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Planning for Common Threats 3 // Launch of Connected Business Solutions 4
Who’s Minding Your Business? 5 // Basics of Search Engine Optimization 6
Reaching Ready-to-Buy Consumers 7
September 2013 • Volume 6 • Issue 2
BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
New Brand, New Resource
Home Telecom Gets Rolling With Connected Business Solutions
2 SEPTEMBER 2013
SEPT
13
Business Connections is a publication of Home Telecom. 579 Stoney Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461.
No part of this publication may be repro-duced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, electronic, photo-copying, recording, mechanical, or otherwise without the prior written permission of Home Telecom. All rights are reserved.
Editorial and Circulation - Contact: Gina Austin, 579 Stoney Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, 843-761-9178.
Trademarks - All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Additional Issues - Extra issues are available to business customer employees on a limited basis while supplies last. Contact: Gina Austin, 579 Stoney Landing Road, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, 843-761-9178.
Copyright © 2013 by Home Telecom and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc.
POSTMASTER Send changes to: Gina Austin - Business Connections Home Telecom 579 Stoney Landing Road Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Wanda MingoBusiness Services [email protected] Robert ReimersBusiness Services [email protected]
Judy CroninDirector of Sales and Business [email protected]
BUSINESS CONNECTIONS
Problems are easy to spot but solutions can be difficult to find. Ever notice how many people will often chirp up to
identify problems but far fewer will offer solutions? Maybe that’s because devel-
oping solutions requires much more thought, research, and expertise.
Home Telecom has always been in the solutions business and now you could say
we’ve made it official. We recently launched Connected Business Solutions, a
new brand for our business services division, and you can read more about this
valuable resource on pages 4 and 5. Regardless of the size of your business,
you’ll find solutions to your communications challenges — including voice,
Internet, and security services — at www.business.homesc.com.
This September issue of Business Connections also features solutions to other
types of business challenges. On page 3, we share common threats related to
disaster planning and how to protect your business from them. On page 6, you
can pick up tips on Search Engine Optimization to help more people find your
business online. And on page 7, we help solve some of your advertising challeng-
es with the latest on Yellow Pages and other local advertising opportunities.
You know your business inside and out. Home Telecom knows ours. With Con-
nected Business Solutions at your disposal, it’s easier than ever to find the right
solutions to the challenges you face.
Sincerely,
William S. Helmly
President & COO
Home Telecom
// BUSINESS CONNECTIONS //
SEPTEMBER 2013 3
Planning for Common ThreatsBe prepared for small events that can cause big problems
Disaster recovery plans typically focus on big threats like floods,
fires, and pandemics. Remember, however, there are smaller and
more common threats that can also disrupt the operation of your
business. When planning, be sure to address these issues:
Damage from Sprinkler SystemsTake a close look at your building’s sprinkler systems, particularly if you’re in a multi-
story building. Even if you have a waterless fire suppression system in your server room,
are there sprinkler heads in the floors directly above it? Would your IT infrastructure be
threatened in the event of a faulty sprinkler head or burst pipe? Another consideration
is whether your building’s sprinkler system is wet or dry. In a dry system, the water is not
stored and the pipes are only filled when the system is deployed. In a wet system, the
water is always there and holds the potential for damage.
OutagesOutages can occur as the result of a variety of everyday events. Your business could be
left without Internet and phone services because a property owner cut a fiber bundle
while digging, a truck hit a utility pole, or a storm caused damage. To prepare for this
contingency, you may have backup generators. If so, make sure you keep them main-
tained and stock up on enough fuel to make it through an extended power outage.
Data Theft and SabotageDisgruntled employees can cause major problems if they express their frustration
through the theft or sabotage of company data. They know exactly what is most valuable
to your company and how to access this data and equipment. To reduce your exposure,
safely store data backups at an offsite location and have a policy for changing passwords
to prevent data access by outgoing or former employees.
It comes down to this: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
HOmE TElECOm OffERS HElP WITH DISaSTER RECOvERY The Hartford’s Guide to Emergency Pre-
paredness Planning published by The
Hartford Financial Services Group states
that 43% of businesses that experience
a disaster and have no emergency plan
never reopen. Of those that do reopen,
only 29% are still operating two years later.
The good news is that preparing for a
disaster, or even a significant business cri-
sis, doesn’t have to be difficult. Connected
Business Solutions, powered by Home
Telecom, can assist you throughout the
disaster recovery planning and implemen-
tation process. Your business has access to
services including:
• Immedion’s SSAE 16, SOC 1 Type II
compliant data centers, highly skilled
staff, and suite of Managed Services to
mitigate inherent risks to production data
associated with substandard data room
infrastructure or network security threats.
Business critical data is backed up and
available for restoration at all times.
• Four fully redundant data centers, which
enable you to utilize Immedion for both
your primary data center and data recov-
ery needs.
