Who doesn't hate fax machines? I have yet to find anyone that doesn't feel like I do about fax machines.

Personally, I have wanted to heave more than one fax machine out the window in my lifetime.

I think that while fax machines are a major pain, they are necessary.

Or are they?

I mean really. You pay for the machine, then you have to pay for the ink, and the paper. Oh, and if you have an older machine and switch your phone service to digital, then you have to buy a machine that is compatible with a digital phone line.

The irritations are endless, but there are some ways that you can get the most out of sending and receiving faxes without so many of the aggravations.

Here are some ways to get the most out of faxing...

We used to use free programs like eFax for receiving faxes and FaxZero for sending faxes.

For a couple of years now, we've been using RingCentral instead. It's not free like eFax and FaxZero are. But, in our opinion, RingCentral is the best option for small business owners like us.

We use it all the time. Here's why...

Chances are, you'll want to send (or receive) a fax or two this year. Right?

If you don't do enough faxing to justify buying a fax machine and hooking up a separate fax line, here are your options:

1. Use the fax machine at work (...not always convenient, or private)

2. Use the faxing services available at places like Kinkos (...for a fee)

Neither of the above options is very attractive if you just need to send a short fax to someone in a hurry.

There is a better alternative... and it's FREE!