Buy a Virtual Toll Free Number for Personal Use

A virtual toll free number can be obtained for personal use. Many people perceive toll free numbers as merely for business use. What such people do not realize is that toll free numbers can also be used for personal use.

An instance in which virtual toll free numbers are used for personal purposes is when parents would like to communicate with their children who are in college regularly. In such cases, the parents subscribe to virtual toll free numbers which they give to their children who then call their parents for free. This is very beneficial as it allows the children to call their parents as much and as often as they want thereby ensuring that they do not lack anything, and most importantly without incurring even a single cent.  For example, a parent in the US who would like to communicate with his or her child who is studying in the UK would get the child a UK virtual toll free number. The child would be calling the UK toll free number after which the calls would be routed to the parent's US number.

The numbers can also be used by people who are away from their home. For example, a Kenyan who is working in the UK would be better off financially than his or her relatives back in Kenya. For easier communication, the Kenyan in the UK would get a Kenyan virtual toll free number which the loved ones back in Kenya would use to reach him/her.

How a Virtual Toll Free Number Can Benefit Your Business

Since their introduction in the 1960's, toll free numbers have been increasingly gaining popularity. At the present, toll free numbers are available in each and every country in the world. So, what exactly is a toll free number? A toll free number is a number that allows the callers to make a call free of charge with the charges being incurred by the party that is being called. For instance, if a business has a toll free number, customers' calls to the business are not charged; it is the business itself that incurs the calling costs. In the US, toll free numbers are identified by the following prefixes: 1-800, 1-888, 1-877, 1-866, and 1-855. In other countries the prefix is 0800 and in others just 800. A virtual toll free number works just like any other toll free number but it exists virtually.

It is hard to get a toll free number if you are not a resident of a given country. This is where a virtual toll free number comes in. With a virtual toll free number, you do not have to be a resident of a given country to get it, all you need is an internet-enabled computer and your credit card. For example, a resident of Kenya, UK, Australia, China, India, or any other country in the world can get a US toll free number in a matter of seconds.

A virtual toll free  number confers several benefits to a business. To begin with, the location of a business does not matter. Customers get a toll free number that is local to them and so they never get to know the actual location of the business. For example, a business in China or Kenya that wants to target customers in the US, UK and Australia can get 3 virtual toll free numbers for each of the countries. Consequently, prospective and current customers would call a number that is local to them for free. On the other hand the business owners would receive the calls from any location.

Needless to say, this would give customers an incentive to call the business. Customers and indeed most of the people love free things. A toll free number comes in very handy when one is shopping and wants to do research before making a purchase. For example, if one wants to buy a car, he or she may want to call several car dealerships before settling on a given car dealership for the purchase. In such an instance, one may be more compelled to call a company that has a toll free number than a company that has no toll free number. Consequently, the chances of the inquiries translating into sales and thus increased profits for the business are high.

A virtual toll free number also helps to build the trust of the clients and to boost the image of a company. Customers tend to associate toll free numbers with big companies and this can work to the advantage of a small business. By getting a virtual toll free number, which by the way are available at incredibly low prices, a business can boost its image in the eyes of its clients. A company such as Vonage.com offers virtual toll free numbers at an incredibly low monthly price of $ 4.99. This price includes free 100 minutes of talk time after which additional minutes are charged at 4.9 cents.

The best thing about  a virtual toll free phone number is that one does not have to pay setup fees, there are no contracts to be signed, the service can be discontinued at any time, no cancellation fees are charged, and the number can be obtained in a matter of seconds. What's more, the calls can be routed to a cell phone so that one can receive the calls from any location.

Before buying a virtual toll free phone number, it is important to note that in some instances toll free numbers cannot be dialed outside the specific country. For example, a US toll free number may not be accessible from Nigeria. In some instances where they can be dialed outside the country of issue, they may not be free and in fact they may be more expensive than regular calls (non-toll free calls).

Get US Phone Number Outside US

If you live outside US, most likely you have been tempted to get a US phone number for some reason but have been at a loss on how to go about getting one. The good news is, it's pretty simple to get a US phone number nowadays. That means that your customers or relatives in the US can easily and conveniently reach you regardless of where you are by calling a number that is local to them.

So, how do you go about getting a local US phone number?
Just sign up with a virtual phone services provider such as jetnumbers.com, tollfreeforwading.com or sonetel.com. These companies will give you the choice of choosing  the state you would like to have a presence in-you can choose Alabama, New York, California, or whatever other state that you wish. After that you will provide your phone number to which calls to your chosen virtual phone number will be forwarded to. You will then be required to choose your preferred plan (different plans differ in terms of cost and depend on the size of business). To activate the free trial most of the companies require you to provide them with your debit/credit card details. This enables them to bill you immediately your subscription period is over. Good news is that you can cancel your subscription before the trial period is over. So, cancel your subscription immediately you are not happy with the services to avoid billing.

