How VoIP Can Globalize Your Home Business

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services are significantly less expensive than the traditional telephone long distance packages. This is only one advantage of using VoIP. For a home business, this can provide more benefits if you know how to exploit it.

While there are other options, you can choose to use your regular home phone to take advantage of VoIP technology. This can be done by using a VoIP telephone adapter to connect your phone to the internet via a high speed modem. VoIP technology allows internet users with high speed (broadband) access to place telephone calls over the internet.

There are many VoIP service providers with whom one can sign up for a calling plan.

As VoIP rides on the internet technology, there are many features that are now possible as compared to the traditional phone. Many traditional phone features that come at an extra charge are also provided free with the basic calling plan.

1. Cheaper Than Traditional Phones
Using VoIP is a cheaper option if you make a lot of long distance and international calls. This is possible as the call uses the same internet facility as you do for your web access and email.

Upon signing up for a calling plan with a service provider, the VoIP telephone adapter will typically be provided free.

All calls between people using the same service provider are free regardless of location. This alone can provide significant savings if your business associates use the same service providers.

There are many features that come free with the calling plan. Some of these features are:
- call waiting
- caller ID
- three-way calling
- call forwarding
- last number redial
- speed dial
- voicemail

2. Allows Mobility
When travelling, you can take the VoIP adapter with you and instantly turn a phone anywhere in the world into your local phone. This will require a high speed internet connection.

This is possible as the VoIP adapter is specially coded with your VoIP phone number.

With the VoIP Physical Portability feature, you can still receive your customers' phone calls while travelling on business matters, on holiday or moving home.

3. Establishing Business Offices At Multiple Locations
VoIP Virtual Numbers allow multiple inbound telephone access numbers in different cities. With this feature, it is possible to establish your business in multiple locations by creating a "Virtual Presence" using virtual numbers.

These virtual numbers can be routed to any number that you specify. If you lived in Chicago, you can have access numbers in New York, Houston and San Francisco all routing through to your number in Chicago.

With this feature, business addresses can be established in different cities and even countries. You can set up these virtual numbers based on the locations from where you expect to receive many phone calls. This could be your existent customers or your prospects.

Besides enhancing the image of your business, customers get the benefit of calling a local number which is less costly for them.

Most service providers who offer this feature charge about $5 per month for each additional access number. This makes it possible to establish business offices at multiple locations at a low cost.

4. Enhanced Voice Mail
Some service providers offer you the ability to receive voice mail messages as an email attachment. You can play them back as a sound file through your computer.

As a home business owner, you can also save these voice mails to your computer's hard drive for future reference. You can also forward this to another person if follow up action is required.

5. Selecting A VoIP Service Provider
Your choice of the VoIP service provider and the calling plan depends on your unique needs.

Depending on your business needs, you can select calling plans for local/long distance or international calls. International calls can be made with local/long distance plans but at an additional per minute rate. International plans typically include USA local and long distance coverage.

Do not buy based on the number of features provided by the service provider. Decide on the features you require to manage your home business. Then match these against the features available.

According to independent surveys, most of the established VoIP carriers are about the same in terms of voice quality. Good customer service is also another criteria for selecting the service provider. You can read customer reviews on these aspects to help you choose the service provider.

There are service providers that include a "Money Back Guarantee". Once you have initiated the service, check against your service quality criteria. If you are not happy with the results, then cancel the service and request for your money back. Make sure you do this within the "trial" period allocated.

If you are on a month-to-month plan, your service is automatically renewable each month, until you cancel the service. So, you have the option of canceling. Some annual plans allow you to cancel on a month-to-month basis, but may include other charges. Check out all these details before you sign up.

By Richard Harley
http://internetcashcoaches.blogspot.com/