Slingshot

Slingshot (slingshotinc.ca) is a Toronto graphic design company that delivers focused brand communication strategies with a specialty in food packaging.

“We develop visual branding strategies from product labels and boxes to collateral support such as catalogues and websites,” explains owner and graphic designer Ava Abbott.

The eight-year old company has a staff of five to serve a range of clients, including Wildly Delicious Fine Foods, Pleno Organics, Swanson’s, Belle de Provence beauty products, Vincor, and Saxon Chocolates to name a few.

As a small company, keeping an eye on the bottom line is critical, as is keeping unnecessary internal costs down. One area that Ava became concerned about was the high price she was paying for her phone and Internet service.

“I was fed up with the fees I was paying,” she explains. “I was finding that communications had become my biggest company expense. The costs were extraordinarily high.”

For example, Slingshot uploads art files over the Internet to send to print shops and occasionally the company would go above its ftp allotment if too many files were sitting on the server for a short period of time.

“Every month my service provider would ding me with extra charges for this,” explains Ava. “When I am busy and on deadline the last thing I have time to monitor is how much space I am using up on my ftp site. I was tired of these tactics and the extra charges.”

So when Ava heard a radio advertisement for Allstream Small Business she decided to give the company a call.

Allstream Small Business offers telecommunications solutions geared to the needs of small and mid-sized companies, and bundles phone, Internet and long distance tools into various sized packages. This is not only more convenient, it is also cost-effective.

Slingshot purchased an Allstream Small Business Phone + Net 2 Bundle which includes four phone lines with two calling features of their choice on each line, High Speed Internet access with ten e-mail accounts, and 2,000 U.S. and Canadian long distance minutes.

“I am getting a 50% savings over my previous provider,” says Ava. “One staff member works off site in Oshawa so the long distance minutes included in the bundle really come in handy.”

The Allstream Small Business bundles are also hassle-free. Slingshot didn’t have to change its phone number and they can choose between a fixed contract or pay month to month. The company can also customize the bundle at any time by purchasing individual phone, Internet or long distance tools if their needs change.

The switchover to Allstream was smooth, adds Ava.

“The tech support was great while we were getting the system up and running and the representatives were really good at troubleshooting and walking me through the whole process of set-up,” she says.

Slingshot depends on the Internet to deliver files to their clients so a dependable service is crucial. The Allstream Small Business national fibre-optic network is equipped with the latest digital switching technologies to deliver a reliable connection. And customers are connected to the world via strategic partnerships with leading service providers in more than 70 countries.

“I have had no connectivity issues, nor any other complaints with the service,” says Ava. “In fact, I have become a vocal spokesperson for Allstream Small Business. I told my neighbour about the service and he switched over and I have recommended the company to one of my clients who switched as well.”