You can then relax and enjoy receiving calls from your customers world wide and they will be none the wiser; they will not know where you are located. Your customers in the US or relatives will be calling a US local number and you will be picking the call in Kenya, Mexico, UK, China, India, or in any other part of the world. It's a very good option for people who wouldn't like their location to be known. Moreover, this option gives  clients an incentive to call. Calling international phone numbers puts one off due to the associated international call rates. These are bypassed using a virtual US telephone number if the customers you are targeting are in the US.
 
What's more? You can actually get yourself a US toll free number. This boosts the image of a business and gives the customers an incentive to call your company and inquire about your services. Everyone likes free things and so customers may be more willing to call you if you provide them with a virtual phone number instead of a regular phone number.

Looking for a free US virtual telephone number? So far I have not come across a company that offers free US virtual phone numbers to US non-residents. What I know is that most companies offer a limited free trial after which you are subscribed to the plan of your choice. But  most of the plans are very affordable.

How to Get a Virtual Phone Number

Over the past several years, virtual phone numbers have grown in popularity mainly because of the benefits they confer to their users. Such benefits include avoiding roaming charges, getting a local presence in your country of choice (important for businesses), your loved one's and customers can call you when you are abroad without incurring international call rates, and you protect your real number from stalkers.

So, how does one go about getting a virtual phone number? Its simple. There are very many companies that offer virtual phone number services. Examples include: Sonetel and tollfreeforwarding. All you have to do is to sign up with either of them. The best companies allow you to choose your virtual telephone number even before you sign up with them. This is very important as some may not have phone numbers in the country of your interest or the phone numbers they have may have limitations. I once signed up with a virtual telephone company (can't remember its name) and I went through the whole process without being prompted to choose my preferred "ring-to" number and my preferred number and this was very dissatisfying. On contacting their customer support, I was told that I would be allocated one. While its still a good approach, I would rather go with a company that gives me the freedom to choose my preferred number.

Here are the steps to getting a virtual phone number:

1. Sign up with the company of your choice
2. Select your preferred country and then your referred virtual telephone number which could be toll free or a regular local telephone number.
3. Enter your current telephone number
4. Provide your personal details
5. Provide your payment details (debit/card information)-required to start your free trial or to subscribe to your plan of choice. Personally I find this step annoying as I do not like giving out my payment details to all and sundry. But I have realised that all companies ask for these details.
6. You activate your account and hooray, you are good to go! 

The whole process is pretty simple, takes less than 3 minutes on average.

Avoid Roaming Charges with a Virtual Phone Number

Do you travel abroad often, or rather, do you often travel outside the coverage of your telephone services provider? Then you have definitely been slapped with roaming charges. Well, unless you are smart enough to have realized that roaming charges can be avoided through a virtual telephone number.

So, what are roaming charges?
Each telephone services provider covers a limited area and so using your mobile phone outside that area causes additional charges which are referred to as roaming charges. For example, if you live in France and you would like to travel to Germany you can still use your mobile phone, but it is quite expensive due to roaming charges. The exact amount that one is charged as roaming fees differs from one service provider to the other. Even worse, you can incur long distance costs when using your mobile phone when away from home. The solution? To get a virtual phone number.

To avoid roaming charges with a virtual telephone number this is what technically happens:

1. You sign up with the many companies that offer virtual telephone services before leaving your home country. In this case you should get a phone number that is local to your home country.
2. Then configure your calls to be forwarded to the virtual telephone number.
3. On getting to your destination, you should buy a new SIM card that is local to the country you are in. 
4. You should then log in to your virtual telephone number management system and then indicate the new telephone number as the number to which incoming calls should be forwarded to. 

And you can enjoy a roaming-free visit to any country in the world! Your business associates, family, friends, and customers will also greatly thank you for you decision to get a virtual phone number as apart from the ability to keep in touch with you, they will not pay international calling fees as they will be making calls to a number that is local to them.

So, now you are in the know. Never again pay the costly roaming charges as there are less expensive solutions to roaming rates.

An ESL Academic Writer? Get a Virtual Phone number

Over the past several years the number of custom writing services providers has greatly increased. Consequently, the number of academic writers has also increased. While some of the companies that provide essay writing services pay their writers well, some custom writing services companies pay their writers poorly. This is okay if one does not know how much exactly the companies charge their clients. However, if you are nosy enough and happen to dig and find out how much the client's one is writing for are charged, the first word that comes to one's mind is "exploitation". Yes, it is common for companies that offer college custom essay writing services to charge their clients $55 and pay their writers $5. When most of the writers realize how much they are netting the online essay writing companies, they often start to figure out how to work for clients directly.

Enhanced Online Image

The next step in such a case is to set up a website through which one can take orders. A search through essay writing forums reveals that there is great opposition towards the set up of custom writing businesses by people who are not native English speakers. In fact, it is not uncommon for some companies to go to great lengths to warn their clients against ordering custom written papers from websites that are not owned by people from US, UK, and Australia (English Speaking Countries). Armed with the conviction that he or she can offer custom writing services despite opposition from competitors from English speaking countries, some people set up websites to take orders.

