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TCPA and Texting

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) exists to regulate American communications via radio, television, satellite, cable, and wire. As technology evolves, so does this agency in order to better provide communication services and ensure consumers are protected. It is for this reason that the FCC created the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA).

The purpose of the TCPA is to restrict telemarketing and unwanted telephone solicitation. It monitors and restricts the use of auto-dialers, artificial voice messages, fax machine messages, and SMS text messages.

Essentially, there are eight main requirements that everyone must follow when utilizing any of the aforementioned tools to communicate with others. Unless there is express consent from the person or entity to whom solicitations will be sent,these rules are locally enforced on a federal level, and there are no exceptions.

Solicitors must not call residences before 8 AM or after 9 PM during said residences’ local times.

Each company must maintain a “do-not-call” list of consumers who ask not to be called by the company. These DNC requests must be honored for a minimum of 5 years.

Solicitors must honor the do-not-call requests of consumers who belong on the National Do Not Call Registry.

Solicitors must provide their name, the name of the person or entity on whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address at which that person or entity may be contacted.

It is prohibited to solicit to residences using an artificial voice or voice recording.

It is prohibited to make any call using automated telephone equipment or an artificial or prerecorded voice to an emergency line (911), a hospital emergency number, a physician’s office, a hospital or healthcare facility or elderly room, a cellular telephone, or any service for which the recipient is charged for the call.

It is prohibited to engage two or more lines of a multi-line business via autodialed calls.

It is prohibited to send any unsolicited faxes containing advertising messages.

In the event of a violation of the TCPA, a subscriber may sue for up to $500 for each violation or recover actual monetary loss (whichever is greater), seek an injunction, or both.

In the event of a willful violation of the TCPA, a subscriber may sue for up to three times the damages; in other words, $1,500 for each violation.

It is therefore of paramount importance that any person or entity who wishes to call, text, or fax a recipient with advertising or marketing messages be aware of these specific restrictions and abide by them. EquiiText has developed several “best practices” methods that are available to every business SMS text messaging user to comply with these regulations.

Sleep timers in the settings tab prevent businesses from sending campaigns before or after the awake hours approved by the TCPA. The EquiiText landline scrubber also prevents any text message or voice broadcast to be sent to any residential phone number. There is a DNC scrub available to all users to ensure no texts could be sent to a person or entity who belongs on the National Do Not Call Registry, and every EquiiText user similarly has an opt-out auto-responder that must always remain activated. We also train new users how to introduce themselves in a first message to all contacts with plenty of artificially intelligent responders to answer identity questions, location questions, and contact queries.

We have numerous features and policies that prevent users from using EquiiText in such a way that users can use business texting within the rules and guidelines of the FCC and TCPA. For more information on these agencies or about EquiiText best practices, please call, text, or email us today!

Call - tel:+1(888)501-3550

Text - sms:+1(888)501-3550

Email

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TCPA and Texting

The FCC (Federal Communications Commission) exists to regulate American communications via radio, television, satellite, cable, and wire. As technology evolves, so does this agency in order to better provide communication services and ensure consumers are protected. It is for this reason that the FCC created the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA).

The purpose of the TCPA is to restrict telemarketing and unwanted telephone solicitation. It monitors and restricts the use of auto-dialers, artificial voice messages, fax machine messages, and SMS text messages.

Essentially, there are eight main requirements that everyone must follow when utilizing any of the aforementioned tools to communicate with others. Unless there is express consent from the person or entity to whom solicitations will be sent,these rules are locally enforced on a federal level, and there are no exceptions.

1. Solicitors must not call residences before 8 AM or after 9 PM during said residences’ local times.

2. Each company must maintain a “do-not-call” list of consumers who ask not to be called by the company. These DNC requests must be honored for a minimum of 5 years.

3. Solicitors must honor the do-not-call requests of consumers who belong on the National Do Not Call Registry.

4. Solicitors must provide their name, the name of the person or entity on whose behalf the call is being made, and a telephone number or address at which that person or entity may be contacted.

5. It is prohibited to solicit to residences using an artificial voice or voice recording.

6. It is prohibited to make any call using automated telephone equipment or an artificial or prerecorded voice to an emergency line (911), a hospital emergency number, a physician’s office, a hospital or healthcare facility or elderly room, a cellular telephone, or any service for which the recipient is charged for the call.

7. It is prohibited to engage two or more lines of a multi-line business via autodialed calls.

8. It is prohibited to send any unsolicited faxes containing advertising messages.

In the event of a violation of the TCPA, a subscriber may sue for up to $500 for each violation or recover actual monetary loss (whichever is greater), seek an injunction, or both.

In the event of a willful violation of the TCPA, a subscriber may sue for up to three times the damages; in other words, $1,500 for each violation.

It is therefore of paramount importance that any person or entity who wishes to call, text, or fax a recipient with advertising or marketing messages be aware of these specific restrictions and abide by them. EquiiText has developed several “best practices” methods that are available to every business SMS text messaging user to comply with these regulations.

Sleep timers in the settings tab prevent businesses from sending campaigns before or after the awake hours approved by the TCPA. The EquiiText landline scrubber also prevents any text message or voice broadcast to be sent to any residential phone number. There is a DNC scrub available to all users to ensure no texts could be sent to a person or entity who belongs on the National Do Not Call Registry, and every EquiiText user similarly has an opt-out auto-responder that must always remain activated. We also train new users how to introduce themselves in a first message to all contacts with plenty of artificially intelligent responders to answer identity questions, location questions, and contact queries.

