Can You Use Your Own Phone as a Business Phone?

Smart Office Services ABQ

May 17th, 2023

If you are just starting your business, you may be using your personal phone as a business phone with no plan to change it. Although this is convenient, it is not necessarily the best idea. As your business grows you most likely will want to remain more private, and switching your phone number down the road may cause some problems.

When it comes to having a business phone you have a few options. You can either carry two different smartphones with phone numbers, or you can get a virtual line for your business. Regardless of your choice on how you do it, separating your business phone and the personal phone is a good decision.

Many first-time business owners do not want to carry two phones. This is the primary reason for using a personal phone in a business. Either the fact that they do not want to carry two phones, or that they do not want to pay for two phones.

Paying for two phones can become expensive, but it is not your only option.

Although sharing a business line with your personal line may seem convenient, it is going to cause more stress in the long run. Here are a few reasons why you shouldn’t use your personal phone as a business phone.

Leaves You Exposed to Threats

Unfortunately, our world is fully connected even when we step out of the house. This is because our phones and other smart devices keep us hooked into the We live in a world that’s connected to the internet which means you have the opportunity to be hacked at any moment. Anything you display can be used to retrieve your personal information, and this includes your phone number. Keeping your phone number private can help you keep more important information safe.

Business Features Are Limited

If you are using your personal number for your business you may find it difficult to add on business features. You might even consider changing or adding a business line later in time, but this is the wrong way to go about it. If you decide to switch or ad business features down the line it will become more expensive and a hassle. It may also be difficult to change your number and redistribute it.

No Ability to Separate Work From Personal Life

Although your phone is important to you, there are times when you need to turn it off or set it down. The same can be said with work. Sometimes you want to be on call as much as possible for your clients and customers, but other times you need to be able to put your phone down and have personal time as well.

Cannot Limit Customer Interaction

If you or your employees are forced to speak to customers on your personal numbers then you cannot limit when you speak with customers. You need to be able to limit and also control when business time is happening and when business hours are over. You also should want to track every aspect of your business. If you have customers calling employees after hours, you won’t be able to track this. This may end up leading to poor customer service.

Looks Less Professional

Having your personal phone number set up for business is not a professional look. This might make you appear to be less serious in business, and your clients, or potential clients, may not take you as seriously.

There are plenty of reasons why you should consider getting a separate business phone. The first is to avoid customers and clients during hours that you are not working. It will give you space to go about your personal life without business interfering. This will also lead to stress reduction.

By not needing to always be on call, you can take time to breathe away from the stressors of business. Having a business phone will allow you to make your business line more personable, more professional, and you will be more productive all around. It gives you a chance to create a personalized business greeting, and give your clients the attention they need when you are able to give it to them.

Instead of purchasing an entirely new phone for your business, you can use a mobile phone app. This is essentially a virtual phone number that allows you to forward calls to your personal phone line. Not only is it a lot cheaper, but it gives you the opportunity to turn off this line when you want to switch into “personal mode”.

When choosing a business phone number there are a few major things to look for. First off you want to choose a number that is easy to remember. If your customers are struggling to input the number in, they may get the wrong number or just give up.

Another thing to look out for is to get a number that is local. This is important because customers might be confused when they receive a call from across the country, they might even end up ignoring it! What is most important to remember is that you want a number that is disconnected from your personal phone number. It should be set up strictly for business, keep you professional, separated, and thriving.