Toll-free Numbers

Q.  Donna, do you know what best, free, or low cost way to get a toll free number for your business. Is there a free service toll free business number offered for sole proprietors like myself? Do you teach how to obtain this number to small businesses?

Sharl

A:  I’m not aware of any way to obtain a free toll-free number.  Here are a couple of lower cost options that I’m aware of:

1.  Vonage offers a toll-free number that you can add to you account for $4.99/month, but you need to have Vonage service to access that feature.  Vonage is definitely a hit or miss service.  When it works, it works very well, which has been most of the time here lately.  I’m still not quite ready to give it any ringing endorsement, however.

2.  I found Budget800.com in a search on toll-free numbers.  I’ve never heard of them or their service, but they seem to offer a reasonable fee of $9.95/month for 200 minutes.

3.  UReach.com offers a toll-free service for $6.99/month as well.  I know of others who use this service and they rave about it, but I’ve had no personal experience with it.

In all honesty, Sharl, in today’s market of consumers being able to buy unlimited long distance calling plans for $20/month, I don’t think it’s even necessary to have a toll-free number any longer in business.  I think that the stigma of making a long distance call (a term that was used with hushed reverence in my parents home, because it was expensive and we never made them) doesn’t really exist any longer in today’s free-for-all telephone service economy. 

The only advantage I can see for you is if you get a vanity toll-free number that’s very easily remembered and can serve as a branding tool for you.

I don’t specifically teach how to obtain toll-free numbers, but by May should be rolling out my Get More Clients Online Coaching program, so keep reading this blog and my newsletter for announcement details.