We have numerous features and policies that prevent users from using EquiiText in such a way that users can use business texting within the rules and guidelines of the FCC and TCPA. For more information on these agencies or about EquiiText best practices, please call, text, or email us today!

Call - tel:+1(888)501-3550

Text - sms:+1(888)501-3550

Email

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SMS Marketing vs. Email Marketing

It is undisputed that using email campaigns to market to your customers is an effective way to ensure they learn about your deals, promotions, blog posts, and updates. Emails can be as short or as long as you need, with the added benefit of being able to track consumer behavior in real time.

We love sending emails, and we do it regularly! However, email marketing, while effective for many reasons, it is not the best tool for communicating directly with customers. Using SMS ensures you are reaching your opt-in leads everywhere and anywhere nearly instantaneously. With the average cell phone user checking his phone every twelve minutes, it goes without saying that text messaging is the easiest way to reach consumers across the country.

Everyone, including business owners, is subscribed to numerous company email campaigns to receive discounts, promotions, or information from businesses. However, although email marketing is still a proven way to achieve a high click-through-rate, it doesn’t have quite the personal connection that texting does. It is all too easy to delete emails as they come in, and since customers can’t traditionally respond to business email campaigns, there is very little two-way engagement between the consumer and the company.

The beauty of texting is that 98% of text messages are read within 4 seconds of being received. Talk about an amazing open rate! And, thanks to EquiiText’s URL shortener feature with tracking, it’s simple to view click-throughs on SMS messaging to customers. Text messaging is the quickest way to reach customers and the most effective way to communicate with them directly, as well.

EquiiText allows you to supplement your email campaigns with text messaging so customers will always think of you and know about your deals, specials, and more – texting combined with email ensures you and your company will never be “out-of-sight, out-of-mind”!

Give us a call, text, or email today to learn more about how you can use SMS to make your email campaigns better; we can even integrate them on your platform!

Call: tel:18885013550

Text: sms:18885013550

Email: support@equiitext.com

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How to Write a Great Campaign Message

Welcome to SMS marketing with EquiiText!

It is so exciting when new members first begin using their text messaging platforms. Business owners around the country already have big ideas about how best to utilize and integrate SMS marketing and advertising in the most effective ways; it’s all about increasing that ROI!

But where do we start, and how?

First things first, it is important to be aware of the different types of messages you can send out to large groups of contacts: personal, commercial, neutral, and spammy. It is an EquiiText best practice to focus on a campaign message that encourages two-way communication between your business and your customers. In other words, a message sent out to multiple people should be personal, commercial, or neutral, such as,

“Hello! This is John from John & Co. I was wondering if you had a moment to chat today about an amazing promotion we're running :) Reply YES or NOT NOW”

which runs a score of 99.51% commercial.

A message such as this gives recipients the opportunity to reply back to your platform to learn more information about your company and to receive your specific marketing and advertising messages. The automatic responders are the best place to put content regarding deals, specials, promotions, and more, since the people who are genuinely interested in receiving that information will purposefully trigger those responders, whereas people who are uninterested will opt-out or choose not to respond at all.

Sending a marketing or advertising message in a large campaign is likely to be regarded as a spam message. For example, a message that reads,

“Hello! This is John from John & Co. We are running a special promotion for our VIP customers! Up to 50% off select products today only - text YES or NOT NOW”

runs a score of 99.92% spammy; on the EquiiText platform, any campaign message over an 80% spam score will not be permitted to send.

EquiiText places customer engagement and communication above all else, and for good reason! Almost all text messages are read within mere seconds of being received, but if the message strikes the wrong note with a customer, he or she is less likely to respond positively.

Consumers enjoy receiving text messages from businesses they like, more so than phone calls and emails. However, spamming a customer’s phone leads to lower deliverability, fewer opens, and fewer happy customers.

For more information on how to send an excellent campaign message, give our EquiiText professionals a call today! You can also email us or text us any time.

Want to learn more about using SpinTax in campaign messages for even better deliverability and open rates? Check out this blog now and improve your best practices score immediately!

Good luck, and happy texting!

“call” – tel:18885013550

“email” – support@equiitext.com

“text” – sms:18885013550

“blog” – https://www.equiitext.com/blog/spintax

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Free AI Super Phone Giveaway

EquiiText has partnered up with a local Las Vegas telecommunications company to bring you the latest and greatest in business VoIP services!

No matter what kind of business you’re in, whether you’re a remote worker or a large call center that specializes in inbound and outbound calls, the EQ-F3P is your perfect sales and communications solution.

EquiiText specializes in using our patented artificial intelligence system to make SMS marketing simpler and more functional than ever before. Recognizing this advantage, we have combined our ALINA (Artificial Language Intelligence Application) with Equiinet’s robust VoIP business phone. If you miss a call, the ALINA system will send you an SMS alert regarding the call, and it will also send a customized text to the caller, letting him or her that you will call them back!

Not only is it SMS enabled, it also comes equipped with a feature known as Voicemail Auto-Drop: now you have the ability to leave pre-recorded voicemails quickly and efficiently, allowing you to call more leads per day than ever before!

