5 Ways Your Business Can Benefit from Fiber 3 Business Spotlight: BG’s Grub & Pub 4 Managing Your Online Reputation 6 What’s the Difference Between the Internet and Wi-Fi? 7 I NS I DE CONT ENT S BUSINESS solutions BG’s Grub & Pub Serves Up Smiles Owner Julie Baer WI NT E R 2 0 2 4 VOLUME 6 • I SSUE 4
What’s on the menu of this Business Solutions issue? There’s something for everyone, whether you’re hungry for more information related to communications services or are looking for a place to eat in Bunker Hill. On page 3, you’ll discover 5 Ways Your Business Can Benefit from Fiber. Since Madison Communications provides fiber internet with speeds as fast as 1 GIG, you can choose from a menu of plans to match your needs. There’s a Business Spotlight on BG’s Grub & Pub on pages 4 and 5. If you haven’t been to this Bunker Hill restaurant yet, you’ll want to plan a visit after reading this article. BG’s menu features homestyle favorites, all served in a warm and homey atmosphere. Madison Communications stepped up to the plate to provide fiber internet, voice, and TV services when BG’s Grub & Pub opened in 2019. Managing Your Online Reputation is on page 6, followed by What’s the Difference Between the Internet and Wi-Fi? on page 7. These topics are on the menu of articles because customers sometimes bring them up during meetings, and we wanted to share content you’ll find helpful and practical. Remember, Madison Communications offers a comprehensive menu of business solutions, so whatever questions you have, we’ll have answers. Please contact us soon. Sincerely, The Madison Team 2 W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 Madison Communications www.gomadison.com Main Office: Madison Communications 21668 Double Arch Road Staunton, IL 62088 Monday – Saturday, 8:00 – 5:00 p.m. Payment Drop-Off Centers: 118 E State, Hamel, IL 594 Livingston Av, Livingston, IL 315 W Main, Staunton, IL 21668 Double Arch Rd, Staunton, IL Mailing Address: Madison Communications PO Box 29 Staunton, IL 62088 Customer Service: Phone: 800-422-4848 Email: infomtc@gomadison.com Fax: 618-635-7213 Publication Contact: Lexy Hagler, Marketing Coordinator President: Robert W. Schwartz Business Solutions is a publication of Madison Communications 21668 Double Arch Road Staunton, IL 62088 Editorial and Circulation Contact: Lexy Hagler PO Box 29 Staunton, IL 62088 Extra issues are available to business customer employees on a limited basis while supplies last. Contact: Lexy Hagler, PO Box 29, Staunton, IL 62088, 618-635-5000 All brand names and product names used in this publication are trade names, service marks, trademarks, or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Copyright© 2023 by Madison Communications and Cornerstone Publishing Group, Inc. BUSINESS solutions
W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 3 BUSINESS solutions If fiber is available to your business location, you’ll want to strongly consider taking advantage of it. Fiber connectivity offers important advantages to companies of all sizes, including: 1. Much Faster Internet Speeds Today, carriers with fiber networks are commonly delivering speeds of 1 Gigabit per second—equal to 1,000 Mbps—and those same fibers could easily be used to deliver 100 Gigabits per second or more to large enterprises. Remember, employees waiting on slow internet inhibits productivity, so make sure the speeds at your business are fast enough for current demand. 2. More Effective Cloud Access Most businesses use the cloud in some capacity, from customer relationshipmanagement (CRM) tools to data storage. Fiber internet’s speed and bandwidth capabilities provide faster access to your data and applications stored in the cloud. For example, you’ll be able to quickly access cloud-hosted information via your softwareas-a-service (SaaS) tools and provide better service to customers. 3. Higher Reliability Because it’s an inert substance, fiber is impervious to weather conditions, electrical surges, radio waves, and other environmental conditions that can result in signal loss and failure. In addition, the newest networks are being built with fiber, and fiber networks are therefore less apt to suffer the adverse impacts of age. Given the fact that downtime can bring your communications and productivity to a halt, doesn’t your business need the higher reliability of fiber? 4. Increased Security Fiber optic cables are more secure than traditional copper cables. Since copper cables emit electrical signals that can be intercepted, they’re vulnerable to hacking and data breaches. In contrast, fiber optic cables use light signals that cannot be intercepted. This increased security is especially important for businesses that handle sensitive data or operate in industries with strict security regulations. 5. Minimal Latency Latency is a term used to describe delays that occur while processing data over an internet connection. Fiber internet eliminates many of the latency issues, particularly when downloading or uploading video or high-definition content. The business benefits of lowering your latency could include better voice quality for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) users and the ability to move more apps to the cloud. Madison Communications provides fiber internet with speeds as fast as 1 GIG. For complete details, call 1-800-422-4848 or visit www.gomadison.com. Get connected to a fiber network to boost productivity Ways Your Business Can Benefit from Fiber 5
