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Home  Money Business Is There Money To Be Made In The 900 Business?
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Is There Money To Be Made In The 900 Business? |
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ACCESSIBILITY
900#s can be accessed from anywhere in the United States, by simply dialing "1", and then
9-0-0 which serves as the area code, and a seven-digit phone number. They can be dialed
from any touchtone phone without incurring additional toll charges. The caller only gets
billed the rate of the call set forth by the Information Provider.
NATIONAL MARKET BASE
900#s have wider geographic coverage. It covers approximately 82.5 million homes from
every area code across the United States.
MARKET AWARENESS
900#s were widely used by thousands of line holders, creating a rush or bonanza-effect and have
therefore gained more exposure nationwide. More and more people are becoming aware and more
familiar with 900#s and their uses.
VARIIETY
900#s have a wider program base. Nationwide coverage means many
interest groups can be reached and the type of information that can be
provided is limitless.
PROFITABI]LITY
900#s use flexible sponsor-set pricing. As an Information Provider,
you are allowed to charge your callers as much as you feel your
information is worth to your callers.
AVAILABILITY
900#s are immediately available and are relatively easier and cheaper to get than other types of pay-per-call numbers.
HOW CALLS ARE HANDLED
900#s operate the same way 800#s do in that they can be accessed and
terminated anywhere in the country. Their principal difference lies in
the billing process.
With an 800 number, the party who receives the call pays the per-minute
transport cost of the incoming call. This is why 1-800 numbers are
also known as Toll-Free numbers, because they are free of charge to the
caller.
With 900#s, the reverse is true. More than just being a caller-paid
service, charges for a 900 call are based on what is called sponsor-set
pricing. This simply means that the Information Provider (Sponsor) who
operates the 900 service dictates how much the
phone company must charge the caller, either on a per- minute or per-call basis.
The called is handled in 3 simple steps:
1. Caller Dials Number.
The caller dials 1-900 and the seven-digit phone number of the program the caller wishes to access.
2. Phone Company Switches Call.
This activates the phone company's switching center which directs the
call to the city where the service bureau handling this 900# is
physically located. Simultaneously, it
activates the phone company's computers which then identify the
caller's phone number, measure the length of the call, and compute
charges based on prescribed rates.
3. Service Bureau Gets The Call.
The call is sent to the Service Bureau's Voice Processing Unit which
then plays the pre-recorded information or connects the call to a live
operator, if such were the program
being offered.
WHERE TO GET 900#'s
Although Long Distance phone companies are the principal source for 900
numbers, entrepreneurs seeking to get their own 900 numbers are better
off by getting their lines from a Service Bureau who have their own
equipment used for handling calls
to 900 numbers.
PHONE COMPANIES
There are two major national long distance carriers that offer 900
numbers: AT&T and MCI. You can order a 900# direct from these phone
companies. However, if you do not have your own call-handling
equipment, the phone company may have to refer you to a
Service Bureau.
SERVICE BUREAUS
Unless you can afford to purchase sophisticated telecommunications
equipment to handle inbound 900 calls, you will require the services of
a qualified Service Bureau.
SB's get their 900#s from the phone companies in large quantities and
can assign you any quantity of 900#s for your programs. Ordering your
900# from an SB means a lot of set-up time saved, since their lines are
already physically connected to their call
processing computer.
Some Service Bureaus specialize in selling individual 900 Extensions for $99. Others
specialize in selling dedicated 900#s (undivided 900 numbers where you can offer your
own custom information programs) as well 900 master lines which can be subdivided into multiple extensions.
When securing a dedicated 900# or a 900 master line, make sure you are
clear about all the charges involved. Since all bureaus have variable
front-end and back-end charges, it's best that you shop around.
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