Gone are the days of waiting for the customer’s voicemail to play through before you must “leave a message after the tone.” Thanks to the smart EQ-F3P, you can “drop” your voicemail the second the phone stops ringing and move on to your next call! The built-in ALINA system is designed to begin the message only after the tone is heard, ensuring your voicemails will never be cut off due to the customer’s voice recording.

The average length of time it takes to ring through to a customer’s voice mail box is twenty seconds, or four rings. A voicemail recording can last for up to three minutes, which potentially means a single phone call can take nearly seven minutes. With the EQ-F3P Voicemail Auto-Drop, you can call twenty-one people in that same length of time. In a six-hour day, that equates to an additional one thousand calls!

If you’re still reading instead of calling us for your EquiiText phone right now, let me also add that the EQ-F3P also allows you to record your own IVR so inbound callers are greeted by your voice and directed to the appropriate extension. It is even designed for simultaneous ring capabilities, ensuring that calls will rarely be missed as they will also be delivered to your cell phone.

These are only a few of the incredible features offered on the EQ-F3P, so give us an email, call or text today to find out how this AI Super Phone can be yours! This offer is only available for a limited time, so don’t wait – contact us now!

Call: +1(888)501-3550

Text: +1(888)501-3550

Email: support@equiitext.com

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How to Create the Perfect Sales Funnel

Sales funnels are the perfect way to ensure your customers are getting from the point of awareness to the point of sale as quickly and efficiently as possible. It can feel daunting, but there are dozens of different ways to establish a pipeline for your company.

No matter what type of industry you’re in or what end result you’re hoping to achieve with your customers, EquiiText offers an affordable method for funneling leads

Create your campaign message. This message can be as simple as thanking your contacts      for opting in to receive texts from your business, or it can be a promotion for an upcoming special, information about your brand, or whatever you can think of!

If your goal is to generate traffic to your website, make sure you use the URL shortener so customers can reach your landing page and perform an action on your site.

If your goal is to funnel a customer through a series of messages to receive a discount, coupon, or otherwise, it is necessary to create a series of auto-responders that will be triggered by keywords.

Set timed follow-up messages to remind customers to take action on your website or at your business location.

Create timed follow-up messages that similarly let new opt-ins see your campaign message, so they can also interact with the sales funnel.

Here is an example of an effective EquiiText sales funnel:

Campaign Message

“Thank you for opting in to receive texts from Fauna's Floral! To show my appreciation, please accept a complimentary bouquet! Pick your favorite here :) laqi.co/HK948LO”

Or,

      2. “Thank you for opting in to receive texts from Fauna’s Floral! To show my  appreciation, please accept a complimentary bouquet! Text ROSE, LILAC, or LILY :)”

Automatic Responders

ROSE:

“To receive your complimentary rose bouquet, simply text the promo code ROSES4ME, and you'll receive your coupon!”

    ROSES4ME:

“This text is your coupon for a free rose bouquet from Fauna’s Flora! Simply show this message when you visit us and walk out smelling like a basket of roses!

      2. LILAC:

"To receive your complimentary lilac bouquet, simply text the promo code LILAC4ME, and you'll receive your coupon!"

LILAC4ME: "Here is your coupon for a free lilac bouquet from Fauna's Flora! Simply show this message when you visit, and I'll show you how much 'lilac' you!"

‍

First Sequential Responder

"Limit one bouquet per customer. SMS coupons may be redeemed no more than 14 days after they are received. May only choose ROSE or LILAC, not both. Thank you!"

‍

Timed Follow Up

"Good morning! This is Fauna from Fauna's Floral. Just wanted to remind you to redeem your coupon for a free bouquet! I can't wait to see you soon!"

‍

In the first example, you can see how Fauna gives her customers the opportunity to purchase a free bouquet directly from her website, which will allow her to track clicks on the Cloud Platform and incite further actions from her customers online.

‍

In the second example, it's clear that an effective use of the EquiiText Platform is to establish two-way engagement between Fauna's Floral and its clientele. This style of funneling goes beyond paid advertising and remarketing ads – by using text messaging, Fauna is letting her customers funnel themselves through a device they use every single day, and it's costing her next to nothing to do so. She sets up an identical opt-in message for new customers, but now they text Fauna and tell her what they want. She can even customize her responses so they're cute, funny, and personable like herself! A sequential responder follows whichever automatic responder the customer triggers to let the customer know about each coupon's terms and conditions. A timed follow-up message further alerts the customer to use his or her coupon before the time runs out. Fauna can set up as many timed follow ups as she needs to get customers to redeem their coupons: once per day, once every three days, once per week – whatever works best for her!

‍

These are only two variants of a single example showing how the EquiiText Cloud Platform allows businesses to funnel customers through a sales pipeline. SMS sales funnels are simple to set up and much more affordable than any other sales tool currently available to businesses.

Interested in learning more? Sign up for a free account today and let us show you how to create your custom funnel on the EquiiText Cloud Platform today! What's stopping you from texting your customers?

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Millennials Are Texting Your Competition

Millennials prefer to text. They prefer using their smart phones for lurking on social media accounts, receiving push notifications, and having the ability to choose when and how to respond to a message. Texting is easy; it’s instantaneous without being interruptive. In fact, millennials generally agree that it’s rude to call someone rather than text them – and many phone call recipients are likely to message the caller while the phone is still ringing: What’s up? Can’t talk. Text.

Maybe this all sounds like a gimme. Of course millennials prefer to text and use social media. Besides, for a general cellphone user in 2018, answering phone calls every day is about as common as writing checks and is similarly regarded with apprehension and suspicion.

