Extra phone line/number for working from home

[collettejoanne]

Hi all,

I'm setting up a business from home and I am reluctant to use my home number as my business contact number. My current landline/broadband provider is Talk Talk. I've heard that BT can provide an extra number on the same line with a different ring tone so that you can differentiate calls. I just wondered if anyone has done this and if anyone knows if Talk Talk does it too? Also is this the cheapest option?
Thankyou for your help.

Collette

 

[My Owl 1]

HI Colette, If you are working from home and have a landline but want an additional line,how's about a wireless VOIP phone that you can use at your home or use wherever there is a wireless broadband connection. You would have a number that has your local area number.

You could get a 08 number that is attached to your current landline number. Or of course you could go down the CJD voip phone route.

BT and talk talk are expensive for business landlines. Dont know whether the seperate rings would be possible for your current landline but if there is that service available someone will definitely give you an answer to that on this forum.

Best wishes for your business. If I can help in anyway with your utilities then do get in touch

Avril

 

[estwig]

My Owl 1 + cjd =

 

[My Owl 1]

My Owl 1 + cjd =

Nice one Estwig

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

Hi all,

I'm setting up a business from home and I am reluctant to use my home number as my business contact number. My current landline/broadband provider is Talk Talk. I've heard that BT can provide an extra number on the same line with a different ring tone so that you can differentiate calls. I just wondered if anyone has done this and if anyone knows if Talk Talk does it too? Also is this the cheapest option?
Thankyou for your help.

Collette

Hi Collette

I used BT's Call sign I think its called several years ago before I had an office and it was OK. I wish I'd known about VOIP back then.

Have a look here - http://www.vonage.co.uk/index.php

Personally I think its a much better and cheaper option than BT.

 

[sally_b]

I used BT's Call Sign a few years ago too. It wasn't a "fresh" number so I got calls from people looking for whoever had the number before me, so I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[estwig]

Nice one Estwig

It's good to still you here, cjd and maybe some of us gave you, 'a right hard time', when you first joined.

Respect to you for..............Taking no notice what so ever!!!


Hope things are working out for you.

 

[cjd]

BT's Call Sign is ok but it's only an incoming number so if you want to call out you need to use your home line plus it's only one call at a time so if anyone is using the phone it's useless....

You should be using VoIP these days for a second number; it's cheap (£1.99 per month) and expansible - ie it'll grow with you.

Much as I appreciate Owl's plug, I wouldn't really recommend Wireless VoIP, it doesn't work terribly well - you're better off with a proper wired telephone. (Or if you just want a number that diverts to your existing telephone or mobile, you don't need the VoIP phone at all.)

 

[Christine Hough]

I have to say that I use Utility Warehouse and it is great.
I have two internet lines and an 0800 number.

If I move, the internet lines and their numbers go with me.

I direct the 0800 to one of them so that I know that I am paying for that call, and can offer to call them back if it sounds like it will take a while.

I also give out the other number as some people prefer a landline to 0800 number.

They are now offering a wifi handset and so you can take it on outings too!

It works well and is very much cheaper than the line I had before.

So while I would love to drect you to my UW site, I will just instead endorse My owl.

 

[Christiane]

When I worked from I used voipfone, got a local number from them. I kept it when we moved (twice), it allows continuity when your business grows. For instance, the last time we moved, we couldn't keep our BT number because we were allocated a different exchange.
Voip is a lot cheaper than a landline too in terms of line rental and call costs.

 

[collettejoanne]

Thanks for everyone's replies. So much to think about! Is voip easy to set up? I really haven't a clue.

 

[MyAccountantOnline]

Is voip easy to set up? I really haven't a clue.

If an accountant can anyone can

Yes it really is very easy to do.

 

[The Numbergroup Team]

We can supply you with everything you need, I have pm'd you.

 

[SneakSMS]

I'd highly recommend CJD and Voipfone over anyone else. Although I have no dealings with "The Numbergroup Team", every post seems to be "I've pm'd you" - not a lot of contribution to the forum really and we don't all need to know that you've sent someone a PM. Voipfone just works, it's great.

 

[The Numbergroup Team]

Apologies, I didn't think it was necessary to post the whole message in the thread it was just a courtesy note so the OP would check their inbox.
But, if you insist...

We can supply you with a 0800,0844,0845,03 or 01 number to your landline for Free. We can also give you either a call whisper service (when you answer the phone you will hear "business call") or a caller display service (you see 0800 etc calling before call is answered, so you know it's an incoming business call) both free of charge. We have no connection charges, no redirection charges and no monthly rentals
Call rates are 1.3ppm for 0800 to landline, 7.8ppm 0800 to mobile.
Please call us on 0800 3 10 10 10 if you need any further details and call rates on any other numbers.

 

[davek17]

I use Skype, along with a decent Ipevo handset.

Plug it in your laptop and noone ever knows and quality is pretty damn good now. If i'm on the move then I use Skype on the iPhone with Wifi, never any issues and I use an 0845 number, pointed at my Skype out number which is a local 01 number which I give out to people who have call minute bundles that don't work with 0800/0845 numbers.

We've tried everything BT Business with VOIP was awful and a range of other VOIP providers and we ended up testing this system with the business panel and it worked so well we use it all the time now.

Other good thing is that you can set up accounts like sales1, sales2 and then as long as people are signed into these accounts you effectively have a multi-ringing business set-up.

If you need a new numnber for say a sparate dept or new product or to monitor a marketing campain then just buy a new skype out number and allocate it to your business account. Easy and very cost effective.