This review is an excerpt of Michael Pellechia's monthly BookPage business and finance book round-up.

900 Know-How

3rd Edition

By Robert Mastin
Aegis, $19.95

ISBN 0963279033

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Review by Michael Pellecchia

If you've been thinking about a home-based business and leaning toward something Internet related, this book could broaden your scope. While the World Wide Web is still in its commercial infancy, a similar business channel has been racking up profits since 1987. It's pay-per-call, familiar to most casual observers as the 900 telephone number.

In its third edition, this book is about more than 900 numbers, because pay-per-call takes in a lot more options these days. The industry of selling information by telephone has evolved rapidly and now incorporates prepaid phone cards, phone subscription services, and credit card payment.

The author makes it clear that pay-per-call is not a get-rich-quick opportunity. On the contrary, many information providers underestimate the marketing cost required for a break-even volume of calls, and underspend on advertising or run out of money before their service has become established.

Knowing this background, you can decide if pay-per-call is an entrepreneurial avenue you want to investigate further. If so, 900 Know-How is the perfect place to start, and its degree of detail will take you pretty far down the road in preparing for your own business.

Michael Pellecchia writes about business and finance books for this publication. He can be reached at michael_pellecchia@bookpage.com.

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