So, if this is the case, why are there literally hundreds of articles and blog posts and advertising seminars on how to market to millennials? The answer is that, although we all know what millennials like and why, it’s difficult for most businesses to break into millennial marketing. Advertising online is difficult, expensive, and time-consuming. Even if a business owner understands what to do on Instagram and Google Ads, it becomes a budget-juggling game.

The question isn’t really how to market to millennials; it’s how to market effectively to millennials. And the answer is simple, affordable, and hands off: text them!

EquiiText uses automatic responders that operate under an artificial intelligence engine. That’s a fancy way of saying that once you set up your SMS platform with personalized answers that respond to questions texted in by your customers, you can sit back and let your marketing handle itself! Pay only for what you need with super competitive prices that ensure you’re not breaking your marketing budget.

How many millenials can you get? Sign up for your free trial today at https://www.equiitext.com and receive 1,000 credits to play around with!

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Why SMS Advertising Beats Google Ads

SMS advertising is simple and affordable compared to any other form of marketing. While many business owners utilize paid Google Ads to generate sales, they may not realize they are paying more than they need to for marketing and advertising in order to make a substantial revenue.

In order to receive website traffic from online advertising, marketers are forced to spend hours determining the best ad copy, creating banner ads, and fine-tuning their targeting approaches based on audiences, placements, and keywords. And all this work doesn’t even begin to encompass the pain of configuring a budget!

With EquiiText, there’s no need to become a certified online advertiser to establish an effective sales funnel. In fact, the average business owner will spend roughly one to two hours developing their Cloud Platform, and then they rarely need to tinker with their account afterwards. In fact, SMS is one of the most hands-off marketing tools available today. Plus, it costs less than $150 per month, on average! Comparatively, small businesses will spend an average of $9,000 per month on Google Ads (and this number doesn’t include the cost of resources and time spent to get these ads and their funnels set up perfectly).

With this difference in cost alone, it’s easy to see how EquiiText makes it incredibly simple to increase a company’s Return on Investment. Spend less time, spend less money, and make more profit with the EquiiText Cloud Platform.

Interested in learning more? Sign up for your free trial today at https://www.equiitext.com and receive 1,000 credits to play around with! See how easy it is to reach customers wherever they are and let them interact with your company on their terms. Customers love texting, and so should you!

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Why Businesses Should Consider Being Dog-Friendly

According to WalletHub, Las Vegas ranks as one of the top ten most pet-friendly cities in the U.S. Las Vegas businesses recognize the need for tourists and Nevada residents to include their furry companions in their comings and goings.

It is no surprise, then, that businesses are more willing than ever to allow employees to bring their dogs to work. The benefits of this are well-documented—bringing your dog to work reduces stress, increases productivity, and promotes inter-office social behaviors. Researchers have also discovered unexpected advantages for companies that are dog-friendly: employees are more likely to apply for jobs if they can bring their dogs, and they are less likely to quit a job with a pet-friendly company. This means businesses have happier employees who work harder and stay longer than businesses that don’t allow pets.We here at Equiinet love seeing the office dogs when we come in. Other companies in Las Vegas are doing it, too!

Mellisa at R&R Partners says, “The office as a whole is less stressed when there are dogs around…R&R loves all of the fur babies that come in. Our HR supervisor brings her dog in everyday, and our folks in accounting are always spoiling pups with treats!” Plus, R&R Partners also offers pet insurance for their employees. How cool is that!

Of course, there are challenges associated with allowing pets in the workplace. Business owners need to be aware of several factors before implementing a pet policy, including:

Employees with allergies

Employees who are afraid of animals or object to sharing a workspace with a dog due to cultural or religious heritages

The health and behavior of every dog that enters the workplace

Liability insurance

To combat these issues, it is important that businesses ensure all employees who bring dogs to work:

maintain their dogs’ good temperaments

keep their dogs up-to-date on vaccinations

bathe their dogs regularly to decrease pet dander

The workplace itself should provide dog-free accommodations for those who are unable to be around animals.For example, R&R Partners reserves the right for allergic employees to ask coworkers not to bring their dogs to work.

A representative from State Farm also recommends that employers who consider allowing employees bring their pet to work “verify the employee’s liability coverage through a renter’s policy, homeowner’s policy, or personal liability umbrella. Additionally, [employers should] be sure to review the business policy to be certain adequate liability limits are in place.”Business owners’ liability policies generally extend coverage for customer property damage and injury due to pets in the workplace, but the employee should be individually protected, as well.

Pet-friendly workplaces like Equiinet make going to work more enjoyable! Tell Equiinet about your experience with working for a pet-friendly company—we’d love to hear from you!

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Why You Should Consider Using a Virtual Office

According to a recent Gallup survey, approximately 43% of American employees said they spent at least some time working remotely. Whether this means they work from home or simply work from outside the office on a regular basis, the fact of the matter is that there are fewer people working in office spaces than ever before—and that number will only keep growing.

A virtual office is a place in which remote employees can virtually hang their business licenses. This is ideal for people who don’t work in an office and don’t want to: it provides remote employees with the ability to have a corporate mailing address and a live receptionist who answers and forwards business calls. A virtual office gives you a concrete, professional facility in which to have a location for meetings in a private office or conference room.

Essentially, a virtual office is a way to have an office without going to the office every day. Work from home or on the road or from other countries without sacrificing the professionalism of owning an executive office.

