to remember that you should prepare for a video interview just as much as an in-person interview. Do research on the company, practice and have some questions of your own. Relax, speak slowly and most of all be confident.

Do you have any additional tips to share? Feel free to comment below. If you’re the one being interviewed—good luck! Follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

7 Tips to make your Conference Calls Better

Lorna Love — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:21:00 GMT

Conference calls are a great way to collaborate and get together when clients and colleagues are scattered all over the world in different time zones. Even though conferencing products make it much easier for remote teams to work together, there are still a few rules that should be set in place to make sure everything runs smoothly and efficiently.

(1) Use an agenda

When creating an agenda, make sure you include what you want to cover and what goals you hope to accomplish during the meeting. Make sure you get this in front of everyone before the meeting begins. Not only will this help attendees follow along, but it will also help keep the meeting on schedule.

(2) Follow the leader

An agenda is a great way to keep the meeting running on time, but it never hurts to have a little extra help. Someone, like a moderator, should be in charge of keeping all side conversations and distractions to a bare minimum. No wasting time talking about what you did over the weekend.

(3) Go over rules at beginning of call

Make sure all meeting participants know what you expect from them. Do you want an open discussion or do you prefer all questions held until the end? Just make sure you tell them ahead of time.

(4) Introduce yourself

Remember to introduce yourself before you speak. Don’t expect people to instantly recognize the sound of your voice. It will also help people focus on what you’re saying and not so much on trying to figure out who you are.

(5) Keep attendance low

Sometimes a conference call with too many participants can get confusing. Try to limit the number of attendees. You can either split the group into smaller teams and have separate calls or maybe just meet with the key decision makers and send meeting notes to the rest afterwards.

(6) Check your connection

Traditionally, landlines were the best and strongest connections. Today, that’s not always true. Most conferencing products allow you to log-on using a tablet, cell phone or your computer. These are all great options, but make sure you have a strong signal before you use them. A weak signal can result in choppy audio and dropped calls.

(7) Use that mute button

Background noise is a sure way to cause a distraction. Nobody wants to hear side conversations, someone eating their food or the click-clack of a keyboard. It’s best to keep the mute button on anytime you’re not speaking. You never know what unexpected noise might arise around you. When you’re ready to speak, just unmute your line.

We want to hear if you’ve ever been part of an unsuccessful conference call. Share your experiences with us and let us know your favorite etiquette tips in the comments section!

If you are interested in learning more about Budget Conferencing services and how we can assist you, contact us here.

Photo courtesy: graphiteBP

The essentials of a travel roadrunner

Lorna Love — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 19:29:00 GMT

Workplaces vary from person to person. Some people wake up every morning and walk down the hallway to their home office, while others commute to an office building. Then there are the business travelers—those digital nomads who often find themselves working in airport terminals, hotels and propped up on airplane fold-down tray.

Business travel in the U.S. is responsible for $246 billion in spending and 2.3 million American jobs; $100 billion of this spending and 1 million American jobs are linked directly to meetings and events, according to the U.S Travel Association.

If you happen to be one of the millions of Americans who travel for work, we’ve listed seven essentials you definitely don’t want to forget.

(1) The right device

With today’s advanced technology, there are a variety of different devices you can choose to use. Laptops, tablets and smart phones can provide the freedom of mobility to business travelers. Are you looking for ultimate portability or do you require advanced productivity? Maybe you need a little of both. Be sure to honestly assess your needs and your budget so you can select the gadget that is perfect for you.

(2) Online meeting tools

No matter what device you select, it’s important to make sure you are still able to get access to your company’s conferencing software. Make sure the company offers audio and web conferencing that is compatible with smartphones, tablets and laptops. Reliable services that can be used anytime and anywhere in the world are a must-have when traveling. Don’t let a conferencing company’s limitations dictate what device you use.

(3) Noise-cancelling headphones

People talking, babies crying and the constant sound of engines humming might not be the most welcomed sounds when you’re trying to sleep or quickly finish a report. Airports and airplanes come with their own soundtracks whether you want them or not. Noise-cancelling headphones are an easy way to get some quiet-time when you’re stuck in a noisy environment.