• 24/7/365 data center services including
temporary workspace to get your busi-
ness up and running again as soon as
possible after a crisis.
For more details on disaster recovery
services as well as our other managed/
cloud services, visit www.business.
homesc.com or call 888-571-5775.
4 SEPTEMBER 2013
Why Create a New Brand?This brand is the positive outcome of Home Telecom’s
burgeoning fiber network in South Carolina and our
unprecedented footprint growth. More businesses are
now able to access our fiber network, bringing Home
Telecom increased recognition as an industry leader. Mov-
ing forward, Connected Business Solutions will continue
to build and foster Home Telecom’s unparalleled dedica-
tion to offering reliable, scalable, flexible, and innovative
technology solutions.
“Home Telecom’s rebranding to Connected Business
Solutions represents our evolution and direction,” says
Will Helmly, President and COO. “Large and small com-
panies have already gravitated toward us because of our
understanding of their business needs. It makes sense for
us to adopt an identity that exemplifies this as part of our
company name. This change is a logical step and gives
us an umbrella under which we can continue to expand
our products, services, and partnerships during our next
phase of growth and development. We are so much
more than a residential telecommunications provider and
this represents an important step to better communicate
our value proposition.”
Helmly adds, “We want our potential and current busi-
ness clients to understand why Home Telecom’s products
and services consistently outpace our competitors; it is
what truly sets us apart from the rest. Our new Connected
Business Solutions brand helps position us as an innova-
tive and forward-looking company with a commitment to
ensure the success of every client we serve.”
Connected Business Solutions will provide premiere
telecommunications solutions for companies of all sizes.
By utilizing our extensive multi-platform and growing
number of partnerships, Connected Business Solutions
will be expanding to include all of our core telecommuni-
cations services – Internet, Cable TV, Telephone, Security,
and Wireless.
Home Telecom Launches
Connected Business
SolutionsIt’s a new brand for us and a
new resource for your business
The business services division of Home Telecom is now operating under a brand new brand — Connected Business Solutions.
// BUSINESS CONNECTIONS //
SEPTEMBER 2013 5
New Website at www.business.homesc.comThis new brand has a new logo and a new tag line, “Connected Business Is Better Busi-
ness.” Most importantly, Connected Business Solutions also has its own new website at
www.business.homesc.com. Home Telecom’s primary website at www.homesc.com will
continue to be a valuable resource for our residential customers as well as provide a
convenient link to www.business.homesc.com.
Gina Austin, Marketing Director of Home Telecom, notes, “Our primary goal was to
demonstrate Home Telecom’s ability to serve a wide array of business needs — from the
smallest two-line business to the largest Metro E enterprise. Because our ‘Home’ name
implies a focus on residential services, many businesses in the area did not know the
full extent of our technical capabilities. That should change with the easily accessible
resource of www.business.homesc.com.”
from Small Business to Enterprise To address the needs of businesses of different sizes, the user-friendly website is divided
into two main sections: Small Business Solutions and Enterprise Solutions. Small Business
Solutions include Voice Services, Business Class Internet, Security, Digital Cable TV, and
Advertising. Enterprise Solutions include Voice Services, Data Networking & Internet
Services, and Managed & Cloud Services.
“Business owners and managers can go straight to detailed information about the Con-
nected Business Solutions that would best fit their needs. They can also review Case
Studies and Testimonials showing how area businesses and organizations are benefiting
from these solutions. In my opinion, real-life experiences are valuable resources that help
other businesses envision what a specific service could do for them. They tell the story of
the initial communications challenge or goal and then what results were achieved after
the new services were installed,” explains Austin.
for example, you can go to Case Studies to watch videos about topics including:
• Home Telecom’s First Fiber Development on Daniel Island
• How Home Telecom Aids in Psychiatric Evaluation
Technology Advancement at Roper St. Francis - Berkeley
• Why SPARC Relies on Home Telecom Fiber
You’ll also find Case Studies in article form about Immedion, The Daniel Island Company,
Cane Bay Plantation, and Berkeley Citizens, Inc.
We encourage you to visit www.business.homesc.com to learn about the extensive
range of services now offered by Home Telecom and our partners. For a consultation
about your specific communications needs, contact a Home Telecom Business Sales
Representative at 888-571-5775.
WHO’S mINDINg YOUR BUSINESS?RYAN HALL Home Integration Technician
Ryan Hall is a member of the Home Integra-
tion Team, which helps homebuyers plan
and arrange installation of outlets for Home
Telecom’s Phone, Cable TV, and Internet
services along with these other options:
Security Systems, Wall-Mounted Flat Screen
TVs, Surround Sound Audio, Whole House
Audio, and Intercom Systems.
Hall joined Home Telecom about a year ago,
bringing with him knowledge of low voltage
wiring. As a Home Integration Technician, he
installs pre-wire and trim work in new homes,
specialized wiring and electronics for Home
Integration products, and Security Systems.