Virtual Offices in Las Vegas Rather than trekking to the office every day, the virtual office allows you a place to forward all your business mail and phone calls. When you need the physical space for a meeting, simply call ahead and book the location for your conference day. Plus, with the Equiinet F6PG phone system, you can simultaneously hold your conference call and maintain all your company data right into the phone!

There are numerous companies in Las Vegas that exist to assist you in securing your virtual office. Their buildings are elegant and tastefully furnished with individual office rooms, conference rooms, and lounges in which you and your team members can gather in comfort. There are always receptionists available to greet yourself and your associates, as well as to answer any questions you may have regarding mail or phone calls.

Who Provides Virtual Offices? The following list provides information about some of the Las Vegas companies that provide virtual offices for remote employees:

Davinci Virtual https://www.davincivirtual.com

Pros: Great prices 12 locations in Las Vegas Complimentary online notary Use of address

Cons: Option for live receptionist requires an additional fee.

Average price: $65 a month

Regus https://www.regus.com/virtual-office

Pros: Pedigree business lounges 16 locations in Las Vegas Complimentary license hanging Live receptionist answer with virtual office package

Cons: High price

Average price: $185 a month

Lakes Suites https://lakesuites.com/las-vegas-virtual-office/

Pros: Great pricing Optional package for executive office space Complimentary license hanging

Cons: Only one location in Las Vegas

Average price: $125 a month

Opus Virtual Office https://www.opusvirtualoffices.com/

Pros: Lowest live receptionist fee   Free first month with 12-month contract Complimentary license hanging

Cons: Only 3 locations in Las Vegas Does not offer conference rooms, executive offices, or mail forwarding

Average price: $99 a month

St. Rose https://strosesuites.com/las-vegas-virtual-offices/

Pros: Great overall value with package notification On-site private mailbox Unlimited call forwarding

Cons: Low availability due to number of rentals Does not offer option for license hanging

Average price: $125 a month Las Vegas Virtual Offices Comparison

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Tax Code 179 Helps Your Business’ Bottom Line

Section 179 of the IRS Tax Code allows businesses to deduct the cost of new equipment that was purchased or financed during that tax year.    In previous tax years, businesses could reasonably expect to write off a percentage of the total cost of new equipment purchased. For example, if a company in 2017 purchased up to $2 million worth of new equipment, they were eligible to deduct a limit of $500,000. This sounds like a great deal (and it was a much better deal than 2009’s $250,000 deduction cap), but this deduction is still only covers 25% of the total cost of new equipment a business could purchase.

In 2018, this deduction was raised significantly.    As of this year, the passage and signing into law of Section 179 of the IRS tax code allows businesses to deduct up to $1 million dollars on equipment that is purchased or financed in 2018. This means you can deduct the FULL PURCHASE PRICE of all Equiinet equipment purchased for your business! There has never been a better time to update your company’s old phone systems and computer software with Equiinet. Plus, with Equiinet’s new Phone System Buy Back, there’s never been a better time to update your business equipment and save money in the process.

How does this work?    Essentially, between the dates January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018, your business maylease or purchase any of the following items (and more!) and receive a full deduction of the total purchase prices. These items include:

Office equipment (including phone systems, printers, copiers, fax machines, etc.)

Office furniture

Computers

Computer software(that is purchased or financed from outside your company)

Tangible personal property used in business

Simply keep complete records of all the business equipment you leased or purchased during 2018 (including where you acquired the equipment from and the date it was acquired and put into service), and fill out IRS form 4562 when you file for your 2018 taxes. It couldn’t be easier!

Let Equiinet help your business have a stellar 2018!    Section 179 truly is fantastic for businesses. It is finally time to get those upgrades you desperately need! With Equiinet’s affordable services and products, plus our amazing new Phone System Buy Back Program, we are here to enable your business and help you have most amazing year yet! For more information on how Equiinet can protect your bottom line, give us a call. Click this link if you would like more information on Section 179 of the IRS tax code.

We can’t wait to help you grow!

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Review: Equiinet F6PG Gigabit IP Phone System

Now that it’s 2018, it’s no wonder that desktop IP phones are becoming smarter and more functional. The new Equiinet F6PG is a pinnacle of smart technology, hybridized with the traditional IP phone design. It is easy to program and easier to use, and its advanced features allow for better productivity with fewer headaches.

Phone Features The F6PG stands out from the pack with three color LCD screens. The main screen boasts a user-friendly 4.3-inch display, and two 2.8-inch DSS screens which act as a built-in extension module—a cost-saving solution to traditional IP phones. These intelligent screens have twelve DSS buttons, but with five available pages, the F6PG allows for a virtualized total of sixty DSS/BLF keys. With the phone’s ability to maintain 6 SIP lines and hold up to 1,000 contacts, the F6PG is the only IP phone you will ever need.

Fortunately, since the F6PG supports its own URL, you can access the phone’s contact library, call log, and more through its webpage. Simply scan the phone’s QR code with your mobile device or log on through your computer, and you can easily keep track of all the information going in and out of the phone.

Equiinet’s incredible new IP phone is PoE enabled with an entire gigabit of ethernet capability. Its HD voice feature shines through both the handset and its full duplex speaker. Don’t want to talk the old-fashioned way? The F6PG is also includes an RJ9 headset port that is compatible with EHS wireless headsets for hands-free communication.

