If you’re starting a new company, you may not have a large budget and you may need to cut corners on certain costs. Lots of new business owners try to save a few dollars by using their personal cell phones as their business contact instead of getting a dedicated separate business phone line. While it is cheaper to use your cell phone, it may be more beneficial to invest in a separate line just for your business. Here are the reasons why your startup needs a business line.
Show Professionalism
The first reason why entrepreneurs should get a separate business line is to show professionalism. A new company may have trouble establishing itself as a legitimate venture in the beginning. If you’re using your personal cell phone line to take calls for a business, it doesn’t exactly convey professionalism. With a dedicated line just for your company, you can immediately show professionalism and that you’re serious about your industry.
Separate Business and Personal Life
It’s also important to balance your business and personal life. Most experts in running new businesses recommend that new entrepreneurs take steps to keep the business completely separate from anything involving your personal life. Having a completely separate business line can help you keep everything related to work away from your personal life.
Improve Customer Service
Next, if you deal with customers in your business model, you can improve the customer experience with a dedicated business phone number. Today, the new generation of consumers expects instant customer service and answers to their questions right away. If you use your business line for texting, you can also prioritize these texts and get back to your customers immediately.
Avoid Dropped Calls
While cell phones are an incredible advance in technology and allow you to communicate almost anywhere, there are certain geographical areas where coverage isn’t great. If you use your personal cell phone for business calls and you are traveling in one of these spots, it can be frustrating. Poor coverage may mean spotty service, dropped calls, or phone calls that aren’t clear. A call experience like this may mean losing customers and legitimacy.
Make Your Company Appear Bigger
A business line also helps shape the perception of your company in a customer’s mind. Even if your company is a sole proprietorship, with you as the only employee, a business line can help make your venture seem much more substantial. Customers and others in your industry may have a negative association with a company that seems small and not very important. With a dedicated business line, it could convey a larger corporate identity.
Encourage Networking
Having your own separate business number also makes it easier to participate in industry events. When there are conventions and networking events, the organizers may find it easier to contact you if you have a separate business line. Many business-to-business companies market to designated corporate lines and may not be able to find you through an unlisted cell number. This way, you can gain access to services and supplies your business may need.
Handle Multiple Departments and Calls
Lastly, if your business model has more than one department or needs to handle multiple lines for a large list of customers, a business line is really the only option for this situation. A personal cell phone isn’t really appropriate if you have a large volume of callers and customers. Many business phone providers can give you more services than just a simple phone number, such as interactive voicemail, multiple lines, an answering service, and more. These extras are all designed to make things easier for busy entrepreneurs.
A business line is essential for any new startup looking to get quick success and turn a profit right away. While it costs a little more, it is worth the extra investment to put back into your new company.