4 W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 BUSINESS spotlight Julie Baer said, “We like comfort food. If you have a bad day, you need mashed potatoes. Everything about our restaurant is extremely homey with a warm atmosphere. People want to stay here and enjoy time with their families.” Shortened Name, Long History Billygoat’s Grub & Pub was named after Julie’s grandma Alma, whose playful nickname was Billygoat due to her chin hair. The name had to be shortened to BG’s Grub & Pub for legal reasons. “Shortly after we opened, Billygoat’s Tavern in Chicago came after the name, so we had to become BG’s Grub & Pub. But it will always be Billygoat’s to us and to the locals. I still say Billygoat’s when I answer the phone,” she said. BG’s Grub & Pub is located at 110 E Warren St. in Bunker Hill, Illinois, inside a three-story 1862 building that was formerly an opera house, movie theater, basketball gym, and pharmacy. Baer recalled, “It was like an archeology treasure hunt when we went through the building’s basement. We found undisturbed medicine bottles, Mason jars from the 1800s, and an 1881 Bible. Many of those items are now on display. The tables at BG’s also have history, since they were made of wood from an old barn in the area.” Food Mixed with Fun The menu at BG’s Grub & Pub features homestyle meals (using only real butter) with generous portions at good prices— including signature apps, sandwiches, burgers, fish, specials, and salads. To top off a meal, customers love the unique Dessert Nachos, which are crispy tortilla wedges coated with cinnamon sugar and topped with the cheesecake cream flavor of the month and drizzled sauce. While customers are eating, they’ll probably get a visit from Baer, who’s described as bold and hilarious by those who know her. BG’s Grub & Pub When owners Jim and Julie Baer opened Billygoat’s Grub & Pub in 2019, the couple had no background in running a restaurant. They did, however, have a lot of travel experience and liked to eat at “mom and pop” places wherever they went. This homey place is where families love to gather
W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 5 BUSINESS solutions Baer said, “I stop at tables and make sure they have what they need, and I do a little comedy shtick. I used to do standup comedy before I met Jim. Every six months or so, I do a full comedy show at BG’s. I don’t tell jokes. I tell stories from my life, and most of the material is about the restaurant and the people here.” She added, “Jim and I are at BG’s Grub & Pub all the time. We want to build strong connections with our customers.” Counting on Madison Communications Speaking of connections, Madison Communications provides 1 GIG internet, voice, and TV services to BG’s Grub & Pub. The Baers appreciate the performance and reliability of all three. “I’m not super tech savvy. But Madison Communications simplifies things with fast internet. In the rare event we have an issue, Madison responds quickly. Plus, it’s easy for me to pull up whatever customers want to watch on our TV service with them,” said Baer. BG’s Grub & Pub puts a big emphasis on social media. While the town of Bunker Hill only has about 1,800 residents, BG’s has 14,000 followers on social media. How did they accomplish that feat? Baer replied, “I’m creative with our posts and strive to give them an artsy quality with really good food photos. And when customers comment or ask a question on our social media, we get back to them right away.” An Incredible Ride November 2023 marks the 4th anniversary of BG’s Grub & Pub, and by all accounts, the Baers made an excellent decision to open the business in 2019. Baer said, “It’s been an incredible ride so far. We’d never been in the restaurant business, yet managed to make it a success and enjoy the experience. Food service should be fun!” Who’s Minding Your Business? Michelle Raymond Operation Support in the Customer Care Department Michelle Raymond joined Madison Communications in 2015, bringing with her 20 years of administrative experience in dental offices as well as the trucking industry and medical laser/equipment repair. As Operation Support in the Customer Care Department, she fills many roles. Raymond said, “I assist with billing, database, payment processing, and everything in between. No two days are the same. I’m always encountering new customer interaction, training/ educating other employees, and making progress in my job performances.” She added, “I genuinely enjoy my job with Madison Communications. It’s rewarding when I’m able to take care of our customers efficiently, whether assisting them with billing questions or troubleshooting service issues. Plus, I have great team members who make it feel like a family atmosphere.” Raymond lives with her significant other, and they’re proud parents of an Air Force son. She enjoys reading, spending time with family, and Caribbean cruises. “I’m the happiest when our son is visiting, or other friends and family are around. I look forward to Thursday nights, when my family gathers for gamenight,” she said. We like comfort food. If you have a bad day, you need mashed potatoes.” — JULIE BAER, OWNER, BG’S GRUB & PUB
