A few years ago my friend quit her job to start her own business. She wanted to spend more time with her family — she has three kids — and traded the 9-5 grind for a home business. From a small PC in her bedroom she runs a consultancy that earns pretty well. Plus she can work in her pajamas.

Most of the work she can manage through emails and faxes. But there are the meetings, often involving people from all over the country, even the rest of the world. The first few times she’d actually fly there. It was way too expensive, she hated the jetlag, and each trip took time away from other accounts. Moreover, going on several out of town trips defeated the purpose of quitting her job so she’d have time with her kids.

So instead of paying thousands on airfare, she invested in VoIP. It helps her network, cuts down on the required out of town trips, and lets her “meet” regularly with her clients. It helps, especially when she’s talking to people who are not too big on email. Some things are hard to explain in a letter. Now, she can call them any time to clarify what they want. They can even “brainstorm” together, without worrying about phone bills. One marathon session lasted 2 hours. Combined with a webcam, it is almost like meeting face to face. The only concession is that she’ll wear makeup and a nice blouse when its time to talk. She gets to keep the bunny slippers, though, and the control over her time.