We’ve had numerous customers ask, “Why can’t I use The iPad Receptionist in portrait view?” Until now, we’ve had to say that the app was only available in landscape. Well, those days are gone! Now you can use The iPad Receptionist in either portrait or landscape view! Using The iPad Receptionist in portrait view requires an upgrade to the latest …
Announcing the IPR Beta Program!
We have a vision to develop a visitor management application that has unprecedented flexibility in workflow and visual design — that solves problems businesses didn’t even know they had. We created the IPR Beta Program because we think getting user feedback early and often is the best thing we can do to help us achieve our vision. If you’re interested …
10 Secrets of Great Workspace Design
Remote workers, startup culture, and mobile technology are revolutionizing the spaces where we meet, collaborate, and work. Open plans aren’t one-size-fits-all, and an increasingly nomadic workforce renders permanently allocated spaces impractical. Here are 10 tips to help you achieve maximum employee engagement and productivity with your workspace design. 1. Stay flexible Ownership and permanence are out. The sharing economy is …
7 Tips for Moving Your Business to the Cloud
You know the benefits of doing business in the cloud. But are you ready to make a conscious, company-wide move? Before you do, it pays to carefully consider questions of cost, security, availability, and maintenance. Here are seven tips to make your migrations as seamless as possible. 1. Learn the language As the cloud computing landscape expands, so does the …
5 Things Your Technology Says About Your Company
We all know the importance of nonverbal communication. In business, the nonverbal signals you send can make or break your brand. Your choice of technology falls into that nonverbal category. It reflects your company’s values and personality, so it’s an area you can’t afford to ignore. Here are five things your technology says about you: How old you are Millennials …
Feature Update: Referral Program, Branding, and Slack Integration!
We’ve been hard at work making your iPad Receptionist experience the best it can be! Here are three new things we wanted you to know about. New Customer Referral Program So many customers have referred someone to The iPad Receptionist that we’re launching an official referral program. We think it’s time to reward you for spreading the love. And to make …
Got Answers to These 10 Visitor Management Questions?
Do you collect data about who visits your office? If not, you could be missing out on information that could help you understand what happens in your company on a daily basis. Here are 10 important questions you should try to answer. 1. Which company visits my office the most? Who are your partners and allies in business? Which clients are …
21 Coworking Blogs You Should Read in 2016
At the dawn of 2016, coworking communities personify the flexibility and creativity necessary to succeed in today’s professional climate. Staying connected in a distributed workforce also requires a lot of listening. We know you’re busy, so we’ve taken the liberty of sorting through the noise. Here are 21 coworking blogs, along with a couple of our favorite posts from each, …
9 Modern Office Overhauls for 2016
The secret of modern office design is keeping it minimal and functional. Lighting, storage, and seating all play a part in encouraging active brain function and creating a positive environment for both employees and clients. Here are 9 fresh and functional ways to update and stimulate your office space in 2016. Storage Open Shelving For a sense of space without …
Our Top 5 Most-Read Articles of 2015
We hope you’ve found great resources on our site this year. Just in case you missed one, here are our five most popular posts of 2015. Did You Know Your iPad Could Do This? 11 iPad Features Most People Never Use Swipe between apps? Shake to undo typing? This article explains 11 iPad features you might not know about that …
3 Receptionist Software Tools You Need for 2016
Your front desk staff works hard. They’re your company’s front line for customer-facing communication in person, online, and over the phone — sometimes all at once. Here are three software tools that will help them work more efficiently in 2016. Data Entry and Contact Management If your front office is still using paper forms, try Canvas. Canvas turns forms — …
5 Tech Toys Your Office Needs for 2016
What would the new year be without new toys? Luckily, in 2016, you can take your toys to the office. Simple, functional design combined with high-tech capabilities make this new year an awesome time to go to work. Here are 5 toys that put the “fun” in your office functionality. Nendo Data Clip Flash Drives Want to add a touch …
New Features: Contact Notification and Visitor Detail Page
Everything surrounding contact notification and the visitor detail page has gotten a significant upgrade. Check out these beautiful new visitor detail pages! Note the integrated chat client in every version of the Visitor Detail page. Now you can chat with the visitor at the iPad right from this page on any device. The visitor detail page in a web …
7 Best Practices for Visitor Sign-In Sheets
Is your company among the 40% that use paper sign-in sheets to track visitors? If so, your visitor sign-in sheet is probably the first thing people encounter when they enter your office, and maybe the last thing they see before they leave. This might not seem like a huge deal, but your sign-in/sign-out system actually says a lot about your …
Who’s Watching Your Front Desk? [Infographic]
We asked receptionists, office managers, and executive assistants a few questions about how their front offices work. See how their answers stack up to yours.
