My Business Credit Journey to 1,000,000

When we last spoke, we addressed the corporate address, now I think the remote call forwarding number needs to be in question.  Sure it’s only $20 per month, but what are the real pro’s and cons of it? I’ll tell you after the jump!

A remote call forwarding number (RCF) is widely believed to be a very easy way to get a number listed in 411 without paying for a full fledged ATT phone line.  For the most part, that’s right, but there still may be some issues with an RCF.  Here are the pros:

1. Cheaps and easy to set up:

You can set up an RCF with no effort at all, all you need is a tax-ID, and it can usually be set up as soon as you get your EIN.  The costs range from around $30, to as low as $5 in some areas.  Call ATT to verify

2. Ultra Portable:

Talk about a number that you can take anywhere.  Changing phones?  No problem.  Just call and let ATT know where you want the number to ring to, and setup is done ASAP.  There may be a charge for this so be aware before you just shuffle everything around.

3. Automatically registered in 411:

Isn’t this what we all dream about?  No more issues with being denied for not having the dreaded “411 listing”.  The listings are comprehensive, so you don’t have to worry about not shoing up in someone’s directory.  Sure Listyourself.net is free, but it’s also hit or miss.  You carry the full weight of the ATT database when you get an RCF, and thet’s almost worth the cost right there.

While it seems that the pros are a slam dunk for remote call forwarding, there are a couple of issues that you need to be aware of before you sign up:

1. Cost per call:

Ok, so it’s only .08 per call, but it can add up quickly depending on how much business you’re doing (hopefully that’s alot!).  If you know your phones will be ringing off the hook, you might just want to spring for the full phone line.

2. No caller ID when you call out:

This is the big one.  You can’t call out from this number.  No matter what number you have in 411, it’ll never show up in anyone’s caller-ID because you’ll be calling from a different number technically.  Now the real experts know how to get around this, but we save that kind of info for our consulting clients!

There are some pros and cons for getting an RCF for your 411 listing, my rule of thumb is to always go for a full phone line unless you can’t afford it.  Busy folks’ bills can equal a land line quickly if they have too much volume for an RCF.

As always, call me if you need me.

Elijah

614-625-2907