Setting Up an Office

2. Communications

2.1 Make sure you have enough telephone lines and extensions.

• Shop around for a supplier to save money on calls.
• If you decide to work from home, think about swapping your home phone line for a business line.

2.2 Email is cheap and fast and lets you send and receive messages at any time.

• It also allows you to send any sort of computer file as an attachment.
• Most customers and suppliers will expect to be able to contact you by email.
• If you have a website, consider providing an email response facility.

2.3 A fax machine allows you to send information quickly and efficiently to customers and suppliers.

2.4 There are several options available when it comes to acquiring communications equipment.

• Most types of equipment can be bought, rented or leased.
• Suppliers can be found in the Yellow Pages. Shop around, especially for bargains in secondhand extension phones and small business phone systems.