You may not have made setting up your business phone number one of your priorities when forming a business, but it should not be overlooked. If you use your personal phone number, you will find it nearly impossible to separate business and personal matters. Additionally, having a separate business number helps maintain a professional appearance in front of your clients, both current and prospective.
In many cases, it can be useful to hire a Florida phone service instead of just getting a separate phone number for your business. This will vary based on your particular company and specific needs, but it is an option worth keeping in mind.
Options for the Number
Most phone services will do their best to appeal to a range of businesses, which is why they will offer multiple options for the Florida phone number. You will likely, for example, be able to choose from several area codes depending on where you want your main presence to be located.
In some cases, simply getting a separate number with your chosen area code for your business will be enough. In others, you will appreciate additional services, such as live answering. Those additional services can reduce the time you need to spend on tasks not directly related to your core business so that you can focus your efforts where they will go the furthest.
Or Consider Google Voice
Those who are just starting their Florida business and do not yet have the funds or the need for an answering service or other phone services may find benefits using Google Voice. Google Voice lets you select the appropriate area code and it can then forward the calls you receive at that number to the number that you select, including your personal number. Google Voice even has a convenient application that transcribes voicemail, saving you the time you would have spent listening to them.
The most appealing thing about Google Voice might be the fact that it is completely free. To set it up, you just need to have a valid Gmail account. From there, it only takes several moments to get your number verified. Smaller businesses and those with smaller budgets may want to start with Google Voice, then hire additional services if they become necessary.
Affordable Phone Forwarding With Extra Features
In many cases, the paid alternatives to Google Voice are well worth the small fees associated with them. This phone service will let you choose the area code you want for your phone number and even provide an option of numbers that are toll-free. Most toll-free numbers, however, will be 868 numbers instead of 800s due to availability.
Using phone forwarding from a paid service will give you additional ease of use via things like an online portal. You can control everything, including the number itself, via this portal. These services will even let you request fax numbers when necessary.
Services to Answer Phones
Phone service providers tend to also offer answering services. These can include your own customized greeting that live agents start off the conversation with. From there, you can select to have the agent take messages or complete either a cold or warm transfer of the call. This option helps give your business a professional appearance, indicating that you have a secretary on-site, without having to pay as much as you would for that service.
In many cases, the various phone services can be part of other virtual office services as well, offering convenience.