Going Mobile (Part 2): How to Get In on the Wireless Revolution -- Without Credit Checks or 2-Year Commitments

Written by Donna Schwartz Mills


Continued from page 1

Airtime ranges from 35 cents per minute during peak times (Mon-Fri, 7:00 a.m - 9:00 p.m.) to 15 cents off-peak (anytime else). Boost doesn't charge for domestic long distance or roaming.

Cingular PrePaid < http://www.cingular.com >

Opt for either a Nokia 3395 or an Ericsson R300z, both for $99.99. You also get $30 in airtime credit, which is charged at 35 cents a minute during peak hours and 10 cents a minute off-peak. You also get a 10 minute mobile-to-mobile rate when calling another Cingular customer.

Long distance and roaming is included, but only within your home network. Calls to Canada and Mexico are an additional 15 cents per minute - unless you opt for Cingular's "My Circle" plan (available to Western states customers), which gives you a break on Mexico, Central America and other international calling destinations.

TracFone < http://www.tracfone.com >

This company has quietly been building itself into a leader inrepparttar U.S. prepaid field. They offer a selection of three different Nokia digital phones, starting at $79.99 (and including 30 minutes of airtime).

As with AT&T, your per-minute cost will vary according torepparttar 117487 cost of your pre-paid voucher, ranging from 26 cents (when you purchaserepparttar 117488 -- minute card for $79.99) to 60 cents for a $17.99 voucher (the lowest cost card). On top of that,repparttar 117489 lower cost cards have a shelf-life of 60 days.. which means that if you do not renew them within that time period, your phone number will be deactivated. While that would not happen to me or anyone *I* know (all talkers!), if you decide to go with TracFone as your carrier, you should look at two other card options:

The Plus3 card is good for 365 days and comes with 100 minutes. Every time you renewrepparttar 117490 card you receive an additional 20 bonus minutes. Forrepparttar 117491 same price of $94.99, you can get TracFone's Annual card, which is also good for one year and gives you 150 anytime minutes.

TracFone also offers a $7.95 monthly autopay program which guarantees that your phone will never be deactivated.

Verizon FreeUp < http://www.verizonwireless.com/ >

Verizon's current package includes a Kyocera 2135 phone and $15 of airtime for $99.99. They also offer you 200 Bonus Weekend Minutes every time you "ReUp" for $50, and 50 bonus minutes when you renew for $30-$49.99.

Rates are 30 cents for weekend minutes, and 15 cents for Mobile to Mobile and nights and weekends, as long as you remain within their network. Domestic long distance is included. Off network (roaming) rates are 99 cents per minute. Cards expire in 30 to 120 days, depending uponrepparttar 117492 amount of airtime purchased.

Virgin Mobile < http://www.virginmobileusa.com >

Richard Branson, who may berepparttar 117493 world's coolest entrepreneur, has putrepparttar 117494 Virgin logo on everything from music to soft drinks to train service and airlines. Forrepparttar 117495 last couple of years he's been building a market for mobile telephone service with cachet - and has now brought his act torepparttar 117496 U.S.

Virgin is offering two prepaid packages with names like "Party Animal" and "Supermodel." The only difference between them arerepparttar 117497 models of Kyocera phone. They also include $10 in airtime and access to "Virgin Xtras" -- through a partnership with VH1 and MTV, you can get music news, check show listings and vote for favorite songs and videos right over your phone. (This kind of cross-promotion makes sense for a corporation that still earns quite a bit of revenue fromrepparttar 117498 music industry, and should have wide appeal to teenagers and young adults).

Virgin Mobile is on Sprint's nationwide network, so coverage is pretty good inrepparttar 117499 areas whererepparttar 117500 service is offered. Rates are good too, and refreshingly simple: 25 cents a minute forrepparttar 117501 first 10 minutes, after which it drops to just 10 cents. This rate holds throughoutrepparttar 117502 U.S. and applies whether you've paid for a $10 voucher or a $50 voucher - it's allrepparttar 117503 same. This is one to watch.

There may be other companies currently offering prepaid service and it is certain that others will enterrepparttar 117504 market afterrepparttar 117505 publication of this article.

The thing to remember with prepaid plans is that if you do choose to go this route, your airtime will cost you more per minute than if you go with a standard contract plan. It is possible that rates could come down asrepparttar 117506 field becomes more competitive -- but right now, if your credit is good and you can afford a 12 to 24 month commitment, a standard plan will berepparttar 117507 best one for your budget.

In part 3, we'll look at some ofrepparttar 117508 new phones onrepparttar 117509 market and which features may makerepparttar 117510 most sense for you.

Donna Schwartz Mills writes about the specific needs of work at home parents at her website, The ParentPreneur Club, "For Parents Who Want Choices, Not Office Politics." Tools, tips and advice you need to help grow your home based business while raising a family. < http://www.parentpreneurclub.com >


Keeping It In the Family

Written by Elena Fawkner


Continued from page 1

By holding meetings like this you also avoid 'spillover' of repparttar business into your personal time of which there is precious little to begin with. Which brings us torepparttar 117486 next point.