Some well established companies warn their clients against custom writing services providers without UK, US or Australian phone numbers. This is where virtual phone numbers come in. Getting a local phone number for each of the countries can greatly boost one's online image. Those who know how the essay writing services industry is understand the importance of staying ahead of the game; it is a highly competitive multibillion dollar industry.

With a US virtual phone number or a UK virtual phone number, one can comfortably run a custom essay writing services from the comfort of their home in India, China, Africa, or any other place. The clients will think that you are located in the US or any other English speaking country. The clients will dial a phone number that is local to them and you will pick the call from any part of the world. What's more? You can subscribe for toll free virtual phone numbers and display them on your website. This would boost the clients' perception of your writing company. 

• Why get a virtual toll free number
• Why get a virtual office 

Earning What you Deserve

Apart from starting a custom writing company, policies that discriminate against ESLs have made many people to fake their identities online. For example, some writing companies pay ENL writers better than ESL writers despite their writing abilities being similar and at times ESLs being better writers than ENLs. While some people argue that such discriminatory practices are  essential due to differing exchange rates and standards of living, they are demotivating. As part of faking one's identity one can get a virtual phone number from an English speaking country such as US, UK, and Australia.

That said, I believe one should only opt for this option if one is sure of delivering quality custom writing services. Academic writing is very demanding and the students seek academic assistance mainly because they want a high grade. This means that you should be able to deliver. A virtual phone number will not help if your writing skills are poor.

•  How to get a virtual telephone number

4 Top Benefits of Virtual Telephone Numbers

Virtual telephone numbers are increasing being used in today's world. This is because they offer users several benefits that are unavailable when using telephone numbers that are non-virtual. The most important reason as to why virtual phone numbers are gaining increasing popularity is their money saving capacity. That's right! It's possible to save money with a virtual phone number. This is particularly so for international calls. The following are the top 4 benefits as to why you should get one for yourself.

1. Loved Ones can Call you for Less

Normally, placing an international call is usually pretty expensive. At times the cost of international calls keeps people from keeping in touch with their loved ones as they would like. This problem is solved with a virtual phone number as loved one's can call you at their local call rates. To experience this benefit just get a virtual telephone number in the country where your loved ones are located. For example, if your loved ones are located in the US and you live in Kenya, just get a virtual local US telephone number. There are many companies that offer virtual phone services and these can be accessed through search engine searches. Even better, such companies allow one to choose the exact US state for increased savings on calls. This means that loved one's make calls to a local telephone number and so they do not incur international calling expenses. On your side, you are able to receive the calls from anywhere in the world through international call forwarding services. Subscribers are often spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing how to receive their calls as virtual telephone services providers give their subscribers the option of having their calls routed to: their mobile phones, landline, Google Talk, VOIP, Skype, IAX, H.323, and SIP.

• Read on How virtual phone number call forwarding Works

2. Businesses get a Local Presence in their Targeted Locations

Virtual telephone numbers give businesses the opportunity to increase their presence all over the world. This is particularly important for businesses that have operations outside their country. For such businesses, all they have to do is to simply apply for a telephone number in their preferred country. For example, a company in Kenya that targets customers in the UK, US and Australia can get a local US virtual phone number, a UK virtual phone number, and an Australian virtual phone number. This implies that customers from the three countries will be calling at their local rates and thus they will not incur international calling rates. Even better, some virtual telephone companies give businesses the option of choosing toll free virtual phone numbers which means that the customers place calls to the businesses at no cost. Needless to say, this boosts the  public image of a business and even encourages customers to place calls to the business. Even better? A business can receive several calls concurrently. The exact number depends on the virtual phone services provider. For example, globalnumbers.de allows one to receive 30 calls concurrently using one virtual phone number. Some industries lock out people from certain geographic regions. For example, essay writing services industry tends to lock out competitors from ESL countries. To get around this problem, essay writing services providers from ESL countries should consider getting a virtual telephone number.

Read:

• Why every ESL Academic Writer should Consider Getting a Virtual Phone Number

3. One's identity is Protected

To access certain web-based services, one may be required to provide his or her telephone number. Some people feel uneasy when giving out their phone numbers and for a good reason; some people harvest the phone numbers after which they harass the owners. An instance in which one is required to provide a phone number is online dating. To ensure your privacy and protect your identity, get a virtual phone number and give it to the online dating agency of your interest. This way, you will receive calls without giving out your real number. The best thing is that most of the companies that provide virtual phone services give their subscribers the option of cancelling the subscription at anytime for free. This means that you can easily avoid stalkers by opting out of the subscription service.

4.  Traveling

When traveling abroad, one may want to keep in touch with customers, business associates and loved ones. This can be possible through roaming. However, this option is usually very expensive. The solution? To get a virtual telephone number. This means that one gets to avoid roaming charges

Read:

• How to avoid roaming charges with a virtual phone number