How to Get a Business Phone Number

When starting a business, you have a lot of details to figure out. How to get a business phone number is one of the more essential things on your to do list. Whether you’re just starting out or your business is scaling up, a business phone number comes with a number of benefits for your business. 

A business phone number lends credibility to your business and helps you maintain privacy between work and home. So let’s talk about how to get a business phone number! In this guide, we’ll explain how to get a business phone number, why you need one, what the different types are, and how to choose a provider for your number. 

If you need a business phone number, we can help you! We’re based in Atlanta and serve the entire US including Los Angeles, Houston, Dallas, Birmingham, Auburn, and Charlotte! Click the button below to get your free quote.

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How to Get a Business Phone Number

Getting a business phone number is a fairly simple task. You just need to find a provider and set it up from there. There are a few different types of providers to choose from. You’ll want to research the right provider for you to ensure you get the benefits and features you need. If you already have landline service, you can call your provider and request a business line or convert your current number to a business number. Once the line is activated, you’ll be able to make and receive calls with your business number. 

While some businesses are still using landline service for their business phone numbers, another option is a virtual phone number provider, such as Google Voice or Grasshopper. Virtual phone numbers are often free or very inexpensive. They operate over the internet and can provide basic features like call forwarding, voicemail, and even a virtual receptionist. Mobile carriers also offer business plans that include dedicated business phone numbers or additional features tailored for business use. 

Many people are switching to Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, technology to get their business phone numbers. With Voice over Internet Protocol technology, you can make and receive business calls from anywhere you have an internet connection. Plus, VoIP service typically comes with advanced features missing from traditional business phone service.

Why You Need a Business Phone Number

Now that we’ve covered how to get a business phone number, let’s talk about how a business phone number can help your business. Many small businesses or startup businesses use their mobile numbers to conduct business. This can work fine initially, but once your business gets going, separating your business life from your home life can get tricky. Having a dedicated business phone number can benefit your business in several ways, including:

• Professionalism: A business phone number adds a level of professionalism to your business. It gives the impression that you are a legitimate business, which in turn helps you build credibility with your customers. 
• Separation of personal and business communications: Using a separate business phone number helps you maintain a clear distinction between your personal and business communications. You’ll never have a business call sneak up on you or have to worry when an unknown number is calling. 
• Better customer service: A business phone number helps you provide better customer service by offering a dedicated line for customer inquiries, support, and sales. This ensures that your customers can reach you when they need assistance or have questions.
• Local presence: Depending on your business needs, you can choose a business phone number with a specific area code. This helps you reach customers in a specific region without the need for a physical branch. This is especially beneficial for businesses operating in multiple locations or looking to expand their customer base. 
• Privacy: Let’s face it: giving your customers your personal cell phone is less than ideal. A business phone number helps protect your privacy when dealing with customers.  

Different Types of Business Phone Numbers

When you set up your business phone number, you typically have a few different types of business phone numbers you can choose from. 

1. Local phone number: This is a phone number with an area code based on the region you’re working out of. A local phone number can be great for connecting with customers. You can even purchase a local phone number to a region you are expanding into. Local phone numbers can be more cost-effective than other options.
2. Toll-free number: A toll-free number is one that customers in any part of the nation can call without an added long-distance fee. Per the FCC, toll-free numbers can begin with the following three-digit codes: 800, 888, 877, 866, 855, 844, or 833. Toll-free numbers are great for companies with a national presence. Toll-free numbers are usually more costly than local phone numbers. 
3. Vanity phone number: A vanity phone number is a personalized phone number that can help with brand recognition. For example, 1800CONTACTS is a memorable phone number that customers can recall without issue. Vanity phone numbers typically cost the most. 
4. Virtual phone number: A virtual phone number is an internet-based phone number that is not associated with a physical line. You can often get a virtual phone number for free and set it up to route to various devices. If the phone number is neglected, it may be reassigned, which could potentially cause you to miss calls. Some virtual phone numbers come with a small cost. 
5. International phone number: If you’re looking to expand abroad, an international phone number can help you develop a business presence. By providing a phone number for locals, you build credibility while also saving them money on the cost of international calls.

