| Phone Service and Equipment Options |
From "Home Office"
episode HOF-103 |
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Keeping Up With Communications Communication technology has changed, and so has the way we think about the telephone. For example, most people now take for granted that the party they're trying to reach by phone will have not just a phone but an answering machine or service as well. Calling and receiving a continuous ring that doesn't roll over to an answering system now seems positively antiquated. The advances in technology have come with both pluses and minuses. Consider the "phone tree." Few people enjoy making a call and -- rather than reaching a live human -- being subjected to the tedium of an automated answering system. Changes in electronic communication are everywhere and impossible to avoid, and some of those changes do offer clear benefits in the home-office setting. One of the perks of being your own boss and working from home is having control over your work environment. When it comes to phone service, the fundamental challenge is deciding which options will be most advantageous in helping you conduct business. According to telecommunications specialist Amy Heyliger, the communications revolution is one of the biggest factors enabling individuals to work from their homes. The ability to bring sophisticated phone and Internet services -- like dedicated ISDN lines and other high-speed Internet connections -- into residential settings blurs some of the difference between the home office and traditional office settings. Phone companies now offer a range of services to fit a variety of home and business needs. Most provide detailed information on their Web sites about features available and associated costs. Be aware that some service options require that you purchase phone equipment made to facilitate those options. For example, subscribing to your phone company's caller-i.d. option makes sense only if you have a phone with a caller-i.d. screen. Following are some factors to consider when planning what type of phone lines, services and equpment you want to employ in your home office.
Lines of Communication - Dedicated business-phone line. Mixing your business and personal calls on the same phone line can be problematic, especially if you have other family members who will be using that same phone line as well. Adding a separate business line to your home will help you segregate your calls and maintain a more professional image. The phone company can install double-line outlets (figure A) when they add the second line.
- Separate Internet line. Once you've become initiated into the world of the Internet, you'll likely find yourself relying upon it more and more for e-mail communication and for accessing information on the Web. If you have a single-line modem and are using one phone line for both your normal phone usage and accessing the Internet, you'll be missing incoming calls while you're online. If you go online frequently or for long periods of time, you should probably consider adding a dedicated Internet connection. For a dedicated Internet connection, you have several options, including a regular phone line, an ISDN line or DSL.
- ISDN -- a separate high-bandwidth phone line that delivers high-speed technology over a pair of wires at transport speeds of 128 kbps -- five times faster than ordinary phone lines. ISDN can transmit voice, data, text and video files simultaneously. Internet usage does not tie up the phone line.
- DSL, digital subscriber line -- delivers high-speed Internet access over your existing phone line with transport speeds up to 640 kbps. It provides simultaneous delivery of voice and data, which means that you can receive and make phone calls while you are accessing the Internet.
- Separate fax line. If you plan to do a lot of faxing, it will probably be advantageous to add a separate line dedicated for fax use. If your regular phone and your fax machine share a single line, callers will receive a busy signal whenever you are sending or receiving a fax. Missed calls may mean lost business. A separate line for the fax will eliminate that potential problem; it will also offer the benefit of allowing you to fax a document to a recipient at the same time you are talking with that individual on the phone, thus permitting you to discuss the content of the fax without having to call back later.
Virtual Assistance Aside from lines dedicated for specific uses, some other phone-service features will help you structure your work time and minimize interruptions -- almost as if you had a "virtual" personal secretary. Multifeature business phones (figure B) are made to accommodate the selection of functions available as part of your phone-service package.
Conference or Three-Way Calls If your phone has a three-way calling or conference-call capability, you'll be able to take advantage of a feature that will enable you to communicate with two or more parties on the same call. With most phones equipped with this feature, the procedure is simple: - Pick up the phone receiver and place a call to a particular number as you normally would.
- Once you have the first party on the line, hit the "flash" or "release" button on your phone. You should then get a second dial tone. (This dial tone will sound different from your normal dial tone.)
- Dial the second number in order to reach the second participant in the conference call.
- When the second party anwers, hit the flash button again. At this point, all three parties (you and both parties whom you called) should all be on the line and able to talk to one another.
E-mail Communication Increasing amounts of business communication is conducted with individuals at both ends of the communique never actually hearing each other's voices. Many professionals find themselves using e-mail more frequently than they make and receive phone calls. This is one of the primary reasons for a reliable and dedicated Internet connection. When used skillfully, e-mail can provide greater clarity and thoroughness in business communication. It also enables you to keep paperless documentation of your correspondence to which you may refer back later.
Assessing Your Phone-Service Needs Communications solutions and strategies can help make you more productive and afford you greater flexibility. It's important to have a realistic understanding of your own needs before you sign up for services. Following are some steps to help you determine those. - Write down what a typical day is like for your home business in terms of your phone usage, including the number of calls you make and receive.
- Determine the amount of faxing you do and estimate your Internet usage.
- When you're away from your office, track the number of calls you get on your home phone and your cellular phone.
- Give yourself a rough price range for what you're willing or able to spend on phone services.
- Share all this information with your local phone company and/or Internet service provider so they can advise you and help determine which plans will work best for you.
- Once you've decided on all your desired features and a service package that includes them all, purchase a phone that will accommodate all of those features. For example, if you order caller i.d. as part of your service, you'll need a phone equipped with a caller-i.d. display. Or if you plan on installing multiple phone lines, make certain that you purchase a phone with multiline capacity. In many cases a suitable phone with all the capabilities you need may be available for purchase from your phone company, but you may also want to shop around.
If you can identify all of your phone needs before you begin shopping, chances are good you'll have little problem finding a phone plan and equipment ready to meet those needs.
RESOURCES :
The Cell Phone Handbook : Everything You Wanted to Know About Wireless Telephony
Model: 1890154121
Author: Penelope Stetz
published by Aegis Pub. Group
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