(4) Chargers

This is so important that it deserves to be mentioned separately. A dead phone or laptop is a headache waiting to happen. Make sure you bring all the necessary chargers. If dealing with the extra cords seems like a hassle, you can consider purchasing a charger like the chargepod. This charger is unique and ultra-convenient because it can charge up to 6 different devices with one outlet.

(5) Internet

Hotel and airport Wi-Fi can be expensive and sometimes sketchy at best. Don’t burden yourself with paying high fees and keying in special passcodes. Bring your own Wi-Fi. For a monthly fee, activate your cell phone’s built in hotspot.

(6) Water bottle

It’s important to stay hydrated at all times. Sometimes when traveling you forget to drink water. Make it easier on yourself and pack a water bottle. You can refill it from a water fountain instead of constantly stopping and buying bottled waters from little shops in the airport. Remember to keep it empty while passing through security. Afterwards, fill it up at the nearest water fountain.

(7) Pen and paper

Yes, a pen and paper may seem a bit old fashioned. But, sometimes it’s easier and more convenient than opening your computer, waiting for it to boot up, logging in … well, you get the picture.

What items do you consider essential when you’re traveling? Share your “must-haves” in the comments.

Would you like to receive more information about Budget Conferencing before your next business trip? Contact us so can get you started.

Photo courtesy: adactio

One of Apple's First Computers Sell for $671,000 (PHOTOS)

LaToya Vezia — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:29:00 GMT

A working Apple 1 model, Apple’s first desktop computer, recently sold for $671,000 at an auction in Cologne, Germany.

In the late 70’s, Apple co-founders Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built about 200 Apple 1s by hand in Job’s garage (see photo below). Today, fewer than 50 exist and only 6 of those still work.

No word on who the buyer is but he paid the most for his rare find compared to similar models which sold for $640,000 and $375,000 last year. There were no complaints from the auctioneer, Auction Team Breker, which expected to sell the rare model for only $400,000. Also up for auction was a letter to a customer from Jobs dated January 18, 1978. Jobs offered Fred Hatfield a chance to trade in his Apple 1 and $400 for an Apple II. Hatfield didnt' take him up on his offer.

What do you think? Was the selling price right for the world’s first PC?

Source: CNN

5 Tips for Running Effective Meetings

Lorna Love — Wed, 29 May 2013 18:14:00 GMT

Meetings can be an effective way to share information, collaborate on a project or come to a decision. However, if led ineffectively, they can cost your company money, delay deadlines and waste time.

If you are responsible for running a meeting, here are five strategies to ensure your goals are met.

1. Set an objective

What is the purpose of the meeting? What are your goals? Once you determine your objective, decide if holding a meeting is the best approach. Sometimes a phone call, a quick conversation or a short email will achieve the same results in a fraction of the time.

2. Choose a location

With business headquarters and offices spread all over the world, it may not be practical for everyone to meet in one conference room. In situations like this, reliable software like interactive web conferencing, quality audio conferencing and instant global conferencing can come in handy. Budget Conferencing’s easy to use software and affordable rates make it the ideal conferencing provider to use when connecting with colleagues and clients across the globe.

3. Start and end on time

It is important to respect the schedules of others by starting and ending your meetings on time. Create an agenda and stick to it. With an agenda, participants can cover all topics and remain on schedule. If too much time is being spent on one topic, it makes it clear when it’s time to move on to the next matter.

It’s also a good idea to send an agenda to participants ahead of time. This helps meeting attendees prepare in advance. You’ll be amazed with what you can accomplish in a short period of time when you closely follow your agenda.

4. Keep it short

Try and keep meetings between 15 and 30 minutes. It’s hard to stay focused and motivated in longer meetings. Studies show the average person can pay attention in a meeting for approximately 20 minutes before becoming fidgety, starting to daydream or work on other projects—according to the PPDC website. Unless you want people doodling in their notebooks, keep your meetings short.

5. Take notes

Throughout the meeting, take notes and be sure to mention any key decisions and takeaways. As soon as you can, email the notes to all participants after the meeting. Be sure to put in writing all those who are responsible for any follow-up action items. This helps remind the attendees what was discussed during the meeting and keep those accountable for work they promised to deliver at a future date.

