Phones!

[rufmeister]

Getting myself in a muddle over phones and don't know what the best option for me is, wondered if I am over confusing things?

I have been running a business from home for 6 years with the home landline being the advertised number.

Recently taken up a unit which has no landline yet.

Current home line is with Sky.

I'd like to port that number to the unit, I believe only possible via VOIP?

Now to do this a provider has quoted me a 36 month(!) contract at £9 per month with calls at .98p per minute to landlines and 7.5p per min mobiles, plus vat.

On top of that I have line rental for Internet which is needed anyway.

Now, would I just be better off getting a new number altogether and changing literature etc, or would VOIP be a fantastic thing for me to do, allowing 2 calls on same line and forwarding etc etc

[528Sport]

Hi,

Long time since i've delt with a business telephone number change...

If I was in your position I'd go VOIP. http://www.voipfone.co.uk/ I have one of their phones at home. Seems great.
If you ever move again the number comes with you no porting ect ect

Could you not ask Sky to either divert your current no to a new one (for a period of time) or put a message on saying "hi, we've changed our number, please call......"

Update your website/stationary with new number. Inform regular customers (if possible)

Last number change I was involved with was for a large radio station
we did a call divert, updated stationary and then after a period of time a recorded message. Job done
no complaints.

the thought of being tied up for 36 months does not sit well with me.

[528Sport]

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/PB_Porting_Numbers.php


:-)

[Helicopter123]

Really pleased to see this thread as in a similar position.

Home office, dedicated line, expanding hence taken a lease on an office.

BT Business coming next week to install/switch on new line (whatever the terminology is...) and broadband. The latter more important to me but will need some sort of phone system. Complete novice so unsure what to go for. Plan is to expand to staff of c. 6 over next couple of years and keen to future proof. What should I be buying kit wise, what sort of line(s) do I need.

[rufmeister]

528Sport said:

http://www.voipfone.co.uk/PB_Porting_Numbers.php


:-)

I did see somewhere else about not being able to port Sky numbers over, but the company I am speaking to say it's not a problem?

We shall see.

[surveyor]

Equally don't be afraid of changing the number. The message costs not very much and there will never ever be a better time to do it than when you are moving offices.


Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

[russy01]

Lookup DSLiverpool on here, he's your man for phone advice!!

[Bullett]

Helicopter123 said:

What should I be buying kit wise, what sort of line(s) do I need.

TBH I'd be considering hosted/cloud/shared services pbx providers over buying kit.

[DSLiverpool]

I would change your number and put a 3 month diversion in place. However the new premises - does it have good broadband? Probably You don't know because no landline yet so you don't know if you can use VoIP yet.
The best small biz system is a hybrid of analogue and VoIP, use the analogue for incoming and the VoIP for outgoing and use a router with ATA adapters enabling you to use a £200 4 line 16 user switch.
Let me know once you know probable bb speed.

[rufmeister]

surveyor said:

Equally don't be afraid of changing the number. The message costs not very much and there will never ever be a better time to do it than when you are moving offices.


Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet.

That had crossed my mind also, as seems a lot of faffing about and I don't fancy the idea of a 36 month contract.

[rufmeister]

DSLiverpool said:

I would change your number and put a 3 month diversion in place. However the new premises - does it have good broadband? Probably You don't know because no landline yet so you don't know if you can use VoIP yet.
The best small biz system is a hybrid of analogue and VoIP, use the analogue for incoming and the VoIP for outgoing and use a router with ATA adapters enabling you to use a £200 4 line 16 user switch.
Let me know once you know probable bb speed.

Are Sky able to do that diversion?

Sounds like a plan. Will see what broadband speeds I am likely to get and be in touch.

[DSLiverpool]

rufmeister said:

DSLiverpool said:

I would change your number and put a 3 month diversion in place. However the new premises - does it have good broadband? Probably You don't know because no landline yet so you don't know if you can use VoIP yet.
The best small biz system is a hybrid of analogue and VoIP, use the analogue for incoming and the VoIP for outgoing and use a router with ATA adapters enabling you to use a £200 4 line 16 user switch.
Let me know once you know probable bb speed.

Are Sky able to do that diversion?

Sounds like a plan. Will see what broadband speeds I am likely to get and be in touch.

If SKY cannot reroute then you can put a GSM forwarder on the line that will seamlessly route the call to another number - the caller does not know this is happening. You may be able to do this using VoIP but I dont know about that, however you do have options.

[caziques]

VOIP is the way to go.

I switched over a few years ago, it's as complicated as getting Analogue Telephone Adapators, (I have cheap Linksys ones), setting them up (even I can do it), and plugging them in to a router.

Three "landlines" at present, you can do anything you want with them, ie block numbers - having mobiles and normal number ring at the same time, etc etc.

With a few thousand minutes of free calling round the world and I think 1000 minutes to mobiles each month total package here in NZ is 60 pounds a month.