7 Tips to Make Your Office Holiday Party Awesome
Everyone’s been there. The awkward holiday gift exchange where you get the box of balled-up newspaper or peanut shells. Your supervisor throws a feather boa around your neck and forces you to sing “Santa Baby.” Someone’s caught kissing behind the palm fronds, and the office won’t stop buzzing the next day. Instead of embarrassment this winter, here are 7 great …
5 Major Office Security Fails That Could Have Been Prevented
We recently conducted a survey of receptionists and office managers. Almost 50% of respondents said their offices have no form of visitor sign-in required for entry to their buildings. A visitor sign-in system may not stop a criminal mastermind, but here are five major building security breaches that illustrate the importance of monitoring your office traffic. Philippe Petit’s Twin Towers …
New Features: More Visitor Contact Fields and Multiple NDAs
Ready to start collecting visitor emails and phone numbers when they check in at your office? We thought so. How about managing multiple NDAs for different visitor types? We got you covered there as well. Take a look at the latest features for your iPad Receptionist. Our team is building the best visitor management software around. No matter what subscription level …
New Features: Custom Emails, Visitor Log Data, and More!
Take a look at the newest feature release from The iPad Receptionist. We listened to your requests and have built some new customizations to help you give your visitors a great experience.
21 Event Ideas for Coworking Spaces
Coworking’s popularity is exploding because it gives freelance, remote, and independent workers the opportunity to network, collaborate, and chat around the water cooler. It’s all about community. One of the best ways you can attract people to your space is to host events that provide that sense of community. Here are 21 event ideas for coworking spaces. 1. Demo days …
91 Newsletter Ideas for Office Managers
So, you’ve gathered email addresses, signed up for an email service provider, and promised everyone in the office a weekly or monthly newsletter. The only question left is: What the heck are you going to write about? Here are 91 newsletter ideas to keep the content flowing. Letter from the President or CEO. A letter from someone at the top …
Free Newsletter Templates: 11 Best Sites for Office Managers
A digital newsletter is an excellent way to stay top of mind for your customers and prospects. Whether it’s a daily digest (think: news organizations), a weekly wrap-up (for sites and blogs that publish often), or a monthly update (most any other business), a newsletter facilitates engagement and communication with your audience. Here are 11 sites that have free email …
5 Best Coworking Office Space Management Software Solutions
As coworking has become more popular, tech companies have started building software to help coworking spaces thrive. Here are five of the best applications available for managing coworking spaces. **Bonus tip– use a visitor management system to save time and modernize your office: 1. Nexudus We featured Nexudus in a previous blog post about scheduling tools for coworking spaces, but the software can do much …
15 Best Scheduling Tools for Coworking Spaces
“Scheduling is my favorite thing!” said no one, ever. Whether it’s for desks and rooms at your coworking space, meetings, or events, booking time and space is usually much more complicated than it needs to be. Here are 15 tools that take the pain out of scheduling. **Bonus tip– use a visitor management system to save time and modernize your …
5 Reasons Your Visitor Management System Belongs in the Cloud
You’ve taken your accounting to the cloud with QuickBooks Online, your communication into the cloud with Gmail and Slack, and your customer service into the cloud with Zendesk. Is it time to take your visitor management into the cloud? There are three main options for tracking visitors into your office: A paper sign-in sheet where visitors record their name, their …
How to Solve QuickBooks Errors: 7 Resources You Need
QuickBooks is a top general accounting software for small businesses. One reason it’s so popular is because it doesn’t require users to know the ins and outs of business accounting. As a result, many receptionist and office manager jobs require QuickBooks experience. But for all of its advantages, QuickBooks is famous for its numerous, and sometimes very obscure, errors and …
The iPad Receptionist Featured on 9NEWS Denver
Earlier this week, The iPad Receptionist was featured on 9NEWS Denver’s Tech channel, as anchor Cheryl Preheim talked with tech expert and Blogmutt founder Scott Yates about how Colorado companies are reinventing the reception area. Watch the video and read the full coverage at 9NEWS: 3 Colo. companies help businesses with reception areas From the article: Nearly every office or …
7 Costly Mistakes Your Business is Making
Are budget leaks slamming your bottom line? Are you spending money on things you aren’t sure are valuable? No one likes to waste money, especially in business, where it can mean the difference between Christmas bonuses and Christmas layoffs. Here are seven costly mistakes your business is probably making. 1. Overbuilding your product You’ve heard the mantras of “minimum viable …
