Hello, I use quickvoicemail.com for only $8.95 a month you get a toll free number with voicemail, that you can setup to alert you via text message or email(message is attached), also it is unlimited incoming calls, no out going, however they do offer other plans. This was the best solution I could find for the money. If you sign up let them know that scott from all All Secure Services sent you.
If you already have a cell phone, most carriers will allow you to start what they call a family plan and add a line (different numbers) for about $10 per month. Mine is $9.95 and is well worth the cost compared to starting an account for the new business phone. Both of my phones share the minutes and the bill separates how many were used, as well as the numbers called/received on each phone. Optimally you would want a separate account for your business phone, but this works until your business can justify its own phone.
When you're just starting up, consider a prepaid cell phone. You can buy a phone pretty inexpensively (Kajeet has a basic, non-camera phone that you can get at Best Buy for around $25) and their prepaid service is pretty reasonable ($.30/day minimum -- or about $10/month). Eventually, you can transfer your number to another cell phone provider once you know your call volume a bit better. (Or, if you're like JD and have a family plan, you can add another number for usually around $10 a month and share your existing minutes).
Remember that a dedicated cell phone is a tax deductible business expense -- and it allows you to record a customized voice mail message for your part-time home inventory service business. (For example: "You've reached Husker Home Inventory Services. We are currently assisting another customer, but your call is very important to us. Please leave us a message and we will return it promptly -- or, for immediate access to additional information about our services, visit our website, HuskerHome.com")
I use my cell phone as my business phone, I have it with me always. Alot of the cell plans are going to unlimited service for one price so that works great for me.
Thanks
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Shonda Thomas Middle Tennessee Inventory Specialists
I use cable for internet access so I don't have, or need a home phone. I have two cell phones on the "Family" plan, each with their own number. One is my personal phone which I keep with me at all times and the other is for business. This works out very well for me as I have the business phone with me during business hours and leave it on my desk the rest of the time.
i work odd hours on my full time job (3pm-1am mon-thurs) and am trying to decide how i should handle phone service for business use.i'm a single guy that is currently living alone so no one would be here to answer a business phone for most of the day . i currently have two phone numbers in my name ,one cell and one home phone that is primarily used for internet access......would you guys use the cell phone (which i have on me all the time) or convert my current home phone number to a business phone and hope that people leave messages on my voice mail?