When you’re starting a new business, things can escalate quickly — and while what’s actually a sign you’re doing well, it can feel a little overwhelming.
Few entrepreneurs start a business armed with all of the knowledge (and tools) they need to run it effectively, and the key is to recognize where you can make things more efficient — saving you time and money.
Luckily, it’s never been easier to outsource a lot of the backend support you need and automate many of your processes via handy apps and online services.
Let’s talk about how your business phone numbers appear …
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. No, your business doesn’t need a landline. However, that doesn’t mean we’re recommending you hand our your own personal cell phone number and call it a day. (Definitely not.)
When you’re starting out as a solo entrepreneur, you might be using your cell phone number as the official “business line” for your company. It makes sense, sure, but it makes it pretty obvious that you’re running a one-person operation. (Not exactly the professional vibe you were going for, right?)
Using your cell number for your main business phone number also tells potential clients exactly where you’re located, all with the help of those first few digits. (Not ideal if you want to present your business as a global entity, rather than one based out of small-town Saskatchewan.)
So what’s the ideal business phone solution?
We’re glad you asked! The answer is “having separate business phone numbers for the various arms of your business.” Sure, they might all be redirected to the same place (your own cell phone), but there’s a certain caché that comes with having various business phone numbers available for your clients and suppliers.
That’s where your friends at PhoneHub come in. We can hook you up with a suite of different business phone numbers in order to help organize how (and why) people contact your business.
What’s the benefit of having multiple business phone numbers?
1. You can provide a dedicated business phone number for V.I.P. clients.
Imagine you have an awesome new client that’s going to account for a huge chunk of your business’s income. You don’t want them categorized just like any random person who may reach out to your business — this client is special and must be treated accordingly.
Instead of giving them the main business number, you can give them a special number that’s just for V.I.P.s. “Here’s the number where you can reach me directly, anytime,” you’ll tell them. “It’s your dedicated line — like the Bat phone.” (Well, maybe you won’t say that exactly.)
Having a dedicated number you can slip to your best clients is a neat way to show them you value their business and will provide exceptional customer service. When you get a call to that special business phone number, you’ll know exactly who is calling and can react accordingly.
2. You can separate different aspects of your business.
Having separate business phone numbers means that each arm of your business can have a dedicated voicemail inbox with its own message for clients to hear. You might want to advise that you’ll return calls within 48 hours on your accounts line, or within four hours on your support line, for example. Or maybe some of the voicemail messages direct them to a specific part of your website that can help them out.
Each of these custom business phone numbers will have call forwarding, so you can have the calls go directly to the employee handling that aspect of the business (whether it’s your mom, your college friend, or someone else you’ve hired).
Even as your company grows and your staff changes, you’ll be able to maintain those same dedicated departmental phone numbers for your clients to reach you easily.
3. You can prioritize how (and when) you answer your business phone calls.
As any entrepreneur knows, some telephone calls are much more important than others. A new client calling for quotes? YES! A random cold call from someone trying to sell you business insurance? Ugh.
Prioritizing your calls is much easier when you funnel the reasons for each call into separate business phone numbers. You wouldn’t want to miss a sales or customer support call, but if someone has an accounting question, maybe that can wait until you have a free moment.
Here at PhoneHub, we believe there are many benefits to having multiple business phone numbers for your small business, and we’re happy to chat about your set-up anytime. Reach out to learn more!