What steps do you take to guarantee your meetings run effectively? If you would like to know more about what conferencing solution Budget Conferencing offers, please contact us here.

Photo Courtesy: plantronicsgermany

What You Can Learn About Professional Integrity From Being Late to Meetings

Lorna Love — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:57:00 GMT

“Selfish,” “rude,” “undependable” and “disorganized” are just some of the words your coworkers may be using to describe you if you are habitually late to meetings. In actuality, you may be none of the above. Nevertheless, perception is reality. If you’re perceived to be unreliable, you will be treated that way.

Annoying

Chronic lateness creates such a disturbance, that Ca ree rBuilder included habitual lateness as one of the top 10 annoying workplace habits. Being late can cause tension in relationships, damage your credibility, create unnecessary stress in your life and wastes money. American CEOs are late to eight out of every 10 meetings. When they are late by 10 minutes every day, it results in a $90 billion loss in productivity for the U.S economy, says Proudfoot Consulting.

Distracting

The problem can become serious when your tardiness begins to affect the work of those around you. Walking into a full meeting room 15 minutes late can obviously cause a disruption. But don’t think you can’t cause a similar disruption when arriving late to an online meeting. For security reasons, online meeting software lets participants know who is logging on and when. It won’t go unnoticed and will likely cause a disturbance.

Time-wasting

Consistently showing up late to meetings is bad enough, but showing up late to your own meeting is even worse. No one can start without you and everyone is sitting around twiddling their thumbs. Your meeting instantly loses its effectiveness because topics will be rushed and people will have to start dropping out before the meeting’s end so they won’t be late for their next appointment. When hosting online meetings you may be delayed even more because of setup time and possible technical issues. Over 50 percent of web meetings start late with technical difficulties being the single most common cause at 34 percent, according to Wainhouse Research. That’s why it is important to choose a conferencing provider that is reliable and allows you to start meetings with one click and no software to install. This will save some time and not delay the meeting any longer.

How to overcome?

The bottom line is everyone has busy schedules. One late meeting can make you late for everything else you have scheduled for that day. This is why it’s so important to be respectful of people’s time. If you’re running late, try to send a quick email to one if not all the meeting attendees so they know what’s going on. Conferencing services, like BudgetAudio and BudgetWeb, give you the freedom to access meetings from your desktop, tablet or cell phone. This comes in handy if you’re in route and running late to your next meeting.

Do you find yourself always showing up 10 minutes after a meeting has started? It’s time to reevaluate you schedule and make a change.

If you are interested in learning more about Budget Conferencing services and how we can assist you with staying on schedule, contact us here.

5 Tips to Find the Right Conferencing Services Provider

Lorna Love — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:38:00 GMT

Does your company frequently use web and audio conferencing? It’s a growing trend that businesses all over the world are using to increase productivity and efficiency, improve communications and enhance business opportunities.

If you haven’t already, you will quickly discover there are a lot of different conferencing service providers out there. Some companies don’t have the capacity to meet all of your needs and expectations.

We’ve come up with 5 tips to help you find the providers who can.

1. Price

Price is probably one of the most important factors in your decision. You want reliable software, but you also don’t want to break the bank. Companies usually use web and audio conferencing to eliminate the high costs associated with in-person meetings. Paying too much for software would completely defeat the purpose. The right conferencing service provider will have various packages that can provide businesses of all sizes with cost effective web and audio conferencing services. Some free services are available, but they will probably end up costing you more in the end.

2. Features

Think about your needs as a business and make a checklist of the different add-ons you require.

Maybe it’s superior audio or HD-quality video. Take a minute and review your “need to haves” and “nice to haves”. Having a list of your essentials will make it easier to eliminate some of the lesser providers.

3. Security

A lot of businesses work with confidential information and it is imperative to their success and reputation that the information stays confidential. Reliable providers such as Budget Conferencing take the necessary safeguards to keep the information you share safe and secure. Passcodes and meeting reports are just a few precautions taken.

