According to Forbes, approximately 600,000 new firms are launched each month, with none of them intending to fail. Unfortunately, many businesses do not begin with a firm basis when attempting to expand their business. They overlook the current competition for consumers, investors, and loans.

They fail to see the importance of excellent communication in the success of any firm. It's rather critical!

Setting up a private phone number shows your consumers that you are serious about your company, and it can also lead to many potential chances. In this post, you will learn why you need a private phone number for your business or job in more detail.  

‍

Should You Use Personal Phone Number?

Can I conduct business on my personal phone? To answer your question quickly, there will be certain drawbacks to consider. Using your personal phone for work can be your first reaction, and it may even work well at first, but with time, you will soon find out why most users end up moving to a separate private phone. Let us now see its disadvantages for modern enterprises. 

‍

● Threats From the Internet

Your personal number serves as a crucial identifier for a variety of sensitive data and should be handled with caution. Consider how many individuals will be exposed to a company phone number through business cards, advertising materials, the company's website, supplier databases, business licenses, tax records, et cetera.

By including your personal phone number on company documents, you increase your risk of being targeted not just by bothersome telemarketers ,but also by fraudsters and identity thieves. 

‍

● Telephone Robocalls and Telemarketers

In this hyper-connected world, robocalls have become an increasingly major problem in terms of bothersome telemarketers. Call spammers and telemarketers can now dial hundreds or thousands of numbers almost instantly because of the advancement of voice over IP (VOIP) technology and connection.

According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), U.S. customers received approximately 4 BILLION (with a B!) robocalls PER MONTH in 2022, and the chances of its increase are certain on the cards!

According to Consumer Reports, even though it is illegal to call someone who has not given their consent for marketing, most robocalls ignore this as well as Do Not Call lists, relying on the fact that the FCC and FTC (Federal Trade Commission) are usually just too busy to come after them.

By keeping your company and personal lines separate, you will avoid the large rise in robocalls that your number would undoubtedly receive after being made public for your business. A virtual phone system also assists spammers by routing them via an automated call tree, where the call times out if no option is selected, freeing you up to answer only critical business calls. 

‍

● Your company is linked to your personal phone number

There will be no way to distinguish between work and personal conversations if you disclose your personal phone number for your company. Consider how difficult it is to keep track of all the calls and texts from friends and family on your phone.

Now consider every client contact and service provider, especially as your company expands, and consider how tough it may become soon.

Furthermore, we frequently give our phone number as identifying or contact information for a variety of purposes. And if you have to change your phone number for any reason, any marketing materials, company accounts, or outside connections will be rendered useless. What if a consumer tried to call you and the line was disconnected? They are unlikely to return your call.

‍

● Calling features that are limited and do not scale with business growth

Individuals do not require auto attendants, directories, or customer service waits, but every company does. It's great when a consumer calls and a human (you) answers straight away, but as a business owner, you may not have the time to handle every call yourself right immediately.

Automated features can help clients obtain the assistance they require without taking up valuable time, and can divert calls to voicemail or other lines as needed. 

‍

● No control over other business lines

Saving money is critical for a startup, and you and your co-founders, maybe even your first workers, can contemplate using your personal phones to do business "only for a bit" in the beginning. This is a blunder. As your company develops, expands, and becomes more sophisticated, you, as the owner, will need to beware of everything that occurs.

This is not to imply you should spy on your staff, but knowing who handles certain messages and how customers and suppliers engage with them is vital to the successful operation of any organization. 

Now the question arises, what can be its alternative? Well, the answer is simple! Switch to the private or business phone number. It is the most suited choice for all businesses and organizations.  

‍

‍

What impact does having a private phone number have on your business?

Customers will be concerned if they receive calls from unfamiliar numbers. Although phoning from a cell or standard area code may appear unprofessional when compared to other numbers such as 0800 business lines, it may still be preferable to utilize a 'No Caller ID' number.

There are several reasons you should utilize private numbers in your organization. They can be useful, for example, if you use your personal phone and don't want people calling you after hours, or if you operate a customer service line and don't want people calling back and engaging the line. Even in these instances, you should expect a greater rejection percentage for your calls. 

‍

Benefits of a Private Phone Number

‍

● Your personal number is kept confidential

You don't need a special reason to wish to keep your personal number hidden, but it's one of the most significant advantages of having a second number for a variety of individuals. Whether you're selling products online to strangers, meeting someone new through a dating app, or don't want to provide your personal phone number to business contacts, having a second phone number protects your privacy.

And this is more crucial than ever as millions of people work from home and struggle to distinguish between work and pleasure. 

‍

● You can improve your work-life balance

It's difficult to create the perfect work-life balance if you use your personal phone for professional reasons, whether in an office environment or as a freelancer or small company owner. While using your phone for professional reasons is cost-effective, using the same number may be confusing and, frankly, unpleasant.

Adding a Burner phone number to your current phone is a terrific method to keep these two areas of your life distinct. When it's time to leave the office (physically and psychologically), you can activate the 'Do Not Disturb' function for your private phone number and continue to use your primary phone and number than usual. 

‍

● Private phone numbers are kept professional

If you own or work for an internet business, convey confidence and knowledge to your clients or users. This implies that if you're attempting to appear as though your internet firm is a multi-office marketing agency or a huge clothing line, having a phone number from rural Chicago on your website would look strange.

While there's nothing wrong with coming from rural Chicago, area codes might impact your business's reputation. With a private phone number, you can select a more prominent area code, increasing the professionalism of your company in the eyes of others. 

‍

● You can screen phone calls

Assume you are working from home on a Friday afternoon, and want to order pizza for your family. Or maybe you're waiting for a phone call from a particularly cute bumble match as you finish off some work-related responsibilities.

