Second phone numbers can be handy. It could be that you are running several businesses and want to keep calls and greetings separated. You don’t want to use your personal phone number for business or perhaps you have a sales department that needs its own number.
A second phone number can be helpful for those who have a business office, who run their business out of their home, or who work remotely. It can keep your life and business organized and separate your personal life from your work life.
You don’t need a special reason to get a second phone number.
No one is going to question why you want a second phone number. It can prevent spam calls from disrupting your business day or you may want a separate number for your children to use to free up the main line for you and your spouse.
The biggest reason for getting a second phone number is privacy
A second phone number is a great way to keep your personal and business contacts separate. A second number is easier than trying to manage two phones where business and personal contacts may get mixed up. Keeping your personal number private only to family avoids any confusion about the type of communication you’re getting. It allows you to answer each call appropriately too so you maintain your professionalism on business calls.
A second phone number prevents spam calls on your personal number.
Everyone hates spam calls. They are a waste of time. A common reason people opt for a second number is to stop them from coming to their personal number.
Any business owner knows that once you use a phone number for business purposes, it gets listed everywhere. While that can be good because it can get your business more promotion and sales leads, it’s bad because it will also amount to more spam coming your way.
You can manage spam calls from coming to your private phone number by opening up a second line for business calls. That, for the most part, keeps your private number off public records that spammers use.
You will need to still list both numbers on the Do Not Call List to fight spam calls. That won’t stop all of the junk calls but it will help.
A second number will at least help manage the calls and ensure that those who are calling your personal number are friends and family.
We’ve created a short guide that shows those interested in adding a second number to your current phone system how to do it and some of the options available depending on your service plan.
Using VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) companies can provide you with a second phone number without getting an additional phone. They can even add that second line to you go to your mobile phone.
That way, you will know when someone is calling your second line and distinguish it from your private cell number while on the go. This protects your private cell number from being made public.
A VoIP system has other advantages. It’s scalable so you can add more phone numbers for various departments as you grow. It also has many features that help with both customer service and managing the phone calls for the business, including tracking sales calls.
Getting a VoIP system may resolve several challenges for businesses beyond getting a second line. VoIP systems have automatic rerouting so your system goes to different servers should a storm or some other disaster affect your current server. That way, you can be assured that your system never goes down.
Switching SIM Cards
You can have multiple phone accounts with one carrier and then switch between them by changing the SIM card in your phone or device each time. However, this means you need technical knowledge, which may mean you will miss calls, and seems like something only a spy would do.
Get a Temporary Number
Those who don’t need a second number permanently but want the option for an important meeting or to plan a live event can get a temporary second number. This can protect your privacy for those specific events.
It’s also possible to set up multiple accounts with one carrier and then switch between them at will by changing the SIM card in your phone or device each time — but this requires some technical knowledge and may not always work depending on what kind of device you’re using.
Now that you know how to get a second phone number, the only thing left to do is choose which one fits your needs. VoIP companies have many inexpensive options that fit the needs of many businesses and families so it doesn’t hurt to see if a second phone number works for you!