4. Compatibility

What platforms are your employees and clients using? Are they using Macs, PCs, mobile devices, or maybe a combination? Do not select a provider until you are certain all of your attendees will be able to access the conferencing software. BudgetWeb can be used is easy to use and can be used anytime, anywhere with no advanced setup or notification required.

5. Other considerations

Lastly, it’s important to know about the service provider itself. What kind of reputation does the company have? Who are some of their other clients and do they have any testimonials to share?

Hope this helps get you on your way to a better virtual experience!

Contact us at 888.983.0700 or sales@budgetconferencing.com today so you can spend more time focusing on your meetings and less time dealing with technical issues.

Photo courtesy: ganderssen1/flickr

How to Stay Ahead of the Competition with Conferencing

Lorna Love — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:55:00 GMT

Communication is the basis of all relationships and is critical to the success of any business. However, in today’s global economy, it can sometimes be difficult and expensive to get that human connection that is lacking from so many conference calls.

To remain competitive, businesses must invest in communication mediums where they can develop closer relationships with potential clients and maintain strong connections with remote and international team members.

This is where Budget Conferencing services come in handy. Using the appropriate conferencing tool can help your business operate more efficiently and level the playing field with your competitors.

Audio Conferencing

Looking for an affordable and dependable solution for your communications needs that won’t cost you an arm and a leg? Then BudgetAudio Conferencing is the answer you’re looking for. It’s extremely manageable because all you need to get started is a working phone and phone line. BudgetAudio Conferencing can reach hundreds of individuals on just one conference line and it’s easy for everyone to use. Without complicated passcodes or dial-in numbers, you make it easy for your customers and clients to start conversations and build relationships. When selecting BudgetAudio as your conferencing solution, you gain an effective business resource and tool that helps level the playing field with competitors. But, don’t stop there! You can also increase the impact of your meetings exponentially by pairing your audio conferencing with BudgetWeb Conferencing.

Web Conferencing

Did you know that up to 93% of overall communication is non-verbal? With BudgetWeb Conferencing, businesses have the opportunity to host or attend business meetings using the internet and a computer—or even a mobile device—and increase the effectiveness of collaboration dramatically. BudgetWeb Conferencing can be used for internal meetings with employees who may not be in a single location, or for external meetings with potential clients. Adding online visuals make it possible to collaborate with presentations, videos and more across the web. Webcams can also be used to stream video and add a face-to-face element that is vital in non-verbal communication. The advantages of web conferencing are endless. Telecommuters and remote teams can grow closer together regardless of geography, inside sales can dramatically increase the effectiveness of their sales pitches by moving beyond the stale cold call and clients can feel closer to businesses who they’ve commissioned projects to.

Event Conferencing

When hosting large events, a great deal of time and money goes into their preparation. You have to search for a physical location that will accommodate everyone and pay for all fees associated with the facility. Sometimes this task alone can take months. Now add high travel costs and inconvenienced remote attendees, and your meeting might not be as effective as you hoped. Today’s virtual events are now managed through event conferencing, a powerful tool to use when you are coordinating a high profile, large-scale event such as town hall meetings, speaker events, training sessions, benefits orientation, or board meetings. And by using tools such as BudgetEvent Conferencing, you even have the option of recording the event and archiving it for later playback. By choosing this alternative, you won’t have to worry about all of the other time-consuming tasks or additional costs.

There are many cost-effective conferencing choices available and sometimes navigating through all of them can be confusing. However, Budget Conferencing can customize a communications plan that is right for your business and help you stay ahead of the competition.

Interested in learning more about any of Budget Conferencing collaboration and communication services? Please feel free to contact us to start using conferencing tools as another way to get the edge over your competition today.

Photo: Spekulator/stock.xchng

7 Reasons to Love (Instead of Hate) Conference Calls

LaToya Vezia — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:41:00 GMT

Social media is a part of my job so I know all about the love/hate relationship people have with conference calls and they are not shy about sharing the negative feelings. Obviously, conference calls are a necessity in business but some times the volume (any one spent most of their day on calls instead of actually "working?") and the timing (raise your hand if you've had to take a call after 5:00 PM on Friday) can be too much to keep a positive attitude about them.

So why not spend some time to show the "good side" of conferencing?

Listed below are 7 reasons to love conference calls:

1. Here, there, anywhere. You can do it from your own computer in your own office. You’re working on familiar equipment in a comfortable environment.

2. Now or later. You can audio and even web conference any time, without travel or advanced notice. Need to jump on a meeting? You can do it in seconds.

3. Hug a tree while you’re at it. Audio and web conferencing are BOTH eco-friendly. Leave a virtual zero-carbon footprint.

4. No excuses. Improve productivity with instant access to your team and customers. People have the information they need, when they need it, no matter where they are.

5. Encore! Encore! Record and replay meetings. Those who can’t make the live meeting can still find out what was discussed. Training can be archived for future participants and review.

6. The next level of playing nice with others. Maximize connection and collaboration. Rich media conferencing can strengthen relationships among employees, business partners and customers by allowing groups of all sizes to work together to find the best solutions and innovations.

7. Boost the bottom line. Avoid the time, cost and inconvenience of travel, whether it’s across town or across the country. And web-based services mean you have no hardware to buy.

Can you think of any other reasons why conferencing is a positive resource in business? Feel free to comment below or follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook. If you are interested in learning more about Budget Conferencing services and how we can assist you, contact us here.

6 Reasons Why Free Web Conferencing Services End Up Costing You

LaToya Vezia — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 13:27:00 GMT

You’ve heard the saying - there’s no such thing as a free lunch. You get what you pay for is as true when it comes to web conferencing as it is anywhere else especially when you consider how cost effective and reliable paid services can be when your business reputation is on the line.

Yes, technology and competition are driving prices down, and paid services are very affordable. However, you may still question why pay when you can get it for free. Here are six reasons why you shouldn't take the "freeway" when it comes to your company's web conferencing services:

1. What? What? Can you hear me now? Static, dropped calls, and slow connections negatively impacts your business. Imagine a video freezing in the middle of a sales presentation, or the screen going blank, or a dropped call at a crucial moment. You’ll lose the momentum you’ve been building with that prospect. You need assurance these embarassing issues don't happen, yet you won’t even get timely support from a free services to fix them.

2. It’s one thing to appear frugal—and something else to be cheap. Free service providers typically make it clear that you are using a free service when participants dial or log in. Do you want to present the image that you’re too cheap to use a paid service? Or, if you’re willing to go cheap on something that’s so outward-facing, do you want your customers and colleagues to speculate on what else you’re willing to cut corners on when no one is looking (or listening)?

3. You might help your competitors to out-compete you. All audio and web conferencing services have to make money to stay in business. While you may not be directly paying for the service, someone is. Free audio conferencing services are typically funded by telecoms to encourage toll calls by users. Other services are advertiser-supported. Do you want to risk an ad from a competitor or simply an inappropriate sponsor showing up on your participants’ screens?

4. The features aren’t top-notch. Free services—or the free levels of some paid providers—are generally far more limited in terms of usability than paid services. If your customers and colleagues are accustomed to feature-rich paid services, they’re not going to be impressed when you can’t do something they’ve come to expect.

5. Time delays = drain on revenue. At worst, bad connections mean wasted time and user frustration. You have to repeat yourself over and over. You’re forced to start conversations several times. But what’s worse is the time you lose that could have been spent on profitable activity. The cost of that lost time is nowhere near as little as a more reliable paid service costs.

6. Kiss customer service goodbye. Do you really expect a responsive live customer service staff to deliver technical support for a product you’re not buying? Remember, you get what you pay for—and with a free service, you’re not paying for people who are committed to your satisfaction.

The bottom line is that “free” services can cost you more and deliver less than a competitively-priced paid service. You may have heard this saying too - the best things in life are free. Unfortunately, this doesn't apply to web conferencing services.

We would love to get your feedback on this topic. Have you had bad experiences with any type of free service that you use for business purposes?

To learn more about web conferencing services, contact us to schedule a free demo of our service BudgetWeb.

The Not So Budget-Friendly $10,000 Cell Phone

LaToya Vezia — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:08:00 GMT

Vertu, a developer of luxury cell phones has recently launched its latest model, the “Ti,” for the cost of $10,000.

