DEAR HARRIETTE: I have an office phone and a cellphone that I use increasingly for business. I have had my office number for years, but I realize that almost all of the calls that I receive are robocalls or other solicitations.
I don’t want to keep my landline. It is expensive and I hardly ever use it, but I worry that I might lose clients. What do you think I should do? -- Lose the Landline
DEAR LOSE THE LANDLINE: The trend these days is for people to use their cellphones for everything. It is true that you could lose some clients and potential connections if you shut down the number that you have had for so long. If you are connected via social media, though, you have a chance to build a profile that can potentially reach more broadly than your landline ever did. You can also list yourself in industry directories and add your email address and cellphone number. Reach out to your contacts and let them know your go-to number now. If you do an active outreach campaign, you can inform most of your contacts and reduce your overall monthly outlay of cash.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)