John Ingrisano here, with info on a company I recently stumbled across. 

Conference calls free and easy.  Works for me.  I’m a small fish that has to swim with big sharks sometimes.  Conference calls can be expensive.  Actually, it’s just that I’m cheap and would rather spend the money on something a little more fun…like a hot date. 

Still, when a client says, “John, I’m interested in your proposal.  Can you set up the conference call for the eight of us?” my response is, “You bet.” Then I groan as I mentally calculate the cost of 80 cents per minute times 45 minutes for $36 out of pocket.

That brings me to www.freeconference.com, a subsidiary of Global Conference Partners, which has been around since 1985.  The word FREE caught my attention.  After all, 36 bucks is 36 bucks.  Since then, I’ve used them for several conferences.  Here is my glowing and totally unsolicited review.  (However, I do intend to hit them up for advertising on our www.TheFreestyleEntrepreneur.com site.  After all, I am a capitalist!)

Scheduling a conference is simple.  Go online to the website.  You will be given several conference options, from a basic, free call to ones that cost 10 cents per participant per minute, depending on the level of service you want.  (For me, wanting just a plain old conference call, the free portion works just fine.)

After you register, you will be invited to block out a time and send invites to your participants.  Everyone receives a phone number and access code.  If you like, you can have a special code as the moderator.  That’s it. 

Here are the pluses:

• It’s easy.  No hoops to jump through and no lengthy registration process.
• It’s free, if you choose that option.  There are no hidden charges and no need for a credit card.
• The sound quality is excellent.  I conferenced recently with my partner and several columnists from around the country (Florida, Iowa, Ohio and Wisconsin) and we experienced no sound drop-outs, static, echoes or bleeds from other calls.
• After the call, I received a time-and-numbers summary of the call. 

One negative, though I do not see it as such, really.  The free conference option has a standard, U.S.-based phone number to call, so participants will have their own cost of the call.  Other options include a toll-free number. 

The bottom line:  For business conferences and for family and friend chat times, give www.FreeConference.com a shot.  I was delighted with the service. 

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have $36 in my pocket, a hot date, and a reservation at a neighborhood pizzeria.  Work hard.  Make money.  And please be sure to have fun.  — JRIngrisano (The Freestyle Entrepreneur)

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