08/ 01/ 2004
by Melany Klinck
What could you do with an extra $543 a month? A recent report from the Small Business Administration says that’s how much small businesses spend on telecommunications services in a 30-day period. Here are a few tips on dialing back those costs:
1. Evaluate usage. Look at your last three months’ phone bills. Note usage and per-minute costs for in-state, out-of-state, toll-free, international and calling card calls. If you have a cell phone, jot down long-distance costs incurred.
2. Go comparison shopping. Dozens of Internet sites can steer you to the best deals for your situation. Check several sites since each may represent different companies. To compare all types of long-distance and wireless options, try SaveOnPhone.com. For long-distance only, check Smartprice.com and PhoneDog.com. For wireless only, try LetsTalk.com.
3. Reduce billing increments, fees and minimums. Choose long-distance carriers with 6-second billing increments and 18-second per-call minimums. If you don’t make many long-distance calls, select a service with no monthly fee and low or no minimum-usage requirements.
4. Use “dial around” services for infrequent calls. Dial-around services, which require dialing a 10-10 code or a toll-free access number first, may offer cheaper rates than your regular carrier on international calls and sometimes on interstate calls, too.
5. Consider calling cards. Prepaid and other calling cards may offer lower rates than your regular carrier for certain calls, such as international calls. Use them at home or on the road, but be sure to compare minimum per-call charges, fees and expiration dates.
