We’re in the middle of a big transition here at Virtual. This past weekend we moved from a very large home, into a smaller condo one third of the size. Downsizing is our new “buzzword” and we’re doing everything we can to simplify our lives.

Part of it is a new direction we are heading – we want to take our “virtual” business even more “virtual”, allowing us to travel anywhere in the world at any time – and still be in the office.

Up until Friday, we still had a landline phone for our business. But that’s all changed. Now we rely on VoIP and mobile, and on Google Voice.

Google Voice was introduced in 2009, and we signed up for our first account as soon as it was available. We played with it, but for the most part ignored it. A few weeks ago, we took another look at as a solution to our new needs, and what we found can be of benefit to any small business, no matter where you are in the world. So here are a few things you can do with Google Voice.

When you first sign up for Google Voice, you can choose a virtual phone number in any area code. You can use that number to make calls over the Internet, send and receive text messages, and record voicemails. And because you are using a phone number in your area code, your prospects and clients will call a local phone number to reach you – yet you can be anywhere in the world. You can even transfer to a mobile or to a landline phone, making it easy on you, and “masking” where you really are to those calling in.

In addition to the normal features of any voice system, Google Voice offers a variety of other services perfect for the small business owner. It can [Read more…]