Call Features Along with the standard call features present on many IP desktop phones, the F6PG provides businesses the ability to set up private hot lines and unique passcodes for their employees to dial out, otherwise known as hot-desking. Here are more of the F6PG’s call features:

Interested? Give Equiinet a call today, and see if we can upgrade you to the amazing F6PG at little to no cost to you! You may also purchase this smart desktop phone directly. We know you’ll love the F6PG as much as we do!

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Virtualization and Hypervisors: An Article by Equiinet Inc.

One of the best features of virtualization is that all the instances of operating systems and applications installed to a hypervisor can be directly transferred to any other hypervisor. Therefore, if a company has six servers that each have their own hypervisor, then moving something like Windows 10 from the first server to the other five is as simple as sharing a document with a coworker. Never again will your company fret over data loss, when the ability to transfer information from one server to the next is so simple.

Similarly, the hypervisor program is able to recognize when a particular instance of something will require more RAM than others—if there are peak hours during the day in which employees are predominately utilizing a single application, the hypervisor will divide resources between different servers. Essentially, programs will run quicker and more smoothly, and the servers will still save energy and resources. Servers that are not in use will not drain power, nor will they be underutilized.

So what types of hypervisors are there, and where can you buy them?

There are 2 types of hypervisors you can use: Type 1 and Type 2.

Type 1 Type 1 hypervisors, also called “bare metal,” “native,” and “embedded” hypervisors are directly installed to a server’s hardware. In this case, you need a blank server with no operating system installed on it;a type 1 hypervisor acts as the server’s operating system. After you install the type 1 hypervisor, you need a manager program to run the server.

This is the catch-22 with type 1 hypervisors: the hypervisor itself is typically free (or relatively inexpensive) to install, but the content manager program often comes with a hefty price tag. For instance, VMware, the leader in virtualization, charges a baseline of $560 for a 1-year license of its most skeletal hypervisor kit (the VMware vSphere Essentials Kit), but it does not come with many features outside the hypervisor itself. Comparatively, the base price for a VMware type 1 hypervisor kit with an inclusive management program costs $1,268 with a 1-year subscription. One of the most expensive products sold at VMware is the vCenter Server Standard, at nearly $10,000 for a 3-year license with 24/hour technical support.

There is a lot to think about when it comes to pricing and management tools for type 1 hypervisors. However, they are the most effective and most efficient hypervisors because they are installed directly to a server’s hardware. With a proper management program, a business’ ability to optimize production and avoid technical issues is much higher than with a type 2 hypervisor.

Type 2 Type 2 hypervisors are much less expensive and much easier to install than type 1 hypervisors because they run on the server’s preexisting operating system. These are called “hosted” hypervisors. If the hypervisor is a mattress protector, then the original operating system is a cushiony mattress topper placed underneath it. From there, another instance of the original operating system is installed directly to the hypervisor, and other instances of operating systems can be installed there, as well. Once again, the instances of applications are installed to those individual operating systems.

The best case for using a type 2 hypervisor is that, unlike the type 1 hypervisor, it does not require a management program to run properly. Rather, the hypervisor appears to the user the same way an application does—it can be managed and utilized similarly to any other unique instance that is installed on it. Due to the type 2 hypervisor’s ease of access, and the fact that it’s generally free to download, many businesses prefer this product when they decide to virtualize.

The biggest downside to a type 2 hypervisor is its RAM allocation. Unlike the type 1 hypervisor that can automatically switch back-and-forth between servers to ensure their resources are used effectively, the type 2 hypervisor requires the user to manually determine how much RAM an instance of an operating system or application will use on one server. This means that the host server will always being using a specific amount of RAM for each instance, even if one instance suddenly requires more than the others. Unfortunately, this can lead to computer crashes because there won’t be enough RAM to go around between everything at once. Similarly, there can be network issues if too many instances require the network at the same time, and the user wants to use the network on the host computer.

The type 2 hypervisor is great if there aren’t too many instances of operating systems or applications attempting to utilize RAM and the network simultaneously, but for a larger company that requires more resources, it may be a better idea to look into the type 1 hypervisor.

Conclusion Virtualization has been around for almost 50 years, believe it or not. However, its application in the real world has only been implemented within the last 15 or 20 years. There are still many companies that are not aware of virtualization and its ability to run businesses more effectively. When it is broken down, the nuances of virtualization appear difficult to understand, but it essentially boils down to these key points:

Consolidate servers to save space, money, and time

Optimize server resources with the most efficiency

Avoid the stress of data loss that comes with hardware damage

Virtualization is the best option for businesses, period. There is every reason to switch, and no reason not to. So, what’re you waiting for?

[equiitext-blog]

Registering Your New Business in Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a vibrant city full of life with an amazing community of entrepreneurs.This makes it one of the best places to start your own business! But even if you are ready to begin pulling in customers and become a staple company in Las Vegas, it’s important to make sure you are following all the right legal procedures. One of the first things every business should do is register with the state of Nevada. Here are the steps you need to follow to get registered.

Steps for Registering a Business

1.      Choose a business name

a.       Make sure the name you pick for your new business is unique and distinguishable from any other business in Nevada. Be wary of following trademark laws! The Nevada Secretary of State’s office has a database in which all Nevada businesses are registered, so you don’t have to guess whether your name is too similar to another business.

b.      If you would like to register your business under a “fictitious name” (such as creating a “doing business as,” or “dba” name), Nevada requires you to fill out an application and submit it to the county clerk’s office. Filing for a dba costs around $20.00.