Then you receive the phone call. You respond, assuming it's the pizza guy or your future spouse, only to discover it's the CEO of one of the firms with whom you do business.

While you probably wouldn't answer the phone differently, knowing who is calling allows you to prepare for the conversation ahead. You can efficiently screen calls and texts with a second phone number and know which ones are personal and which are professional.

‍

● More lines can be added as needed

Let's pretend for a moment that you actually have one of those brand-new iPhones. Great! A second SIM card can be added. And, although this can be advantageous for a time, what happens when your company diversifies and develops and you need to add a few more lines? What happens if you decide you want another Burner phone number for personal purposes other than work?

Purchasing a private phone number provides several commercial advantages that also extend into your personal life. They're diverse and effective for any sort of worker, from stress reduction to enhanced privacy. Begin by acquiring a private phone number and regaining control of your work life.

● Customized business greetings

When someone calls a work phone number, you may ensure that they hear a personalized welcome. These greetings might include whatever message you desire to convey. A typical welcome is to describe your company's products and services. Alternatively, you can simply use a separate message when the business is open or closed.

If your business is closed, you can always put one person on call to handle any emergency calls. This might be handled through the call menu, as the message instructs the caller to dial 5 in the event of an emergency. This call is then routed to the on-call employee. There are several configuration options. 

‍

● Maintains the consistency of your brand

Any company's or brand's future depends on consistency. In this day and age, it is relatively simple to verify that everyone in your business who has a work phone number has the same number. You will never have to worry about which employees' phone numbers are posted, nor will you have to worry about old phone numbers creating future losses to your company. 

‍

● The ability to work from any location

A private phone number allows you to operate from anywhere. You can take calls or forward them to wherever you are, whether you are in your office or on the road. 

‍

● People will have more faith in your company

There are no reputable businesses that use a personal phone number. Consider contacting your doctor or bank and being welcomed with a message showing that you were calling a personal phone number. How likely are you to call back or trust this company?

Remember that having a private phone number lends legitimacy to your budding venture. It also provides the appearance that you require a private number to handle the volume of work you are receiving, whether this is true. You can fake it till you make it. There is no justification for nothing a private phone number in the digital era. 

‍

Business phone number types

Small company owners who want to adopt one or more new business phone numbers have several possibilities. With the advent of new technology, phone number alternatives have proliferated.

‍

1. Phone numbers for local businesses

Telephone service providers set up local business phones. The number will begin with your local area code, and calls will be routed straight to your place of business. Your supplier can provide vanity numbers, which are pre-selected digits that make your phone number easier to remember, such as spelling out a term related to your product or service. 

‍

2. Toll-freephone numbers for businesses

Toll-free business numbers are usually preceded by the 800 area code. Clients can call you using these numbers, incurring no phone expenses. For toll-free lines, vanity numbers are also available.

‍

3. Cellphone business numbers

Cell phone business numbers are given to mobile devices similar to your personal phone. A business call can be placed straight to the mobile number, or your local business calls can be forwarded to your cell.

The most common option for establishing new business phone lines is Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). To put it simply, VoIP numbers are issued to users rather than phone lines. 

‍

What role does a private line play in increasing workplace productivity?

There are several reasons having a backup line for your company might help with workplace efficiency. For starters, a line dedicated to working might help you avoid distractions and stay focused on your duties at hand. Furthermore, if you need to take calls away from your desk, having a separate number allows callers to reach you immediately without having to look up your personal number.

A private line is useful when handling too many projects since it helps you to keep each project structured and divided by telephone extension. This form of systematization can greatly improve time management and organizational efficiency.

Finally, having a private phone number for work might provide you peace of mind, knowing that all business communication is handled through a single point of contact.  

‍

Select the Option that Best Suits Your Team

Personal and professional life are highly diverse, and having one phone for both work and personal use may not be adequate for everyone. Using your personal phone number for work contact can lead to conflict and inefficiency.

There are three well-known solutions:

● Carry two phones: one personal and one for business

● Upgrade your plan with a service provider

● Make use of a virtual business phone number

Each alternative has advantages and disadvantages, but a virtual system offers the best blend of price, convenience, and security. It is a business decision that encompasses personal data security, work-life balance, and increased accessibility.

For a long time, LimePhone has provided virtual telephone services to small and medium-sized business owners. It is one of the market's most adaptable, powerful, and user-friendly solutions. With low-cost bundles and a plethora of sophisticated features.

‍

LimePhone can help you get a business phone number today

A dedicated private phone number can help you preserve your and your team's privacy, strike a work-life balance, and run your business more easily than ever before. However, selecting the correct phone service provider is critical if you want to save time and deliver the greatest client experience possible.

VoIP services are less expensive than landlines and allow you to work from anywhere, on any device.

‍

‍

LimePhone is a corporate phone solution that can grow with your company. You can get the following features with any LimePhone plan:

● Unlimited inbound calls

● Receive calls/SMS on Slack

● All LimePhone basic features (Including call recording, SMS inbox & voicemail to text)

● Forward calls to multiple devices/numbers

● No set-up or activation fees

● Advanced Call routing

● Dedicated customer service lines

● Custom integrations

● Ongoing product consultation

● Tailored training sessions

● Priority Support

With upgrades, you may gain access to some extremely unique services that LimePhone can provide to its clients.

‍

Summary

Deciding whether or not to get a private phone number for your business depends on your personal preferences and the nature of your business. Some factors to consider include separating personal and professional calls, appearing more professional to clients, protecting your privacy, and potential costs. Ultimately, weigh the benefits against the costs before making a decision.

If you're thinking it's time to get an upgrade for you business communications and take you operation to the next level, try LImePhone. Sign up for the free trial today!

‍

‍

‍