Cell Telephone

A cell telephone can be a big help to your small business.

If you are self-employed, a cell telephone can keep you in touch with your clients and in touch with your business. That means happier clients which will help you make money.

As a self-employed small business owner, you often need to leave the office to do things that need to be done during business hours.

When no one is at the office, clients may not have any way to contact you. Telling them to leave a message on voice mail may not be the best way to please them. Have a cell telephone with you can allow you to directly answer additional clients and speed up your reply to those that you still need to leave on voice mail.

With caller ID available for almost any cell telephone calling plan, it can be easier to decide if the caller is someone you need to answer right away or if it can wait for a bit longer. Many cell telephones now display the caller’s ID on the outside or back of the phone when they are closed.

For business use, most of your cell telephone calls will probably be made during business hours.

Look for a cell telephone calling plan that will allow you the extra minutes during prime time. Plans with free calling after business hours are not what you need most.

Make sure the cell telephone company you choose has great coverage in the areas that you frequent.

Your clients should not be aware you are calling or answering from a cell telephone. You need great coverage and voice quality. There are cell telephone accessories available to attach a better antenna while using the phone in the car. This will aid reception at least when you are in the car. A Bluetooth headset for you cell telephone is another accessory that can aid in conversations with your clients.

My suggestion is not to give out the cell telephone number to clients.

Use your regular business phone number. When you are not in the office, have the office calls transferred to your cell telephone. This way, you help avoid business calls when you have the phone with you after business hours. Clients may still know your number from caller ID when you call them, but at least you can limit it some. It can be difficult if an important client calls your cell telephone while you are in the middle of your personal life. You also will not have the extra minutes charged to your cell telephone that could have been answered on your regular phone line.

When using a cell telephone for business, the same safety precautions apply as at any other time.

You will not impress that important client if you have an accident while talking to them on a cell telephone.