Century 21 franchise

Last spring long-time real estate agent Rose Bertucci took the leap and opened her own Century 21 franchise at 900 The East Mall in Toronto.

“I wanted a new challenge,” says Rose, who first entered the real estate industry in 1987. “I have always been self-employed as an agent, so it seemed like the logical next step.”

Rose’s top priority has been building a business that is professional, dependable and serves the needs of clients who are dealing with the often stressful world of buying or selling a home.

This commitment to quality service is working. In less than a year her business has grown to include a team of 15 real estate agents and an ever-increasing list of homes that are represented for sale or purchase at www.rose-bertucci.com.

Rose recognized that she needed a reliable phone and Internet provider in order to take care of her company’s communications needs and offer clients the best in service. So when opening her real estate business last spring, she shopped around before choosing a telecommunications company.

As the owner of a start-up business, affordability was important. But it wasn’t her only concern.

“We compared pricing as well as service,” explains Rose. “Price-wise the cost of Allstream Small Business was lower, which makes a difference. As well, the representatives at Allstream were very helpful -- so that is why we went with them. I liked the way the agent dealt with us. They helped us make a decision on how many lines we would need and what package would work best for us.”

Allstream Small Business offers four phone and phone + Internet bundles that cater to the needs of start-up and small, growing companies. Clients can also design their own packages by adding on individual phone, fax and Internet tools to their bundle. This gives companies a cost-effective and flexible telecommunications solution. Plus, you can choose to pay month to month, with no contract to sign, or selected a fixed term contract.

Rose opted for a Phone + Net 2 bundle that comes with four phone lines (with two calling features of her choice), high speed Internet service (with 10 e-mail accounts and personal domain name), plus 2,000 North America long distance minutes.

“I really like the long distance package that is included in the bundle,” says Rose. “We don’t make a lot of long distance calls, but when we need it, it is good to know that it is there and we won’t be charged extra.”

And Allstream Small Business has lived up to Rose’s high standards of customer service. With a national fibre-optic network spanning more than 24,300 kilometers from coast to coast, Allstream Small Business delivers a highly reliable phone and Internet service.  And their customer support team is available 24/7 if issues arise.

“We have had very few problems with the system,” says Rose. “The one time our Internet went down, we called and Allstream Small Business dealt with the issue right away. I have been very happy with the service and would recommend the company to others.”