2.      Form your entity and apply for a Nevada state business license

a.       The different types of businesses and their requirements for obtaining licensing are listed in the section below.

3.      Get an Employer Identification Number

a.       Apply for an EIN on the IRS website in order to ensure your business is paying its taxes accordingly and protecting you from fraud.

4.      Register with the Nevada Department of Taxation

a.       Although Nevada does not enforce state taxes, it is still necessary to apply for a tax permit, whether it is a sales tax permit (for the sale of tangible goods) or a consumer use tax permit (for any other business that does not sell tangible goods).

5.      Apply for a city business license (or licenses)

a.       Applying for city business licenses can be difficult, since the first step is identifying which city in which your business is located. In Nevada, this is tricky since the lines that separate the City of Henderson, Boulder City, the City of North Las Vegas, the City of Las Vegas, and Clark County are tough to decipher. Check the Nevada jurisdiction locator (be sure to look only at the “jurisdiction field”) to determine where your business will operate. From here, you must determine where to file for your license, based on your location. (It is even more complicated for mobile businesses like plumbers or dog groomers—they are required to file for licenses in every city in which they plan to do business!)

Determine your type of business

There are multiple types of business you can register, so here are some ways to determine what you qualify for:

·         Corporations: A corporation is a group of people working together on a business that are legally permitted to act as a single entity. It means the business functions on its own separately from any other businesses.A person could own two corporations individually from one another, so one corporation does not affect the other. Corporations can be publicly traded and give limited liability in the event of a lawsuit. This means the business itself would be liable for any costs related to a suit,as opposed to the individuals who own it. To file as a corporation, you’ll need to file Articles of Incorporations with the Nevada Secretary of State’s office.

·         Limited-Liability Company (LLC): An LLC provides a business with the limited liability that is similar to a corporation while also allowing for pass-through taxation, meaning the taxes pass through to the owner instead of the business getting taxed separately for profits. The Nevada Secretary of State requires a new business owner to file Articles of Organization to register as an LLC.

·         Limited Partnership: A limited partnership would be required if your business has multiple owners and one of those owners is responsible for the majority of the liability for the business.Other partners are not liable, yet they are still able to own or manage the business in conjunction with the liable owner. If this is the type of business you are interested in registering, be sure to file a Certificate of Limited Partnership with the Nevada Secretary of State and include the list of managers, members, officers, and/or partners in order to receive your state business license.

·         Sole Proprietor/General Partnership: Generally, any individual working in exchange for pay, such as a freelance photographer or a contracted writer, is going to fall within this category. The disadvantage to working as a sole proprietor is that there is no legal safety net keeping the individual’s assets separate from the business. A sole proprietor/general partnership is not required to file for a business registration like the above companies are. Instead, only a notice of exemption or a business license is required.

Fortunately, the state of Nevada makes it very easy to register for these types of businesses. Most of these forms can be filled out online, but you can still send in a paper copy if you’d prefer.

Check on licensing and zoning

When registering your business, you’ll want to make sure it is able to legally function. Before you sign a lease on a space or start working, check the Nevada zoning laws for the area in which you will be working to ensure your business is able to function in that spot. Clark County has a comprehensive FAQ that details the steps for zoning a new business.

It is also important to make sure you have all licensing required to operate whichever type of business you’ve registered as. This would include making sure you have health permits in the case of a restaurant, for example. You will also need to insure your business properly and obtain all employee paperwork necessary for the future. The Small Business Advice website of Nevada delineates all the information you’ll need for these.

So you’ve started your business!

Now that you’ve registered and obtained all your licensing, you’re ready to do business! Congratulations! The next step is considering your business’ utilities and telecommunications services. Don’t worry! Equiinet is here to take care of all your telephone and internet needs. We provide excellent products and services at an affordable rate, so you can operate your company efficiently, without giving a second thought to network security or data storage. Give Equiinet a call today to see how we can help make your new entity a success! You deserve it after all that hard work!

To learn more about Equiitext visit: https://www.equiitext.com

[equiitext-blog]

Equiinet Helps Businesses Go Green

What Does Going Green Mean for Businesses?

           We know about all the things we’re supposed to do to help protect our environment: reduce, reuse, recycle, right? Maybe as an individual, you take pains to ensure you use less water or create less waste to reduce your carbon footprint. However, becoming more environmentally aware applies to businesses, too. Companies that go green do more than help the environment—they also protect their bottom line, become more efficient, and increase sales from customers who are similarly interested in sustainable practices. In fact, a 2015 study showed that 72% of consumers aged 15-20 (and 51% of Baby Boomers) were willing to pay extra for products and services from businesses that are eco-friendly. This number is only going up, and in the long run, going green will save you money!

How Can Equiinet Help Your Bottom Line?

           Did you know that the average office worker goes through 10,000 sheets of paper every year? Even with the use of recycled paper, this is an astronomical amount of waste. Equiinet offers solutions to prevent unnecessary waste with items like our virtual fax. This allows businesses to save on paper (and ink!) by sending and receiving faxes electronically from a PC, smartphone, or email.

