I love that stuff. It's amazing. It's magic.

But it wasn't until I tried to learn a few magic tricks myself that I discovered key to such effortless success. It didn't come from words being uttered, or brand of top hat being used, or type of cape being flung ... those are just props and tools of trade. The success of magic comes from something we don't see on stage ... endless hours of repetitive practice.

Even simple slight of hand isn't really simple ... it is practiced and perfected before it is ever performed. The resulting trick performed to an audience must become seemingly effortless and automatic. It can be re-choreographed. It can be reinvented. Yet, success is in being able to do it over and over again; not in being able to do it once every third or fourth try.

Can you guess where I'm going with this in how it relates to your business?

Despite all new and emerging business communications technologies of 21st century (VoIP, Wi-Fi, Wi-Max, Bluetooth, cell phones, blackberries, etc.) majority of companies in business today still write a check each and every month to a local exchange carrier for a 125 yr. old technology - local phone service - (sometimes referred to as POTS, or "plain old telephone service").

Although it may be same boring set of copper wires that connects to a standard telephone and rings when calls come in, local phone service portion of your company's telecommunications bills is perfect place to begin your telecom cost reduction efforts.

Here are 8 quick ways to begin cutting your local phone service bills. Check them off one by one when completed and you could reduce your local phone service bills by up to 10% or more.

1) Determine proper local service plan for your needs - then regrade if necessary.

Many Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) offer three basic types of local service plans. Flat-Rate Service allows for unlimited calling within a local area at no additional charge. With Measured Rate Service, charges are applied to local calls according to time and/or distance and/or time of day. Message Rate Service which applies charges to each local call without regard to duration or distance.

Analyze your company needs through observational and personal surveys, then determine most cost-effective local service plan. You will be amazed at savings by simply implementing appropriate plan for your company's calling patterns.

NOTE: When regrading from a flat-rate service plan to a measured or message rate plan, be sure that you are aware of extent to which employees are making personal calls. Also, consider any lines that may be connected to frequently used services such as apartment door answering systems.

2) Remove unnecessary or unused lines.

Historically telephone companies have recommended and provided quantities of access lines sufficient to provide a P.01 grade of service. This means that no more than 1% of all callers will receive a busy signal during busiest hour of day. P.01 is appropriate for some situations, but it does result in many customers having many more lines than are necessary.

Take inventory of all lines that are being billed, then track them down and determine their level of importance during day to day business activities. Eliminate lines with phone numbers that cannot be identified, lines that ring with no answer, and/or measured or message rate lines that show no usage.

For more advanced telephone traffic calculations, use , our online telephone traffic analysis program.

3) Remove unnecessary or unused line features and services.

More often than not, most companies have lines that contain features and/or services that are either not needed or are rarely used. The problem arises when features are added to serve a specific purpose or employee, then not removed when things change. Over time, many features may be included on lines and users have no idea they are even available.

Your previously conducted circuit inventory will help you determine specific features needed for each line. Wire maintenance charges should always be eliminated. These charges can be as high as $6.00 per month for each line!