Says Hall, “I think homeowners appreciate
the neatness of my work as well as how
quickly and efficiently the installations get
completed. I enjoy the great work environ-
ment of my job and the fact that there’s
always a new challenge.”
6 SEPTEMBER 2013
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process of
improving your website’s rankings in search results.
The goal is to get your company name to appear near
the top of the list when people search for terms related to
your business using search engines like Google.
Search engines typically find sites in two key ways:1. They read the text of the site to identify words or phrases
for which people are searching.
2. They look for links to the site.
How to Improve Your RankingsThe best tactics for improving your rankings are to have
accurate, succinct text on your site and to have other legiti-
mate businesses — like your local Chamber of Commerce
— link to you. Links help search engines find your site and
can give it greater visibility in search results.
google also recommends these strategies:
• Provide useful, high-quality content on your pages,
especially your homepage, and keep it up to date.
Such information-rich content will attract visitors and
entice webmasters to link to your site.
• Make sure your site has a clear hierarchy and text links
within the content, leading to the other pages.
• Choose a descriptive and easy-to-read domain name
for your website. Sub-pages should also be easy to
read. For example, use www.sprinklesbakery.com/
custom-cakes instead of www.sprinklesbakery.com/
prodid?12345.
• Think about the words that people might search for in
order to find your business, and make sure that your
site actually includes those words within it. For instance,
“Carpet installation in Lexington, Kentucky.”
• Put your most important information in text rather
than images.
• Give your images short, descriptive file names. The
“alt” attribute describes the image and helps Google
understand it. Also write a short caption on the page
below each image.
Things to avoidSome companies say they specialize in SEO strategies, but
beware of any that claim to guarantee you a top search
results ranking. That just isn’t possible today, and could
indicate use of improper methods that might make your
results worse, or even get your site banned from Google
completely. Ask to make sure your Web developer does
not engage in either cloaking or keyword stuffing. Cloaking
means to incorporate two versions of content into your site’s
code: one visible to Web users, and another (with poten-
tially inaccurate information) specifically for search engines.
Keyword stuffing emphasizes certain words or phrases to
such an extent that the text becomes awkward for people
reading the site.
Visit www.google.com/support/webmasters for more tips on
Search Engine Optimization and other Webmaster tools.
Basics of Search Engine Optimization
What to do, and not do, when trying to get more people to your website
// BUSINESS CONNECTIONS //
SEPTEMBER 2013 7
Ready-to-Buy Consumers
Still Use Print Yellow Pages
Given the rise of digital media, you may be wondering whether
print Yellow Pages is still an effective form of advertising for your
small local business. The answer is an unequivocal YES.
Studies show that consumers use multiple sources to search for local businesses and print
Yellow Pages is still one of the strongest forms of advertising when trying to reach consum-
ers who are ready to buy. In fact, print Yellow Pages is the second most used media for this
purpose. Seventy-five percent of consumers use search engines, 66 percent use print
Yellow Pages, 52 percent use Internet Yellow Pages, and 34 percent use social media.*
A white paper released by the Local Search Association noted that as the economy improves
and people have more money to spend on their homes and entertainment, they are increas-
ingly turning to Yellow Pages to find local businesses. What’s more, people who use Yellow
Pages are not just shopping; they are ready to buy. Three out of four people who used
Yellow Pages in 2011 made a purchase or said they were likely to make a purchase.
Consumers have many search options and will choose to use different ones at different
times. In order to be effective, your marketing program should contain both print and
digital components — such as online advertising, social media, and print Yellow Pages
advertising. That way, no matter which way consumers choose to search, your business
information will be waiting for them.
*Source: 2011 Yellow Pages Association Local Media Tracking Study; Burke Research, February 2012
A solid marketing program should contain both print and digital components
aDvERTISINg DEaDlINE aPPROaCHES fOR HOmE TElECOm DIRECTORYWhen local customers search for a busi-
ness to provide the products and services
they need, will they easily find your com-
pany? Make sure they do, whether their
searches take place online or via the local
phone directory, by taking advantage of
the versatile Yellow Pages advertising op-
tions available through Home Telecom.
Now’s the time to talk with Comporium
Publishing about placing advertisements
in the next Home Telecom Directory. Your
business has until November 27, 2013, to
finalize updates and insertions. By doing
so, you’ll reach every household and busi-
ness in the Home Telecom footprint and
promote your business 24 hours a day, 365
days a year.
To complement print Yellow Pages, Home
Telecom and MakeitLocal Network offer
the local search site of MakeitLocal.com.
This site enables your business to offer
Video Messages, Special Offers, Product
and Location Images, and detailed Busi-
ness Biographies.
For more information about Yellow Pages and Multimedia advertising with Home Telecom, contact John Eichelberger at [email protected] or 843-469-7824.
