Being in the early stages of starting a business, you’re probably considering using your personal cell phone number for your work. This is normal—it’s affordable and convenient, and most people prefer it out of habit. Switching to something new seems like a hassle.
However, “personal” and “business” are very different fields, and they require mutually exclusive approaches. Using your personal number for business is inviting conflict and inefficiency into your life.
There are ways to alleviate this, however knowing it’s a tricky balance down the proverbial business road is definitely better to embark upon and avoid problems. Regardless, keeping a separate business number is safer and just plain better (to varying degrees) than using your personal number.
Keep a separate number, here’s why.
1. You’re no longer exposed and vulnerable to numerous threats
We live in a world that’s connected to the internet in almost every facet, and in that world, information is king. Your personal information is under constant threat from hackers, scammers, and pranksters, and everything you put out into the world risks being used the wrong way by the wrong kind of people.
With so much risk out there, why would you want to expose yourself to more by advertising your personal number? You can counter this by simply having a second number and keeping your personal number out of the spotlight, significantly decreasing the chances hackers target you. In doing so, you’ll also preserve the safety of your personal data without affecting mobility and convenience.
2. Say goodbye to dreaded robocalls
If you use your personal number a lot or are using a personal phone for work, chances are you’ve had the infuriating experience of dealing with automated calls. This isn’t unusual. Aside from affecting your quality of life, robocalls can serve as a tool for telemarketing frauds.
For small business owners, the impact of spam calls can severely drag revenue down. Automated calls will clog your line and nullify your accessibility to customers.
3. You don't have to be bound to your number
Your phone number is a big part of your life, and most hesitate to change it unless they have to. Many services ask for your phone number during the registration process, so you may even need it to have access to some things. This connection from using your personal phone number for work is even worse for entrepreneurs.
4. Improved work-life balance
Being too accessible to your clients is a real thing. It’s perfectly fine to be able to answer calls promptly during business hours, but customers shouldn’t be able to reach you whenever they want. Entrepreneurs work hard, but you’re entitled to having some form of work-life balance when you choose.
5. Appear professional to customers
Having a separate number all together for your professional pursuits maintains a high-quality reputation, and after all, that’s precisely what customers are looking for when contacting you. Once you’ve established a separate number, you can then get more organised and plan accordingly.
Strategic marketing is enhanced with a separate business line. In fact, most organisations that keep business and personal numbers separate tend to reap the benefits of filtering out everything mentioned above. Professionally speaking, have one line for ALL of your business, and another line for ALL of your personal. If ever the two shall meet, it could wreak havoc and possibly jeopardise your goals.
That being said, if the business line intersects with the personal line for any reason, most likely the relationship-nurturing-process between customer and organisation has far surpassed the influential stages and is well on its way to being one of true growth in revenue. It’s all in how you spin it.
In a nutshell
Personal numbers aren’t meant for business, as they’re inconvenient, inefficient, and even dangerous. Why not try having a virtual business landline system for your business? This will ensure you never miss an inbound call, while still maintaining a work-life balance.
Omni Hotline manages your calls from the moment a customer calls to the moment you close the deal. It’s a sure-fire solution to making your company sound and feel professional to potential customers.
Improve your accessibility today with Omni Hotline.
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