Phone Line required for Start Up Business

mills_steven

I am just starting up my own business.
For the time being I will be working from home and in other locations (coffee shops with free wifi!) until such time as enough revenue is coming in for me to get an office.

I need a phone number for my business.
I am based in Manchester but will be doing business nationally so although an 0161 number will do, I would prefer a national number. I like the look of an 03 number as it keeps me geographically neutral.

I am considering using Skype for now and getting a Skype number. They offer 0161 numbers but I don't see that they offer non-geographical numbers.

Are there any other companies out there who I can use - I'm thinking perhaps via the use of either a softphone on the computer or a phone app.
Perhaps Vonage?

All suggestions greatly appreciated.

Many thanks

paddyrg

Have a look at sipgate http://www.sipgate.co.uk/user/ who have PAYG tariffs and are likely cheaper than Skype as well.

Personally I prefer an 0161 or whatever over a non-geo - non-geo always makes me think of dodgy offshore companies, 0161 suggests I could come and find you if there was a problem/to make a deal

fguk

Try

http://www.gradwell.com/

Great company, and not faceless IYKWIM

Lagoon

We use Penelope http://www.penelope.co.uk/ - they provided a local number and through the app I can control whether that number reaches my mobile phone, gets sent through to a landline, goes straight to voicemail, to another member of staff or to a PA who'll take calls on our behalf when we're busy. Takes me about ten seconds to switch it over.

Might be a bit much for what you're looking for, but highly recommended.

Brassedoff

I use Purecloud Solutions, I have 30 local numbers, non geographical number, the 0333 number, which more importantly comes with a software set up that allows the system to hunt for you. So you can go online and push any of the numbers to any landline or mobile you wish. You can grow with it too, it provides call monitoring, call recording and an auto answer facility.

I have a virtual assistant who answers the phone for me, it says "thank you for calling" we we are passing you to one of our agents now". While that is being played, there are several phones ringing, in the call centre and office etc.

When I leave my office, it automatically knows I am no longer near a landline and bats it to my mobile. I don't really need to thing about it.