The Ti is powered by the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system. Its titanium case, with leather accents, is promoted as being five times stronger than average ones. The 3.7 inch sapphire crystal screen is the largest ever engineered, practically scratch proof, and five times stronger than other smart phones relative to impact resistance.

Other features include a 8 MP rear camera with auto focus and twin LED flash, a 1.3 MP camera, a 1.7 GHz processor, and 64 GB internal memory.

OK, now let's get why there's a $10,000 price tag. It can be attributed to the 24/7 customer service that you get with your hand-made-to-order device. Instead of apps or even Siri to help you find restaurants or hotels, Vertu Concierge Services allow you to simply press a button on your phone to reach a live person to help with personal requests or tasks. Other services include Vertu Certainty which protects the device, data and in some cases the customer and lastly, Vertu Life provides customized information and articles.

I won't bother telling you about the upgraded $20,000 "Titanium Red Gold Mixed Metals" version but you can learn more about it and the Ti here.

Tell us what you think! Is this a good buy?

Quote of the Week: Alexander Graham Bell

LaToya Vezia — Sun, 10 Mar 2013 12:45:00 GMT

On this day, March 10, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell spoke the first words on a telephone (to his assistant Thomas A. Watkins):

"Mr. Watson, come here, I want you."

Interesting Read: Andrew Mason's Farewell Letter to Groupon Employees

LaToya Vezia — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 19:22:00 GMT

Groupon fired its 32 year old founder Andrew Mason yesterday. However, his humbling and charming farewell letter to the company's employees has gone viral for its humorous, self-deprecating, and inspirational tone. See below for the letter in its entirety.

(This is for Groupon employees, but I'm posting it publicly since it will leak anyway)

People of Groupon,

After four and a half intense and wonderful years as CEO of Groupon, I've decided that I'd like to spend more time with my family. Just kidding - I was fired today. If you're wondering why... you haven't been paying attention. From controversial metrics in our S1 to our material weakness to two quarters of missing our own expectations and a stock price that's hovering around one quarter of our listing price, the events of the last year and a half speak for themselves. As CEO, I am accountable.

You are doing amazing things at Groupon, and you deserve the outside world to give you a second chance. I'm getting in the way of that. A fresh CEO earns you that chance. The board is aligned behind the strategy we've shared over the last few months, and I've never seen you working together more effectively as a global company - it's time to give Groupon a relief valve from the public noise.

For those who are concerned about me, please don't be - I love Groupon, and I'm terribly proud of what we've created. I'm OK with having failed at this part of the journey. If Groupon was Battletoads, it would be like I made it all the way to the Terra Tubes without dying on my first ever play through. I am so lucky to have had the opportunity to take the company this far with all of you. I'll now take some time to decompress (FYI I'm looking for a good fat camp to lose my Groupon 40, if anyone has a suggestion), and then maybe I'll figure out how to channel this experience into something productive.

If there's one piece of wisdom that this simple pilgrim would like to impart upon you: have the courage to start with the customer. My biggest regrets are the moments that I let a lack of data override my intuition on what's best for our customers. This leadership change gives you some breathing room to break bad habits and deliver sustainable customer happiness - don't waste the opportunity!

I will miss you terribly.

Love,

Andrew

5 Tips for Conducting Online Job Interviews

LaToya Vezia — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 16:32:00 GMT

Scheduling and conducting interviews are a tedious, time-consuming, and an expensive process that is necessary to recruit qualified employees. Total recruiting costs can reach 3-5 times the employee's salary! However, more companies are turning to online job interviews to virtually meet with candidates for simple reasons – to save money and simplify the process. Web conferencing solutions, which are generally utilized for real-time meetings, presentations, and training online, are equipped with the capabilities to replace the need for face-to-face interviews with online interviews which are still interactive and effective but can be conducted with a candidate at any time regardless of his/her geographical location. Simply, web conferencing eliminates complex scheduling logistics and any travel costs.