6 W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 On the down side, any negative information appearing online can be harmful to your reputation. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to find out what people are saying about you and minimize the impact of any damaging remarks. Monitor First, monitor the internet for potentially unflattering information about your business. Do a search for your business name and see what comes up, and set up Google Alerts to be notified of online mentions. React If you find negative and untrue information, you can ask the owner of the website to remove it. If that doesn’t work, create more positive content about your business to push the negative comments down in search rankings. The lower down on searches an item is, the less likely it is to be seen. Positive content could be new pages on your website, blogs, and social media posts. Respond Respond to negative comments as soon as possible after they appear. Resist the temptation to reply with anger when someone criticizes your business. Keep the interests of your customers in mind, and determine whether a public or private response is more appropriate. Imagine the impact on a dissatisfied customer of being personally asked by a company president for a second chance. Respond to positive mentions as well. Thank people who compliment your company, and engage them further by asking for an opinion or letting them know about new product offerings. Whether positive or negative, look for patterns in customer comments and use them to guide the future direction of your business. Participate Actively participate in social media to establish relationships and build a reputation as an expert. In addition to offering opportunities to connect directly with customers, strong relationships on social media sites make negative information less likely to be believed. Madison Communications enjoys building a community on social media. We invite you to follow us on Facebook, X, LinkedIn, and Instagram. What are people saying about your business online? In business, bigger isn’t necessarily better. There are advantages to being small, including the ability to provide service that’s truly personal. Small businesses can easily monitor what customers are saying about them online and use the information to provide better service. They can also use social media to foster strong connections that lead to more sales. Managing Your Online Reputation
W I N T E R 2 0 2 4 7 BUSINESS solutions Many people use the terms internet and Wi-Fi interchangeably, but although they’re related, they’re not the same thing. To help clear things up, here are descriptions of both terms: The Internet Is a Highway The internet has been called the Information Superhighway and with good reason. Just like a road that connects two cities and moves people and goods, the internet is a digital maze of routes that connects thousands of computer networks so they can exchange bits of information. Using an agreed-upon language called the Internet Protocol, these interconnected devices use the internet’s digital “roads” to exchange data that is then translated into human-consumable form at the other end. When you purchase internet service from an ISP, you’ll get what you need to connect your devices to the internet. For example, Madison Communications provides a fiber-optic cable to connect your location to our network and an Optical Network Terminal (ONT) to go inside your home or business. Wi-Fi is an Access Ramp Wi-Fi refers to a wireless network that allows computers, smartphones, or other devices within a particular area to connect to the internet (and each other) without being physically connected by a cable. Because information is transferred using wireless transmitters and radio signals, physical proximity is necessary for a good connection. Is connecting to Wi-Fi the same as connecting to the internet? The short answer is no, not technically. Wi-Fi is what transports the internet service to your devices, but Wi-Fi is not internet service. That’s why you can have strong Wi-Fi signals but still experience slow internet speeds. Madison Communications is here to help your business with super-fast internet speeds and network management. To learn more, call 1-800-422-4848. What’s the Difference Between the Internet and Wi-Fi? Ramp Up Your Business with Amped-Up Speed Madison Communications offers our business customers a range of internet speeds as fast as 1 GIG. Upgrading to one of our faster plans can help your business increase its productivity through advantages including these: • More responsive customer care. Spending less time on a customer call looking up information online means spending more time addressing their concerns. • Increased efficiency. Each online task may take a few seconds (or minutes) less, and that time can be better spent on other business activities. • Easier collaboration. Easily upload large files and take advantage of video conferencing. • Faster cloud access. Connect to your cloud services with ease for faster backups and more. • Timelier promotions. Instantly populate your website with new demos or other content. Why wait? If you’re ready to ramp up your internet speed, call Madison Communications at 1-800-422-4848. We’ll help you find the right internet plan tomeet your needs. 0 bits per second 2M 3M 5M 10M 15M 25M 100M 50M 1M
Madison Communications is local to our core. Everything we do is meant to help local businesses grow and local communities thrive. Need something? Talk to our local team at 1-800-422-4848. www.gomadison.com WE LOVE BEING LOCAL WE LOVE SUPPORTING LOCAL WE LOVE BUYING LOCAL WE LOVE PARTNERING LOCAL WE LOVE INVESTING LOCAL WE LOVE PROMOTING LOCAL WE LOVE HIRING LOCAL Cornerstone Group©2023
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTMzNDE=