Niche Notes: Toll Free Numbers

So, you have started or are going to start a niche or home business based around something you enjoy. Just because you start as a small operation—maybe even on the kitchen table—it doesn’t mean that you can’t employ some of the advantages used by bigger businesses right from the start.

One of the best moves we made early on was to get a national toll free phone number. If you don’t already have one, you might not realize that it is not an expensive “extra,” it is a necessary expense that pays for itself. While cell phone use has mostly eliminated long distance charges in recent years, dialing a “free” number still has a certain draw that will give your business a “national” presence, and an edge over any competition that doesn’t have one. The perception that is created by providing a toll free number is that you are a bona fide operation and that you are large enough to handle any order that comes your way.

It is not widely known, even by some businesses that already have a toll free number, that the phone companies include five free listings. That is, when you have a toll free number, you can list not only your business name, but four other listings to make your business easier to find. If you sell a particular specialized item, say left-handed widgets, and there are no other listings for them except yours, guess who will get all of the calls for them, and with no extra advertising costs involved.

Another advantage to having a toll free number is that it is a permanent number, unlike a local number, which can change at the whim of the phone company anytime they add a new area code. In southern California, what once was the 714 area code, is now covered by nearly a dozen area codes. A toll free number can also follow you to wherever you might move. This will make it easier for customers to find you down the road. It is also why you want your toll free number printed on every invoice, business card, advertisement and directory listing.

Having a toll free number also gives you the ability to have one, or several “vanity” numbers, such as 1-800-WIDGETS. Although you should never publish a vanity number without also including the actual number, because a vanity number by itself is cumbersome to dial.

For a cost of less than 5 cents per minute for incoming calls, having a toll free number is one of the most economical ways to generate new business and should be at the top of your priority list for your business, whether you are already established or just starting.

That’s all for now. My next topic will be tips on how to build or improve your website.

Woody and Dawn Kirkman own W.T. Kirkman Lanterns Inc. in Ramona.