How to Use Internet Faxing for a Home Business

If you are running a business from home, you will often need to send and receive faxes. If you do not have a fax machine, you will need to utilize Internet faxing for your home business. By using Internet faxing instead of traditional faxing, you can send faxes from anywhere with an Internet connection, as well as receive faxes when you are away from home. Internet faxing is a great way to keep your business connected and manage communications. Here's how to use Internet faxing for a home business.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Internet access
• Computer

1. Evaluate your faxing needs. Decide how you will be using your fax service and how often.
2. Do your research. Go online and search for Internet fax services. Look for fax provider comparisons.
3. Consider smaller companies that are less well-known. Although there are major Internet fax providers, there are many smaller companies that also provide quality service.
4. Find the best plan for your business. Most Internet fax companies offer several different options or plans to meet your needs. These plans range from light faxing to large-scale faxing. Compare prices and plans for the services you require.
5. Select the service. Make sure that it has all of the capabilities and features you need. Some sites allow you to use your own email and some will provide you with an online email inbox for your faxes.
6. Visit the site of the service you chose and sign up for a membership. Fill out all of the necessary forms online.
7. Pay for your fax service. The most common payment method is a credit card. If you do not have a credit card, some services will allow you to pay with a check or money order.
8. Choose an inbound fax number. After you register, you will either choose or be assigned a local or toll-free fax number.
9. Provide your fax number to all customers and business associates and anyone else who may need it. After you have an Internet fax number, your home business will be more accessible to your customers.
10. Go online and check your email or inbox to retrieve faxes, which will most likely be in the form of attachments. To send faxes, you will have to sign in to your service and follow the instructions on sending a fax.

Tips & Warnings

• Try to find a service that will allow you to have your existing fax number forwarded to the new fax number you are assigned. Doing so will route faxes sent to your existing number to your email or online inbox and prevent you from having to change your fax number, which may be an inconvenience.
• Choose a toll-free number, if it is available, to avoid long distance charges.
• Pay attention to the file format that your faxes will be delivered in. If you do not have the program on your computer, you will not be able to open your faxes until you install the program.

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