In the News 
Build a Better Business
Black Enterprise Magazine
HOW DOES YOUR BUSINESS LOOK TO CUSTOMERS? ARE you still storing client contact information in a Rolodex -- or worse -- on 3"x4" cards? Do you have a corporate-grade voice mail and call forwarding system? Or does your business sound more like a pizza joint where employees transfer calls by yelling across the room?
How your business looks and sounds to clients and potential customers is often just as important as the products you sell or the services you provide. All businesses -- whether it's a small startup or a BE 100s firm with millions of dollars in revenues -- want technology that can boost profits, provide better customer service, and increase employee efficiency. And they want it all without seriously denting the bottom line.
But better technology doesn't have to mean costly upgrades and fancy gadgets. Simple improvements can go a long way, whether it's retiring an outdated phone system, switching from dial-up to a high-speed Internet connection, or adding a wireless component to your Web connection options. The two companies in the next few pages show that a little investment can go a long way toward making technology work for you, instead of the other way around.
The Old Soft Shoe
When done right, a simple telephone upgrade can make a world of difference to a small company, even making it seem much larger than it is. That's what Krazy Kickz of Durham, North Carolina, discovered. Krazy Kickz is an online sneaker emporium dedicated to sneaker collectors -- those who would sooner exhibit their Air Jordans on a shelf than scuff them up on the asphalt.
Sam Robinson, 21, who co-founded the company with LaTesha Burroughs, 20, in 2001, says that although the Website did an excellent job of processing orders, problems arose when customers phoned in. With the old phones, a simple task like transferring a call sometimes meant giving out a personal cell phone number and having the customer make an extra call. Such inefficiency wasn't good for a company that prides itself on providing a high level of customer service to its sneaker-savvy clientele. And if no one was available to answer the phones, the calls went to the partners' home phones. Although Krazy Kickz posted revenues of $ 230,000 in 2003, Robinson says their antiquated phone system made the company seem as small as it actually was: five employees.
"We were in [class] a lot of the time, and we weren't able to manage the phone calls, so they would go to our home machines," says Burroughs. "It seemed very unprofessional, and we had some complaints because people would call and wonder if we were a legitimate company." Callers wanted to hear an actual greeting from a real company, she adds, and they wanted their calls answered promptly.
So what do busy, young entrepreneurs do when they need to upgrade their company's phone service? They do what everyone else does -- they Googled. "We used Google to search for Internet phone companies. We looked at a few of them and compared rates and [features], and Angel.com was the best solution with [the least] maintenance," says Burroughs. "With our busy schedules, it just made sense."
Because a full-time class schedule and a growing sneaker business left the entrepreneurs little time to take on and learn the ins and outs of a landline solution (which wouldn't have been practical for their Web-based firm anyway), Angel.com (www.angel.com) was a perfect fit. Angel.com specializes in voice-enabled technologies and voice mail and call management solutions. Setup and maintenance are easy, and Burroughs and Robinson never have to worry about potential customers mistaking the 3-year-old company for a fly-by-night operation.
For $ 39.95 per month, Angel.com supplies Krazy Kickz with a toll-free vanity number (866-2LACEUP), a voice-activated voice mail and call transfer system, and the convenience of being able to manage the service from their PCs. Users can record their own voice messages and voice prompts or simply type them in and let a synthesized voice read the text aloud. And voice mail can be forwarded as an e-mail attachment. Robinson says he opted for the synthesized voice on the Virtual Receptionist feature because it gave the company a consistent corporate sound. He and Burroughs can also configure the service so their calls are delivered to different numbers at different times of the day. And, Robinson notes, the Angel.com menus were easy to use.
But ease of use and low cost weren't the only things that sold the company on Angel.com's services. Nor did the partners simply Google and go. "Before we chose a company, we looked at our call volume," says Burroughs. "We receive about 45 calls a day -- sales and product questions. With the old system, our phone bill was around $ 200 a month; now it's only around $ 50 a month." And if recent call and order volume are any indication, the company may have to upgrade to Angel.com's Enterprise Service soon.
Customers only need to remember the new, toll-free number for Krazy Kickz. Angel.com's Virtual Receptionist feature can be set up to allow customers to contact staffers by speaking the person's name. The service is perfect for a company with clients as far away as China, Germany, and Australia. Robinson and Burroughs, who also travel abroad to trade shows in Japan and to Canada for the annual Soled Out sneaker expo, find that being able to manage their service remotely is invaluable.
Robinson says much of Krazy Kickz's business is international, and that has enabled him to locate and acquire unique shoes that have been released to overseas markets but have yet to make it to the U.S. For example, when Nike's Dunk Pro SB Paris Edition shoes were released in France, only a thousand pairs were made, and they sold for the equivalent of US$ 200 to US$ 300. The going price today -- if you can find a pair, says Robinson -- is closer to $ 1,000.
These days, Robinson and Burroughs are as likely to be found searching for new ways to streamline their business as they are scouting out the hottest "kicks." When Krazy Kickz started getting inquiries from customers about selling their own shoes, they created a consignment shop on their Website where the company sells the shoes for interested customers. By listening to clients and responding to them quickly, the partners have been able to provide valuable services while improving their company's efficiency. What started out as a childhood hobby has turned into a full-service business that provides not just hard-to-find kicks but also valuable services to clients worldwide.
