Faxes for the Landline-less
This is a quick gem for today:
I don't have a landline. (Yes, in our house, we have 3 Nextel cell phones, in 3 area codes, but not a single landline.) So when a client needs an invoice faxed or wants to fax a print project markup to me, I end up having to get in my car and drive to Kinko's.
But not anymore! I've found GreenFax. It basically sends and receives faxes through my email for less cost than installing and maintaining a landline in my home. It was really easy to set up, and now I have my own dedicated fax number in my local area code! The messages are fast, too—someone sends me a fax and it's in my Eudora inbox instantly.
So check it out! There's apparently hope for those of use who are too high-tech to own a landline (and too cheap to own one just to get a couple of faxes a month).
Nikole Gipps is the principal of NHG Consulting, a web design and marketing firm. She can be reached through her StartupNation profile, her company website, or her Small Business Essentials blog.
July 26th, 2007 at 4:52 pm
Hey Nikole — have you checked out GotVMail.com?(http://gotvmail.com/solutions/). For nearly the same price as GreenFax, you get a virtual toll free number with interactive menu … and for a few bucks more, you get a fax. This service certainly makes the small business look BIG.
July 27th, 2007 at 2:16 am
One thing you want to keep in mind though is that part of being a small business is your personality and the kind of customer service that you can give (vs the kind you get from a large company). I would be worried about the kind of impression that having a toll-free number and "interactive menu" would leave on my customers. (Is she too expensive? Why doesn’t she just pick up the phone?) Personally, I hate calling places with phone trees like that … but I can see some applications of such a service, especially if you are just one person trying to man the phones.
July 27th, 2007 at 2:51 am
I have recently started using OneBox (www.onebox.com)and I love it. It takes care of voice mail and incoming and outgoing faxes.
OneBox gives you several options for how you want your incoming calls handled and everything can be programmed based on time schedule. I have it set so that it immediately forwards my incoming calls to both my home phone and cell phone, allowing me to use whichever is most convenient. If neither is answered within a few rings, the call goes to voice mail.
Another thing I like about OneBox is that it can be set-up to send you everything via email. Voice mails come in as audio files, and faxes come in as PDFs. I can get everything on my Blackberry and know that I am not missing anything.
I tried using my Nextel number as my business number but didn’t like the way in handled incoming calls when I was outside of the coverage area. Instead of going to voice mail, callers would first hear "Please wait while NexTel tries to locate the subscriber you are calling…". After a few rounds of this, the call would eventually go to voice mail - but many callers told me they found this to be confusing. Have you had this problem Nicole?
July 27th, 2007 at 9:46 am
With so many companies using automated phone systems these days, I will do everything I can to always have a human answer my calls. It is a great, cheap way to stand out from the competition.
I have heard companies advertise these services on radio and they always say something like "sound like a big company!", and I always holler back "I don’t want to sound like a big company because big companies can be impossible to deal with!". Anyways, enough of my tirade against these new virtual PBX companies. I suppose some companies might benefit from their use.
July 28th, 2007 at 1:36 am
I don’t travel a lot, but no one has ever complained about it even when I do. I think Nextel has one of the best coverage areas anyway - or, they did, pre-Sprint. And Mark, I’m totally there with you on that one!!!
June 19th, 2008 at 12:54 pm
Hi Nikole, I have been using this company http://www.metrofax.com
I believe the service is great. If you need phone line try Skype.com
July 30th, 2008 at 9:01 am
I find all of the comments to be on point (depending on where you live and who you market to). I use GotVMail but I have both a toll-free number, a local number and fax service. All come straight to me through a separate live receptionist (9-5pm). It’s a little more ($125/mo.), but here in the Washington DC area, if you have a 202 area code, people two miles in VA may not use you. And if you have a 301 (MD) area code, people two miles in DC or VA may not use you, etc. Thus the toll-free number. It’s just plain strange but you have to play into it to get paid. It’s also a political, territorial and conservative area and status is everything. So, out goes the small-business feel and in comes the “you’d better look big and have the right address” feel. Yuk! But it works — Here anyway! I envey you guys on the west coast.