KEEP BUSINESS AND HOME SEPARATE

The ultimate success of your business depends upon both of you making decisions based on what's best forrepparttar 117487 business. If you are not prepared to do this, then your business is doomed to failure. Really think about what this means before you start out. Do you - BOTH of you - have what it takes to do that? Whenrepparttar 117488 time comes will you forego that vacation to Hawaii to ploughrepparttar 117489 money back intorepparttar 117490 business? Will you? Are you sure? What ifrepparttar 117491 relationship's starting to get a bit shaky? Will you still do it?

It follows from what was said above thatrepparttar 117492 business is something separate fromrepparttar 117493 relationship/home. This is necessary forrepparttar 117494 survival ofrepparttar 117495 business. Equally, it is necessary forrepparttar 117496 survival of your relationship.

What are some ofrepparttar 117497 things you can do to keep business and home separate?

=> Set Business Hours

Set regular business hours and stick to them. Except in an emergency, what doesn't get done in business hours doesn't get done untilrepparttar 117498 next day.

=> Don't Let Business Intrude on Personal Time

Personal time is all that time outside of regular business hours. Jealously protect it from encroachment byrepparttar 117499 business. Ifrepparttar 117500 business line rings at 7:30 pm and business hours ended at 6:30 pm, letrepparttar 117501 answering machine pick it up. In other words, shutrepparttar 117502 door on repparttar 117503 business atrepparttar 117504 end ofrepparttar 117505 day.

=> Don't Let Home Intrude on Business

Just as you must jealously guard your personal time, so too you must insulaterepparttar 117506 business from intrusions onrepparttar 117507 home front. So, when friends who know you work from home suggest you play hookey to hang out with them during business hours, say no. Schedule hanging out with friends for your personal time.

If you're at odds with each other about something to do with your personal lives, don't let it affect how you work together inrepparttar 117508 business. Focus onrepparttar 117509 task at hand, not your feelings aboutrepparttar 117510 personal issue. If it's getting inrepparttar 117511 way, resolve it. Don't let resentment undermine your working effectiveness.

OTHER ISSUES

Finally, there's a myriad of issues that are deserving of whole articles in themselves. They're listed here just as thought starters.

=> Family Demands

If you have children, there may be times when family demands can shiftrepparttar 117512 commitment torepparttar 117513 business of one or either of you. During such times, make sure it's only one of you whose commitment has shifted. Plan for what you will do if, for example, a child gets sick.

=> Outside Interests

To keep your relationship fresh and interesting, you should both pursue interests that are independent ofrepparttar 117514 business and each other.

=> Separate Space

You live and work together. That's a LOT of togetherness. Everyone needs personal space. If possible, have separate work areas so you're not under each other's feet ALLrepparttar 117515 time.

=> Capital Sufficiency

Make sure you have sufficient capital to sustain you through repparttar 117516 start-up phase of your business.

=> Where Did They Getrepparttar 117517 Money for That?

Has your business capital come from family sources? If so, beware scrutiny of your expenditure from family members. It is common for entrepreneurial couples with family money backing them to feel like they have to justifyrepparttar 117518 necessity for a particular item of expenditure, particularly if unrelated torepparttar 117519 business.

=> What ifrepparttar 117520 Relationship Ends?

Particularly ifrepparttar 117521 business is your sole means of livelihood, think about having a plan for what happens torepparttar 117522 business if repparttar 117523 relationship ends. While no-one likes contemplating such an eventuality,repparttar 117524 fact is that half of all marriages end in divorce. Those are pretty high odds. You may agree that you will both continue withrepparttar 117525 business; one of you may buyrepparttar 117526 other out; orrepparttar 117527 business may be sold in toto with repparttar 117528 profits being divided between you.

=> Succession Planning

If your business is successful, what will you do when you exitrepparttar 117529 business?

=> Business Failure

Finally, consider your financial position ifrepparttar 117530 business fails. Not only are you out of work but so is your partner. This is a very different proposition from a business being run by only one spouse. At least thenrepparttar 117531 other spouse is still bringing a paycheck home. Think about how quickly you will both be able to return to paid employment ifrepparttar 117532 worst happens.

The prospect of running a successful business with our mate isrepparttar 117533 dream of many. It is natural to want to share as much as possible with our partner. But it is not forrepparttar 117534 faint- hearted and there are many issues to take into account. Don't make your decision based on visions of romantic togetherness. The reality will be altogether very different. But if, with eyes wide open and having taken all ofrepparttar 117535 above factors into account, you believe you can be successful in business together, by all means go for it!

------

** Reprinting of this article is welcome! ** This article may be freely reproduced provided that: (1) you includerepparttar 117536 following resource box; and (2) you only mail to a 100% opt-in list.

Here'srepparttar 117537 resource box to use if reprinting this article:

------

Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ... practical business ideas, opportunities and solutions forrepparttar 117538 work-from-home entrepreneur. http://www.ahbbo.com



Elena Fawkner is editor of A Home-Based Business Online ... practical business ideas, opportunities and solutions for the work-from-home entrepreneur. http://www.ahbbo.com




    <Back to Page 1
 
ImproveHomeLife.com © 2005
Terms of Use