           Similarly, Equiinet saves companies money on their power and utility bills. “Plug loading” is a term used to describe the amount of electricity used by office equipment simply by being plugged in, even if they are turned off. If your business is utilizing multiple pieces of separate equipment, such as a PBX, a Wi-Fi router,and a network storage appliance (among others), you could be spending extra money simply having each of these things plugged in. Equiinet solves this problem with justINA: A Voice-over IP (VoIP) router for your PBX that connects all your phone and network systems together. Essentially, justINA combines everything your business needs to run effectively, and it means you only need to plug in one device. This saves you energy and money, and it also ensures your company is running quickly and efficiently.

Want More Information?

           Give Equiinet a call today to learn more about our energy-saving products and techniques. We at Equiinet want to enable your business to become more efficient, protect your bottom line, and generate more sales. We can’t wait to help you grow!

To learn more about Equiitext visit: https://www.equiitext.com

[equiitext-blog]

Equiinet for Non-Profits Initiative

Equiinet for Non-Profits

Running a non-profit company involves an incredible amount of work, and often, the rewards are few and far in between. We at Equiinet understand the difficulties non-profits face as they attempt to make the world a better place while operating under a strict budget.

You want to do good by serving the world and are driven to achieve your mission. You should be similarly served by a company that has your best interests in mind and is driven to assist you in achieving your mission. That’s why we’ve created Equiinet for Non-Profits—an Equiinet initiative that brings FREE BROADBAND to eligible Las Vegas non-profits.

Eligibility

So, what makes a non-profit organization eligible for Equiinet for Non-Profits?First, Equiinet looks for organizations that hold a valid charitable status with either the IRS or a local tax service/charity commission. This means your business must have a mission that benefits the Las Vegas community that could include, but is not limited to:

·         Providing relief to the poor

·         Advancing education

·         Improving social welfare

·         Preserving culture

·         Preserving or restoring the environment

·         Promoting human rights

·         Creating an establishment of civil society

Additionally, an eligible non-profit organization must not:

·         Discriminate on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, political affiliation or beliefs, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression

·         Promote a particular religious affiliation, dogma, or doctrine as part of its mission or in exchange for its services (being affiliated with a religious organization is not in itself disqualifying)

·         Be church, association of churches, or other religious or evangelical organization

·         Be a school, college, or similar organization

·         Be a hospital, an organization involved with health insurance or group health plans, and/or related organizations

·         Be a legislative or political activity organization

·         Be an organization that attempts to influence public opinion

If you are unsure as to your non-profit’s eligibility, please contact us! Equiinet is motivated to provide you with the services that will allow your company to continue making our world a better place.

How to Apply

If your non-profit is already an Equiinet customer, simply send us an email at info@equiinet.comfor new Internet services. If your eligibility is confirmed, your organization will be upgraded to free Internet service within three days of receiving confirmation.

If you are not currently an Equiinet customer, take a moment to fill out our Equiinet for Nonprofit detail form. You'll be asked to provide your organization's legal name, location, website, and a brief description of what your organization is all about. Or, you can call us directly for more information. We are more than happy to provide you with one-on-one service to jumpstart your journey to free broadband!

The Review Process

Equiinet is partnered with TechSoup, a service that helps us review and validate non-profits and their charity status, so we can provide free upgrades to eligible teams.

If your team is not approved, you’re welcome to reapply in the future if the charitable status of your organization changes.

What Are You Waiting For? Get Your Free Internet from Equiinet Today!

To learn more about Equiitext visit: https://www.equiitext.com

[equiitext-blog]

Upgrade Your Business Panasonic PBX with the Latest Panasonic IP Phone System

What is the Buy-Back Program?

If your business is still using an old Panasonic phone system and you are interested in upgrading to the latest and greatest in Panasonic technology, you don’t have to break the bank with Equiinet’s Buy-Back Program. For a limited time, Equiinet is offering a special deal for businesses that will allow them to sell us their outdated Panasonic phone systems for a credit toward the smart Panasonic KX-UTG300B—a $300 value.

It is no surprise that businesses pay more for new telecommunications equipment than they do for the services themselves. That’s why Equiinet wants to make 2018 the most affordable year for businesses, yet! In no time, your business could be operating more efficiently with the 300B, a feature-packed Panasonic phone system with innovative touch-screen technology.

Features

Panasonic’s impressive 300B model comes equipped with a 5-inch color LCD touch screen, enterprise-grade HD voice, a full duplex speaker system, 2 Gigabit Ethernet ports, built in Bluetooth capabilities, six SIP accounts, 24 programmable keys, and expansion module support.There are buttons that are preset for voicemail, conferencing, transferring, holding, and other standard features. Oh, and did we mention it can store up to 1,000 contacts?

With its sleek look and enhanced functionality, the Panasonic 300B is the perfect business solution for navigating the modern problems of the new year. You no longer have to deal with a cumbersome PBX that feels more like a burden to your business than an asset. Plus, with the new Section 179 Tax Code, your business can write off the cost of your new Panasonic 300B equipment!

What You Need to Do

Simply give us a call to see if you qualify for our Panasonic Buy-Back Program and let us tell you how much you can save on a brand-new Panasonic 300B phone system! At Equiinet, we love to find new ways to save your business money on our products and telecommunications services.

Don’t want to change your phone or internet service provider? No problem! Your business can still qualify for a new Panasonic 300B phone system even if you choose to keep your current provider. However, businesses who switch to Equiinet will save even more money on this deal!

Have more questions? Give us a call today for your free estimate!

We can’t wait to help you grow!

To learn more about Equiitext visit: https://www.equiitext.com