Thinking about getting a VoIP phone for your small business, but still not sure? Running your business is stressful, time consuming and challenging – if the perks, like those that come from installing a VoIP phone, can present distinct advantages to your home life, why not enjoy them? Of course the hidden advantages of having a virtual office may not be immediately obvious, but we’re here to help you see the light.

My favorite benefit of having a virtual office is the inexpensive or free international calls to many countries, depending on the home phone plan you choose.  This may not sound like a necessary feature if your business is domestically-based, but if you have friends or family overseas, you can use your business VoIP service to connect with loved ones without overpaying. Why wait for a tragedy to strike before reaching out to those you care about? With the ability to make free international calls to loved ones, you’ll restore that part of your life that you may not have even known you were missing.

Another distinct advantage of having a virtual office for your business is the ability to receive and send online faxes, even if you don’t have a fax machine in your home.  While many individuals don’t see the need to invest in a fax machine for their own home, there are often times in which it is necessary to share data for personal use.  By investing in a virtual office service for your small business, you’ll be able to utilize the online fax services from your home as well- so you’ll no longer need to stand on line at the copy shop in order to send or receive a fax.

Surprisingly, having a toll-free number can also offer a unique advantage for family use, because it can be used by children who need to call home and may be out of area, such as away at sleep away camp.  Why send your child to camp with a cell phone, when you know they can call you from any landline or pay phone?  Similarly, calling card abilities can enable your child to call home from for free from anywhere- even if you don’t have a toll free number.  Having calling card abilities which enable you to use your VOIP service to make calls from anywhere can be extremely useful for those who travel regularly and aren’t excited about using up their cell phone minutes while they’re away from their regular phone.

There’s no question that virtual office services offer fantastic services for small businesses- but the advantages to the business owner’s family should not be overlooked.  Why spend money on these services at home and in the office, when your virtual office services can be easily used for occasional private use?  Even the comfort of knowing that you have these services available is extremely worthwhile- and you may be surprised at how often you actually enjoy them!