The Death of the Receptionist as We Know It
What do you think of when you hear the term receptionist? Someone who sits around all day drinking coffee? Yeah, right! While that stereotype may be enforced on some TV shows, it has never been true. As Jane Streat, the Head of Client Services at Lexington Reception Services points out, being a receptionist has always been much harder work than …
21 Tips to Be More Productive at Work
The ultimate productivity hack is a bit like the Holy Grail — everybody’s looking for it, no one can find it. Or, perhaps, they are ignoring it. There are actually a ton of solid, time-tested and research-backed strategies to increase your productivity at work. Here are 21 of them. 1. Get a good night’s sleep If you sleep well, you …
Did You Know Your iPad Could Do This? 11 iPad Features Most People Never Use
You love your iPad. You spend hours every day with it. But are you getting the maximum functionality out of it? Probably not! Here are 11 iPad features that you probably didn’t know about and that will revolutionize how you use your favorite toy, I mean, work device. 1. Use your iPad as a second monitor Sometimes you need a …
5 Ways to Improve Your Visitor Experience and Make the Most of Your iPad Receptionist
The experience your visitors have when they arrive in your office can make or break your reputation. Here are five ways to use your iPad Receptionist to improve your visitor experience, delight your guests, and reduce distractions in your office. 1. Put the kiosk front and center If you have a receptionist, he or she can easily instruct a visitor to …
How Secure is Your Office? (And How a Visitor Management System Can Help)
What are you doing about office security? I’m not talking computer security or network security (though those are certainly important!). I’m talking people-walking-into-your-office-and-taking-stuff security. Many companies today aren’t doing enough about security, particularly companies with open office plans, where employees change locations often and work with laptops. Alarm systems and security cameras may be great for after hours, but what …
How to Design Your Office for Maximum Productivity
When we look for ways to boost productivity, we often think of tools — automation technologies to save time, concentration strategies like the Pomodoro Technique, and so on. But more recently, research has shown that office design has a huge impact on how much gets done. Here are five tips for how to design your office for maximum productivity. 1. …
Visitor Management System Best Practices
Visitor management systems improve the flow of visitors through your office while also reducing the administrative burden and increasing security. Here are seven best practices for implementing a visitor management system. Choose a user-friendly system Yes, a visitor management system benefits you by improving office productivity and security. But it is also one of the first interactions visitors will have …
7 Must-Have Tech Tools for the Modern Office
Technology is what drives and supports businesses today, from apps that enable communications to smart conference tables that allow anyone at a meeting to share their screen with the press of a button. Here are seven tech tools that will turn your office into a modern digital masterpiece. Office automation control system Homes and buildings are becoming “smart” with automation …
5 Ways Visitor Management Systems Save You Money
For startups, small offices, and even large companies that don’t have receptionists, visitor management systems simplify visitor processing while providing an enhanced level of safety and security. On top of all that, they are enormously friendly to your bottom line. Here are five ways visitor management systems save you money. 1. Eliminate the need for a receptionist According to Glassdoor, …
Virtual Receptionists, iPad Kiosks, and Other Tools for a Digital Office Transformation
Today’s digital revolution in offices is about more than just eliminating paperwork. It’s about providing employees with better tools and customers with better experiences. The digital revolution also helps small businesses benefit from the same tools and technologies that large businesses can. Here are five types of tools to jumpstart your own digital office transformation. 1. Virtual receptionists You need …
How to Use Automation to Improve Office Productivity (Hint: Get Rid of Visitor Sign In Sheets)
Office and personal productivity tools are everywhere. Do a Google search and you will find endless lists of must-have software and mobile apps that claim to save you time and help you get more done. But do they really save you time? Or do you and your employees now just spend all of your time using the tools that are …
The iPad Receptionist Facts & Features – PDF
Need all the facts about the iPad Receptionist in one organized file? Download this simple Facts & Features PDF to share with your team! We’ve included everything you and your team need to know about the iPad Receptionist to get started. You’ll find: Features offered: Customized Look and Feel, Photo Capture, NDA upload, Signature Capture, ITAR Compliance, Easy Contact Import, and …
Happy 2015!