 

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Small Business Phone Number

As a small business, you have to make a lot of decisions about where to spend your money. While it’s tempting to use your pre-existing mobile number or landline for business calls, there are a lot of benefits to setting up a dedicated small business phone number. VoIP service or a virtual phone number are two cost-effective solutions for your small business that can still offer the benefits of a dedicated line.  

Choose a Business Phone Number Provider

Choosing a business phone number provider for your small business can be difficult. There are a lot of options out there, and you need a provider that understands your unique needs. To help you get started, here are some of our top suggestions for business phone number providers: 

• Nextiva: Our number one recommendation is Nextiva. With Nextiva, you can choose between local phone numbers, vanity numbers, or toll-free numbers. Plus, you get dozens of advanced features, like call forwarding, call recording, and interactive voice response, all the while receiving VoIP service. That means you can make and receive business phone calls over the internet.
• Vonage: Vonage is another top provider of business phone numbers and VoIP service. With Vonage, you can make voice calls and video calls as well as communicate via text. Vonage’s user interface is intuitive and can be accessed via web browser or app. 
• Zoom Phone: As a modern cloud phone provider, Zoom Phone is another great option for obtaining a small business phone number for your organization. Zoom Phone comes with a number of features, like call transfer, call forwarding, voicemail, and Salesforce integration to help you manage your small business and communicate effectively with your customers. 
• Grasshopper: With its focus on helping small to medium businesses grow, Grasshopper is another top business phone number provider for small businesses. Grasshopper comes with important features like call transfer, call forwarding, business texting, and VoIP + Wi-Fi calling.  

Most Important Features

One of the major benefits of getting a business phone number is the advanced features that come with it. Every provider is unique, but here are some of the most important features to look for in a business phone number provider: 

• Call forwarding: With call forwarding, you can take business phone calls wherever you are. You can forward calls to an extension, voicemail box, and even multiple devices at the same time. 
• Custom greetings: Many business phone number providers offer tools to pre-record custom greetings that help you establish your professional image. 
• Auto attendant: Auto attendant features help filter and direct calls to the appropriate department. 
• Business texting: Many customers today prefer texting over voice calls. Business texting allows you to send appointment reminders, answer customer questions, and moreover SMS. 
• Call screening/blocking: Call screening helps you avoid spam phone calls, and call blocking allows you to block specific numbers.  
• Call recording: Call recording can be an important way to ensure the quality of business calls. And if you’re in an industry with certain regulations, call recording helps you ensure your company is in compliance. 
• Business voicemail: Business voicemail is an important feature for when you miss customer calls. Some providers even offer a voicemail-to-email transcription that makes checking your voicemail even easier. 

How to Set Up a Business Phone Number

The first step to setting up a business phone number is to choose your provider. After choosing your provider, you’ll have some options for selecting your business phone number. 

There are a few different kinds of business phone numbers, as we covered above: local numbers, toll-free numbers, vanity numbers, virtual phone numbers, and international phone numbers. Most VoIP providers give you flexible options for determining your business phone number. For example, if you’re looking to expand into a new area, you can purchase a local phone number that will help you establish your presence even without a local branch. 

The last step is to set up all the features you need. Depending on your provider, you can set up an IVR menu or auto attendant and assign extensions so customers can reach the right person or department quickly. With all these steps complete, you have your business phone number all set up. 

Business Phone Number Costs 

The cost of your business phone number is going to depend on a number of factors. First of all, the provider and plan you choose will impact the cost of your business phone number. Additionally, the type of phone number you choose will also affect the business phone number cost. A vanity phone number may cost you $50 monthly, while a local number could cost between $10 and $30 monthly. 

How to Get a Business Phone Number with OneStop Communications

With a business phone number, you can better serve your customers and protect your privacy, in addition to many other benefits. Getting a business phone number is as simple as selecting a provider, choosing the type of phone number you need, and configuring your features. 

If you need help choosing a provider, OneStop Communications is at your service. We work with some of the nation’s top providers and can help you compare prices and plans so you can get the features you need for your business phone number. 

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