| Anyone setting up a small home business or joining a | | | | interface to connect callers to your home phone |
| network marketing operation has the dilemma of how | | | | number. |
| to handle phone calls professionally. The problem is to | | | | When a business caller dials your 08 number your |
| be able to differentiate between business calls and | | | | home phone rings. When you pick it up you hear "You |
| private calls. | | | | have a business call. Press star to accept". Then you |
| The easy answer would be to install a second phone | | | | simply press star and answer in the name of your |
| line but that entails extra expense. And using a mobile | | | | business. If another family member answers the call |
| is not always the best answer either. But suppose that, | | | | they will know to pass the phone to you. |
| when the phone rings with a business call you had a | | | | A virtual switchboard can do a lot of other things too |
| way of knowing before you answered it. Wouldn't that | | | | such as hold your callers in a queue, play music-on-hold |
| make life easier? | | | | and take voicemail messages. Many will even email to |
| Well now there are lots of telephone companies | | | | tell you when a caller has hung up without leaving a |
| offering virtual switchboards and the best part is that | | | | message and include the caller's phone number as well |
| they are often available free of charge. This is how | | | | as the time and date of the call. |
| they work in the UK: | | | | The fact is that it has never been easier for home |
| You are given a special number with an 08 prefix that | | | | workers to make the right impression when answering |
| you use for your business and which connects to your | | | | the phone. |
| own virtual switchboard that you set up via a web | | | | |