Happy New Year from your friends at The iPad Receptionist! Thank you for making this year our best year yet! It’s because of you that we get excited to take the iPad Receptionist to the next level and continue to grow. We truly appreciate all your support and are looking forward to even more exciting upgrades to the app in 2015! …
HubSpot Facewall: A Digital Wall of Your Employees
The office entry way is one of the most important parts of a visitor’s experience. It’s the first impression your company will make on a visitor and if it’s a bad one, it can be damaging. By using modern technology (like The iPad Receptionist™) to create a more interactive and engaging way to connect with your visitors, your entry space will quickly become an experience that …
What’s Your Office’s First Impression?
Have you ever walked into an office and gotten a bad first impression? We have, and that can have a damaging effect for a company. First impressions count. I’m not just talking about whether your shirt is clean or you’ve got spinach between your teeth. Your company makes a first impression, too. When you walk into an office for the first time …
Customize Your Visitor Management Experience
From uploading your logo to customizing the layout and colors of your buttons, icons, and check-in slider, The iPad Receptionist was built to enhance your office experience and compliment your brand’s design. In order to achieve those goals we’ve set out to make the most customizable visitor management system available! Home Screen The main home screen for the iPad Receptionist …
5 Big Trends that Will Dominate Office Designs in 2014
These days a company’s office space is a direct reflection of the company’s identity and brand. When you walk into a cool office space it should feel like an experience in interacting with that brand. Typically reserved for ad agencies and mega brands with entire campuses, modern office trends are showing up across all industries. Whether it’s designing a new …
App Update: New Features! Time To Update Your iPad Receptionist App – v 1.7.1
It’s that time again! We’ve added new features to the iPad Receptionist and are ready for you to update your app in the app store. Here’s what you’ll find in the latest version: NDA Upload and Display You’ll now be able to upload a non-disclosure agreement to your check in process! To add, simply go to the General Settings …
The SXSW Receptionist in a Box Giveaway Winner is… ShipStation!
And our SXSW Receptionist in a Box winner is… ShipStation! During our week at SXSW, we met a ton of great companies that would have loved to win a Receptionist in a Box. Using our demo iPad Receptionist at the trade show, attendees entered their names and email to be entered into the drawing. It was a perfect way for …
SXSW Wrap Up
Whew! SXSW was one fun-packed whirlwind of a week! We ate tons of BBQ, saw old and new friends, listened to great music, and got to experience some of the latest innovations in the tech industry. The SXSW Trade Show opened up on Sunday where we could be found in the Startup Corner exhibit section featuring our iPad Receptionist. When …
SXSW Startup Corner Shoutout
SXSW 2014 has officially begun! We’re busy packing, shipping, and preparing ourselves for the big weekend ahead and it’s finally sunk in that we’ll be leaving for Austin within 24 hours. The booth is planned and all displays are ready, now it’s time for haircuts and suitcases. With all the excitement buzzing around this year’s Trade Show, we’re lucky to …
New Feature: Visitor Badge Printing!
Need to easily identify who’s visiting your office? Custom visitor badge printing is now available for The iPad Receptionist! From the visitor name to who their visiting, along with date and time, you can fully customize your badges complete with your company’s logo. Once a visitor checks in, you can set the printer to automatically print their personal visitor badge, creating …
The iPad Receptionist @ SXSW 2014
The countdown continues! SXSW Interactive Conference begins in just 8 days! Our office is busy preparing for the week and couldn’t be more excited to meet our current (and future!) iPad Receptionist users. The Interactive Festival begins on the 7th but we’ll be setting up home base at our booth for the SXSW Trade Show beginning March 9th – 12th. …
iPad Receptionist is headed to SXSW 2014!
