A Call for Cheaper Phone Service
If you haven’t signed up for Freelance Success yet, one of the reasons that might convince you is the newsletter, which often provides original helpful content and not just a roundup of links to scammy books on writing like some other sites. Last week, editor Jennie Phipps did a roundup of cheaper ways to make phone calls and she is generously letting me print it here for your edification.
Telephone charges can be one of the costlier expenses of running a
freelance business. Here are some suggestions for getting that under
control.
* Voice Over IP. Voice via DSL or cable can be startlingly cheaper than conventional phone service, but it does have some downsides. If the connection isn’t broad enough, you may encounter times when the sound rivals tin cans on a string. Nevertheless, quality has been improving steadily as more competitors get into the business. The cost generally includes unlimited long distance and all the goodies like voice mail, call forwarding and caller ID. It can be as low as $15 per month, with very attractive rates for international calls.
Providers worth considering:
Voice Pulse
Vonage
SunRocket.com
* All You Can Talk Conventional Phone Service. Increasing competition
among phone companies has forced even the big dogs like AT&T to offer
plans that don’t charge by the minute. Sometimes you have to ask again and again to find out what your local company offers. Or you can check out some independent competitors. You’ll likely be able to find an all-you-can-call plan for less than $75 per month, including taxes and the usual services: voice mail, call waiting, etc.
Some providers to check out:
Trinsic
Blue Casa
Epicus Communications Group
* Alternative to Two Lines. Instead of having two separate lines for
business and home, buy one line with two separate numbers, each with a distinct ring so you can tell which calls are business and which are personal. Distinctive ring features are available on both VoIP and conventional phone lines. Some VoIP services don’t charge anything for this feature; conventional providers charge as little as $5 per month.
* International Calls. Calling worldwide is a lot cheaper than it used to be. To get the lowest rates, try:
Dial-Around. Check the rates for every call. Different dial-arounds are more economical for different destinations.
Phone Cards – Sam’s Club and Costco both sell cards that offer
international calls at rock-bottom prices. You also can buy cards online. Nobel.com offers some of the cheapest rates to
the most remote places.
Launch a social media campaign that will build your brand and deliver results in our online 