There are many articles for job candidates who are participating in online interviews but not so much for the interviewers who are responsible for conducting a professional and glitch-free interview. Listed below are five tips for those who are thinking about testing the waters in online interviewing:

1. The first and most important tip is to partner with a web conferencing company who provides savvy and reliable service such as BudgetWeb, to host your online interviews and other web conferencing needs. Yes, there are “free” services out there, but do you really want to risk your reputation and make a lackluster impression because of poor audio and web quality?

2. Practice makes perfect! Whether you’re a novice or pro at online meetings, it’s a good idea to conduct a mock interview to ensure you are comfortable with the service and available features as well as asking questions via camera.

3. Location is everything. Don’t wait until the day of the interview to decide where you will conduct it. While prepping for the interview, be aware of what the candidate may see and hear in the background. Cut off cell phones, make sure the lighting is good, and remove any distracting objects located behind you.

4. Don’t think you can get away with underdressing by just looking professional chest up. You are expecting the candidate to woo you, so it is important for you to be dressed the part (and prepared!) as if it was a face-to-face meeting.

5. Record and playback your mock interview and/or the first couple of interviews to see what you could improve on and to ensure the interview process is effective. You can get insight by the candidate was comfortable and dialogue was as intuitive as a face-to-face meeting.

5a. It is your responsibility as the interviewer to provide an intuitive and productive experience for the candidate so it is imperative that you ensure he/she has access to a web camera and conferencing details in advance. Also, find out if the candidate has a favorable comfort level with an online meeting, which could affect his/her performance, so you can provide any tips or a tip sheet as needed.

Hopefully, I’ve gotten you excited about trying online interviewing! If not, the cost and time savings alone are reason enough to try it at least once. You can learn more about BudgetWeb here or feel free to schedule a complimentary 30-minute (and no strings attached) demo. You will see how our robust suite of features make it easy to conduct online meetings and interviews. Happy recruiting!

5 Conference Call Ideas for Valentine's Day

Brandon Johnson — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:18:00 GMT

Cupid and Conference Calls? Yep, it could happen!

Being in the conference calls and web meetings' space, we've seen our share of interesting conferencing call topics.

There was a time at Budget Conferencing, when we've seen where Social Networking companies have used our services. Or the time when one of the professional basketball teams used our service. (Hope no one got traded on those calls!)

This past Presidential campaign, our services even powered some Candidate calls and virtual townhall forums.

So, maybe the Budget Conferencing Conference Calling and Web Conferencing platforms can help you get a tad more "lucky" at getting a Valentine's gift, dinner, flowers, or chocolates.

Here are some ideas:

Conference Calls for Singles: Hey, maybe we are shooting ourselves in the foot by not adding this to our business model. But how about getting a group of blind date individuals together on a conference call? Add web and you can share each others' photos and even turn on a webcam. What a way for those singles out there to possibly meet an eligible Valentine!
Singles Reunion: So between Facebook and all of the classmates websites, maybe you just might rekindle some high school crushes. Can you imagine inviting your classmates from 20 years ago to a conference call?
Valentine's Day Candy Sales: Own a store? You KNOW you have to put all of that red-wrapped candy on clearance. Jump on a Conference Call powered by Budget Conferencing to determine your pricing strategy.
Couples Conference Calls: Ok, so we gave a shot out to the Singles. Now it is time for the couples. Whether Conference Calls for Couples' being counseled, or for those getting together to see old friends and family, our call services can be used for both business and personal usage. What a way to get get old friends together!?
Las Vegas Web Meeting Weddings: Skip all the dating, the singles reunion, and the couples conference calls for pre-marital counseling or otherwise. Let's get married on a Web Conference! What a great way to share a video webcam, and get up to 125 of your closest friends and family onto a conference call!

Whether clearing out candy, or counseling couples, our conference call services and web meetings can power your Valentine's day needs.

Even if you don't choose to conference with us today, have a Happy Valentine's day from us at Budget Conferencing.

5 Ways Audio & Web Conferencing Keeps Flu Away in the Work Place

Brandon Johnson — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 15:13:00 GMT

I was talking to a colleague the other day and heard him say that he felt forced to go to work to keep his job. While I hope that employers are working to keep employees healthy and happy, I can also empathize with the employee.

