Choosing an Office Telephone
Your telephone is your primary connection with the outside world. Depending on the type of work you do, you may find it necessary to have multiple phone lines in your home office: a personal phone line, a work phone line, a modem line, and/or a fax line. Think about how many phone lines you'll need and what they'll be used for before purchasing your actual equipment.
When ordering voice phone service from the phone company, you'll be offered many options and service add ons. In addition to choosing which phone company will provide your local and long-distance phone service, you may be offered call waiting, call forwarding, three-way calling, caller ID, and an incoming toll-free number. Based on what you'll be using your phone for, you can choose the services that will help you be the most productive.
If you have a high-speed cable connection, a voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) line can cut costs significantly, and may come with added benefits such as the ability to receive voice-mail messages through e-mail. On the downside, a VOIP line may not work in a power outage, may require rewiring to work through the house, and may require a little too much tech savvy. If you have DSL (a high-speed Internet connection through your phone line), a VOIP line may not save you much money, since many phone companies offer good bundled rates.
Caller ID is an invaluable resource for those who work from home. Sometimes, communicating to friends and family that your working hours are as valuable as those spent in an office can be a challenge. Caller ID will allow you to ignore personal calls and solicitations so that you can reduce distractions and increase your productivity.
In addition to the phone service you choose, you'll also need to purchase a telephone. As you'll quickly discover, you have many options available. Phones come in all shapes and sizes and have a wide range of features built into them. Many phones also offer features such as a built-in answering machine, caller ID, speed dialing, a hold button, a speakerphone, a mute button, a headset, and conference calling. Determine in advance which of these functions you want to utilize. If you want to use a wireless Internet connection, make sure your cordless phone is not 2.4 GHz, since this can interfere with wireless transmissions.
Telephone headsets are ideal if you want to talk on the phone but keep your hands free to use a computer keyboard, for example. If you'll regularly be making business calls, find a phone that doesn't allow background noise (such as children playing or dogs barking) to be heard.
Although cordless phones are convenient, make sure you have at least one corded phone in your home. Should you lose power, cordless phones will not work because they require electricity. Also, if you will conduct taped or radio interviews from your office, invest in a high-quality corded phone that does not have a hum.
