Set Up Your Communication Systems

Your Phone

 

You will want a separate phone line that at least
has an answering machine, and probably call waiting.
Voice mail is even better, especially if you use this
phone connection to get on line also. Your answering machine
message, or voice mail message, should be business-like.
You don't want to miss any calls.

 

If it isn't possible to have an additional telephone line in
your home when you are first starting out, there are some
rules that need to be followed. You must decide on a way to
answer your phone at all times that will sound business-like.
You can use your business name, if you don't mind your personal
calls being answered like that, as well. Or you can just answer with
your name in this manner: "Thanks for calling. John Jones speaking."
Or "Hello, this is Mary Smith."

It is important to not let your young children answer the phone,
at least until they are old enough to be able to answer it in a
professional manner. Always try to answer the phone on
an extension in a quiet room. It won't sound professional if your
dog is barking in the background, or the T-V is blaring, or the
kids are crying. Appearances count for a lot!

Also keep in mind that the cost for a single phone line
into your home, even if you also use it for business, (at the
time of this writing) is not tax deductible. If you make specific
long distance calls for business purposes, the cost of these are
tax deductible. However, a separate phone line for business
is fully tax deductible, as well as the long distance costs.

Make sure you have a good long distance rate,
many are available for under 5 ¢ a minute.

 

An option is to use a toll-free #, but it should only be given out
selectively to those who are serious clients. You don't want
a huge phone bill because people are abusing it.
The phone company may be able to help you set one up
to your home phone number. Sometimes it is helpful in
particular types of marketing campaigns.

 

If you do a lot of your work by telephone, a phone headset
would be a good investment (try to get one with good voice quality).
3-way calling may be a helpful addition for some businesses.

The Internet

E-mail communication may become an important part
of your business. You should set up different
e-mail addresses to be used for different purposes.

Free e-mail accounts are available from
www.yahoo.com, www.hotmail.com, www.lycos.com,
as well as others. It's good to use these addresses
to give at sites you visit that ask for your e-mail address,
so you can control the "junk mail" you will get.
Also if you switch your ISP, you will still have these e-mail address.

You can set up your own websites, often for free,
or for a small fee. You can purchase your own URL,
low cost ones are available. Free ISPs are even available.

Fax

If you can dedicate one line for a fax machine, that is best.

Or make sure you get a fax machine that can
automatically and reliably detect incoming faxes,
and switch itself on to take them.

You can also purchase fax software for your computer.
Many computers already come with this software installed.

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