SmallBusinessNewz

Clubs that have cover charges do okay, and people pay thousands of dollars to sit with celebrities and presidential candidates.  Consumers don't want contacting you to cost them, however, so toll-free phone numbers are something small businesses might want to get.

Having a 1-800 number is similar to not using a Hotmail address or showing up at the office in your pajamas.  All things considered, it's just more professional.

An AllBusiness article republished on the New York Times site adds, "Consumer research shows: Customers are much more likely to call a business with a toll-free number than a business with a long-distance number.  Toll-free numbers boost consumer confidence.  Consumers assume that businesses with toll-free numbers are larger and more stable than their competitors."

Yet toll-free numbers aren't right for every business.  Think about whether or not you're trying to get out-of-state customers to call, anyway.  Then, since most people own both landlines and cell phones (and many have dropped their landline), judge whether your would-be customers view long distance charges as any sort of issue.

It's something to ponder, anyway, and a commitment that can always be reversed if the phone doesn't ring too often.