Yes, you read that right – We’re headed to Austin for the 21st Annual SXSW Interactive Festival! While one of our team members has been a regular attendee, it will be the first year for the rest of the team, including myself! Not only will we be excitedly checking out sessions, keynotes and other exhibits, but iPad Receptionist is exhibiting …
How To: Make Contacts Appear Under Two or More Buttons
Sometimes you’ll want to have a contact appear under two buttons. For example, let’s say you have a Company Directory button and well as an HR button and your awesome HR manager, Jessica Marshall, needs to appear under both. Because Jessica is one of few who needs to be presented under HR, go ahead and assign her to that button. As soon …
iPad Receptionist Macworld Review
by Jeffery Battersby Dec 10, 2013 7:00 AM Los Trigos’ iPad Receptionist app works on a simple principle: Most businesses, even larger businesses, no longer employ fulltime receptionists to sit at the front desk waiting for someone to walk into the office. Whether you work in small, shared, collaborative workspaces, a mid-sized business, or even a larger enterprises it’s quite …
Press Release: Armor Active Launches "Receptionist in a Box" iPad Kiosk with iPad Receptionist
As “business in a box” iPad kiosk solutions rapidly change the way businesses operate, ArmorActive leads the movement with TextUs.Biz to provide the “Receptionist in a Box.” This combined solution offers all the components necessary to “staff” a front desk, in one simple package. Salt Lake City, UT (PRWEB) October 17, 2013 With the significant expansion of the mobile application …
Featured Business: LevelUp iPad Receptionist
Are you a startup company? We’re a startup too so we totally understand the need to have the coolest, most modern space to work in. What’s cooler than having a virtual iPad Receptionist waiting to greet your visitors? SMS and email notifications? A better way to keep track of office deliveries? A sleek and sexy user interface? Well, how about all of …
Visitor Management for Coworking Spaces
As a co-working space, it can be hard to keep track of employees and which organization they belong to and tracking one of those employees down can be a hassle. Why not implement an iPad Receptionist? It’s modern, hip, and an effective way to great visitors and locate staff using only an iPad. Have visitors reach your staff via email …
Press Release: TextUs.Biz Unveils ‘Receptionist in a Box’
BOULDER, Colo., Sept. 23, 2013 — In this post-recession economy companies are forced to maximize value from their full-time employees. One position that is increasingly difficult to justify is the receptionist. Many companies simply cannot afford one and others simply choose to go without. Faced with empty front desks to greet visitors, busy staffers get tasked with figuring out how to connect …
Press: The Denver Post – "Apps help old-school operations go new-school"
By Staff, The Denver Post – 08/05/2013 08:01:57 AM MDT Business owners can send and receive text messages with their old-school landline number using software from a Boulder startup.TextUs.Biz bills its app as the only one to essentially turn a landline into a cellphone with text capabilities. Messages are sent and received via a tablet or computer. The subscription-based service starts …
New Features: iPad Receptionist Image & Signature Capture
As a startup, one thing we know we need to do to be successful is to listen to our early customers. We’ve received a ton of great support and feedback and have some exciting new features to announce for iPad Receptionist! First we’ve added the ability to enable the iPad’s front facing camera to take a photo of your visitor. …
Are you suffering from PND syndrome?
Does your desk happen to be the one nearest the main door to your office? You know, that awkward location where every visitor looks to you as the office receptionist? You’ve seen it a thousand times: the visitor hesitantly turns to you hoping that you’ll point them in the right direction. Do you sometimes pretend to be in the middle …
Receptionist Early Invites are out!
iPad Receptionist early invites have officially been released! If you were in an early inquirer you automatically received your invite this morning with a link to set up a one-on-one set-up appointment. Be sure to book your time as time slots are filling up quick and we’ll be first come first serve biases! Interested in an early invite? Request one …
Featured Business: TechStars – iPad Receptionist
This weeks featured Business is TechStars Boulder. One of our very early beta testers here in Boulder with the Receptionist app, TechStars actually uses the app in tandem with their receptionist Christine. The reason they love having an iPad Receptionist is there are new classes of startups and founders that rotate through their program. It’s tough for anyone to remember …
Press: iPad could replace your office receptionist via Tuaw
by Steven Sande To keep a professional feel to a workplace, many businesses hire a receptionist to greet and direct visitors to an office. Receptionists may become an endangered species soon if the Reception Messenger iPad platform from the Foundry Group, Rage Digital and TechStars takes off. Currently in beta, the platform uses a kiosk-mounted iPad and customizable app to connect visitors to …
Press: iPad platform aims to replace the receptionist via PSFK
It seems that tablets are becoming increasingly effective at performing the tasks of customer facing roles, which is why companies such as The Robot Pub Group have taken to using the devices to allow patrons to help themselves. Now the iPad Receptionist platform is hoping to do the same for administration, offering a way for office visitors to check themselves in. …