Staying Connected in the Sunshine State
When Jill Harris decided to start her own vacation rental company, she needed technology that would allow her to run her business no matter where she was. After all, catering to travelers isn’t a Monday-to-Friday type of job.
As the owner-operator of Ruskin, Florida-based Gates Vacation Properties, Jill Harris serves others looking to step away from the grind for a respite. Like so many solopreneurs these days, Harris found it hard to take the occasional break if she didn’t have the technology that would allow her to monitor her business even when out of the office.
To be successful, she needs to be connected whenever her clients call, no matter where she may be. To find the right solution, she knew she needed to find a partner who could help make her business dreams a reality.
The Challenge and Opportunity
As a small business owner, Harris quickly learned that not every solutions provider was willing to tailor their offerings to her needs. However, once Harris contacted TPx, she found a partner willing to work with her to establish the right-sized solutions for her needs, including a business phone number and UCx with Webex.
“I use it on my cell phone and on my laptop,” Harris said. “More times than not, I’m on my mobile device when calls come in. I may use the conference lines on the laptop, but I’ve also used it on my mobile device.
“Wherever I am, if I have to be able to call for work, I have that flexibility, whether it’s a coffee shop or sitting in my car,” Harris added. “It offers flexibility, which is one of the things that I was excited about. When I learned about its different features and functionality, it definitely sold me.”
The Solution
Harris entered the partnership without any preconceived notions, and what she found with TPx was a company willing to help tailor the solutions to her needs, not offer an out-of-the-box solution with features that wouldn’t benefit her business.
“As a business owner, it’s helpful for me to use some of the other offerings and services, such as the WebEx meetings, as an extra incentive,” Harris said. “The model was new to me with WebEx and other offerings. I’m pretty excited about it and using it, trying it out to see how it works.”
“The way the system works has been the best solution for me because I can answer the call from anywhere,” Harris added.
The Results
In TPx, Harris also found a partner to scale with her as her business evolves, giving her a competitive advantage.
“I’m a huge networker in the marketplace and have other business ideas or potential ventures that may come across. This can require setting up calls or having conferences with a diverse range of people to discuss these opportunities,” Harris said.
“The pleasant surprise to me was the level of customer service and interaction with the TPx team,” Harris said. “When I did have questions, I received prompt responses, and the level of customer service was excellent. If I have a concern, being able to call and quickly address my concern is paramount.”