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Small Budget. Big Needs. [Free and Cheap(er) Tools for Your Office]

By
Real Estate Agent with REAL. | Realtyka, LLC 8900289

Free Toll Free Phone Choices

Times are tight and we are all looking for ways to cut our overhead expenses - BUT - cost cutting doesn't mean that you have to loose a features.  Using some of the tools below may help you cut your telephone bills, paper expenses and the cost of ink/toner!  This is another reason for me to love Active Rain - NONE of my friends care anything about this information ... they hate listening to my techno-babble!

[PS: I have been using some of the services below for more than four years now]

Ad Trakker Phone System (15 Day Free Trial) This lead capture system is designed exclusively for realtors and bankers.  This is more than just another toll free system - built in business tools to help you with your business. Ad Tracking, forcasting lots of serious tools for those working toward top producer.

Ring Central Phone System  (30 Day Free Trial) Try this fax and phone system is one of the most popular phone and fax systems on the market.  They have several plans and a fantastic back Office. 

Phone Power Turn your high speed internet into an additional phone line in your home or office under $20.00/mo. 

My Fax (30 Day Free Trial) to try a low cost internet fax service that lets you send and receive faxes through your email. And of course you can always sign up for a Skype account.

Are you wasting money on credit reports?  Clients know when their credit is questionable - when those cases come to me I refer them to Equifax or My FICO  for a copy of their report.  I am not blowing them off - I am involving them and making them responsible for their own credit [only the bad credit clients]. 

Wasting paper and ink?  Using my Lexmark sheet fed scanner - MyFax and PDF Machine - I have cut my paper use by 80%.  My ink lasts 5X as long because I receive my documents online - reorganize them with PDF Machine - and get them faxed where they need to be through my Ring Central account.

If you're using a flatbed, you are wasting time and will love a sheet fed machine. Take a trip to your local Staples, Wal-Mart, Office Max, blah, blah, blah! Trust me -you will love your new machine.  It will be easier to scan, save or fax all of your documents.  Over time you start scanning more and printing less.  may begin to eliminate the amount of paper in your office by keeping files electronically.  It is important that you plug into a solid back up plan - many people keep a separate hard drive.  If you are a client of ALAMODE you can store documents on their secure websites!

Converting to PDF is easy with PDF Machine. You can print any document into a PDF.  You may also take multiple documents and combine them.  They are a low cost solution to give you manageable Adobe documents.  If you don't care about being able to combine documents you can use Cute PDF... it's free.

Last on the list is office space... not only is this a naturally delicate issue - we have lots of compliance issues.  More and more people are working at home!  For those of us that want or need office space we can make use of business centers such as HQ Business Centers.  Or you may consider what a local attorney has done.  He purchased an older house and divided it.  The front door leads to one office, the back door leads to another office and he just finished a renovation of the sun porch which is now a third office.  So the realtor - attorney and mortgage broker all have their separate - compliant - office space. 

I hope you'll share this with others... we all need to save.

All the best to you!

Shellie Carter
Residential and Commercial Mortgage Loans
info@shelliecarter.com
www.shelliecarter.com
888 222 1230

Seeking referrals in NY | NJ | PA | CT | VA | MD

 

Show All Comments Sort:
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

Thank you Shellie...well researched ideas that all agents will appreciate for both their budget and convenience !

Sep 26, 2009 12:17 AM
Anonymous
Sanda Anderson

Thank you for all the great ideas, isn't technology amazing!

Sep 26, 2009 12:21 AM
#2
Bob Murphy
Keller Williams Realty Consultants - New Albany, IN

Shellie - I will share via a reblog.  Thanks for sharing some cost saving ideas.  We can all always use a little knowledge.

Sep 26, 2009 12:26 AM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Shellie, these are some good ideal that not only save money, but will save time. Thanks.

Sep 26, 2009 12:26 AM
Shellie Alicia Carter
REAL. | Realtyka, LLC - Maplewood, NJ

Glad you guys like the information.  I am glad I finally found a home for all of this information.

Sep 26, 2009 12:50 AM
Bobbi McKinnon
Keller Williams Group One Realty - Reno, NV
Realtor - Northern Nevada

Shellie, thanks for the info!

Sep 26, 2009 06:02 AM
Diane Rice
Rice Prprty Mgmnt & Rlty, LLC, South Holland, IL - Lansing, IL
SFR, SRES, CNC

Hi Shellie.... this is excellent information we can all use.  I really appreciate you stopping by to make such an unforgettable comment on my post.  Thanks again.

Diane

Sep 27, 2009 07:40 AM
William Collins
ERA Queen City Realty - Scotch Plains, NJ
Property and Asset Management

Shellie,

Thanks for the post. I am all about saving the money where ever I can.

Oct 02, 2009 04:48 PM
Michael Valdes
Keller Williams Realty Tampa Central - Tampa, FL
Born and Raised Tampa Florida Realtor

I use Top Producer for my CRM and Ring Central for my virtual phone line/ 800#.

Since I am able to differentiate the calls/ leads calling in on Ring Central, I was hoping I could get Top Producer together with Ring Central to figure out a way to automatically import those calls/leads into Top Producer.

Top Producer is putting out a request for those who might be interested making this happen.

Here is the Facebook comment thread: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10150484139792341&id=67846877340

Jan 18, 2012 05:59 AM