Google Voice is an interesting service, very much in the territory of Telecom domain, so we will have to see how it impacts/ complements/ competes with the Telecoms of today.

Just FYI, Telecoms like AT&T, Verizon, Orange, etc are among the largest online advertisers, because they have a lot of money at stake in the face of VOIP, etc, and they are taking anything lightly today, though in the long-run, solutions with better economics will prevail, like we have seen with other technologies in the previous decades.

How does Google Voice work? You get a new Google assigned phone number. Then, you route all of your other phone numbers through that number. So, your office phone, your work phone, your home phone – whatever. Google voice will allow your calls to selectively ring to any of the destination phones you choose. It is a practical and useful concept, which is will be liked by many.

In addition, Google Voice offers bonus features like:
- You can selectively ring calls to multiple destinations.
- You can selectively block and screen calls
- You can send, receive forward and store SMS text messages
- Check your voicemail online, read it via email or text (you can even forward it)
- You can create personalized voicemail messages per contact
- You can group your contacts and manage their preferences on a group level
- Conference calling, call recording, call switching, 411 info

Problems Associated With Being Self Employed

On a personal note, self employment for those with family is fraught with another set of problems. A steady paycheck keeps a family well supported and many money worries at bay, while self employment may be more akin to times of feast or famine. Are your family members willing to help you achieve your dream of being self employed?

The post is not aimed to discourage anyone — it is more to give you a feel of the typical challenges he has seen. The biggest challenge we can point towards is that there is no more a guaranteed income source. You will have to put your best efforts, and the income may not not come.

Some more thoughts from our experience of seeing various entrepreneurs:

1. If you have a family to support, then you should have at least 6-12 months of living/operating expenses in your bank. Plan to have little or no income in the first 3-4 months. That is a very real scenario
2. If you are offering services, don’t waste time on prospects who are not interested. Time is very important, and its better to reach as many prospects as you can, and let the interested ones reply back.
3. If you are offering products on your website, then promote that site through a few blogs, press releases, and reputable article sites. Feel free to contact us if you feel stuck. No, there’s no fee for such help!
4. If you have any property or inventory, that should also be insured. Also ensure that everyone in the family has comprehensive health/medical insurance. Nothing can probably hit your new business harder than sudden large outflows of cash arising from uninsured expenses/damages.