As I was “Googling,” I came across the Wikipedia article featuring the word called Presenteeism. Wikipedia defines it in two ways:

Attending work while sick
Staying at work beyond the time needed to effectively perform at the job

We all know “Over Achiever Otis” at our jobs. He’s the one that makes the coffee at 6:30 am and the one who turns off the air conditioner at 6:30 pm. But everyone looks at him, and they wonder silently “…what does he REALLY do in his job?” Yep, besides utilizing his voice on the company voicemail… what else does he do?

We also all know about “Sniffly Susan.” It seems like she’s always stopped up, sniffling, blowing, sneezing, coughing, or dripping. (Comment at the bottom if you laughed at this description or if you think I went too far :-) ) You know her though. She refuses to take a sick day, and considers it a badge of honor that she’s got 23 weeks of sick time accumulated. Meanwhile, you’ve got the Clorox wipes handy to sanitize your area when she leaves. Sound familiar?

If you have an “Over Achiever Otis” or a “Sniffly Susan” at your job, and especially during this winter’s flu season, here are some tips that may make the work place a safer and healthier place.

Buy hand sanitizer for your team’s work area or buy the mini bottles and brand your company’s name on them.
Put up a “Wash Your Hands” reminder in the bathroom. Look, I KNOW we are all supposed to be adults but I’ve got to admit that my handshaking list is small at the job since I’ve seen who won’t wash hands.
Encourage employees to sanitize phones. All phones pose a hygienic issue since hands are on phones dialing and then phones go to face and mouth.
Centralize a medical supply cabinet. Provide the Sniffly Susans with a throat lozenge or two so least she won’t have to run out to buy some on her lunch break.
Send her home. [Here comes a VERY shameless plug]. Tell her to join a BudgetWeb meeting or BudgetAudio conference call in the comfort of her own self-medicated, home-based clinic.

Oh, and I guess you thought I forgot about Otis?

You really are not going to be able to help him much. Just purchase a cot, keep it in the broom closet, and give him a gift card to the dry cleaners who deliver in your building.

Top 5 Meeting References In Songs

Brandon Johnson — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:22:00 GMT

At Budget Conferencing, we know that Conference Calls, Web Conferencing, and just in general, meetings, happen all the time. AND, sometimes the meetings are not always in board rooms and plush offices.

Per a study compiled by harmon.ie, mobile users are meeting in some pretty unconventional workspaces. (Image credit and full infographic here: http://images.fastcompany.com/upload/unconventional-workplaces-640.jpg)

The article brings out several key points regarding the difficulties experienced by remote employees as they work to keep up with work deliverables, use collaboration tools, and of course make the use of "makeshift" offices and work spaces.

In the spirit of these meetings with "different" locales, here's a fun list of five references to meetings in songs and music. The meetings, occuring in bathrooms, bedrooms, across rivers, and even meetings with girlfriend's mothers all could be improved with great collaboration tools. Feel free to use the comments below and add some to the list!

There's a Meeting in the ladies room: Ok. So HOW MANY TIMES have you ever been running for the bio break after a meeting and see someone who was just on the same meeting? The famous move is to start talking about the meeting and how good (or bad) it was. But first, remember to look under the stalls to look for dangling feet that might hear your bad feedback!
Bruce Springsteen: "Meeting Across The River" .... wow, this song is a little on the dark side, and may have inspired some Sopranos type activity. This meeting may be a little on the gangster side! It could be little scary for attendees who just don't have a clue about the "REAL" agenda.
Nickleback "Gotta Be Someone".... "So I'll be waiting for the real thing, I'll know it by the feeling The moment when
we're meeting.... somebody's got to be out there!" Wow, there's a meeting that every single person is waiting on.
Silk: "There's a Meeting in my Bedroom" There's a meeting in my bedroom, so girl don't be late. Hmmmmmm.... Just a note for our Human Resources team. WE believe that the meeting was to review paint colors and blinds selections. WINK WINK.
Outkast : Hey Ya!!!! OK, so check this... This meeting can be crazy. A guy meeting a lady's mom or dad. But in the hook of this song, he says "... don't want to meet your mamma. "