When you’re running a business, you know how important it is to maximize your resources – most especially your financial resources. That’s why every dollar matters.
Many entrepreneurs and business owners may not realize this, but the most important investment you could make is in communication. After all, it is how you keep in touch with your customers.
And when your market expects you to be reachable via phone, you’ll need to get a virtual number such as those provided by Telnum. More and more businesses are relying on getting one to connect within the organization and their customers worldwide.
What makes virtual numbers so special?
Let’s say you’re at a business meeting abroad. You still have matters to attend to in your home country, but you’re short-staffed.
You can still participate in delegating tasks, keeping up to date with what’s happening, and taking a few calls even when you’re far from taking a plane ride home. A virtual number isn’t tied to one location, so you can use it anywhere in the world.
Another distinct difference to it compared with a regular phone number is you don’t get it from your phone service provider. You can order it online like how you would a pair of shoes or a coffee table.
Is it really valuable to businesses?
It still depends. Does any of the following statements describe your enterprise?
- Makes and receives calls from customers
- Sends automated texts
- Advertise its number in print ads or on a website
- Offers voice customer support
- Has agents in different areas in the world
- Has members that usually travels
- Is a startup that’s looking to maximize the availability of everyone in a small team
- Relies on any type of voice communication
- Wants to save money on calls
Given these scenarios where a virtual number would be useful, it is right to say that nearly all – if not all – businesses can find some value in one.
The advantages for your business
If you decide to give it a try, then great! Below are some of its biggest benefits:
It helps you separate work from personal matters.
Imagine having to deal with unexpected calls every day, only to find out that they’re actually potential suppliers or customers.
If you decide not to answer the calls, no one could blame you. Because until they introduce themselves, you really won’t know the difference. For all you know, they might be a cold caller trying to sell you a timeshare.
That’s why it’s so important to separate work from the rest of your life – something that having a virtual number can help you do while still using the same mobile device for both.
Everything is stored in the cloud
And because of this, there’s no such thing as an initial investment. Unlike having the phones in your office wired by a phone company (which can easily cost thousands of dollars), you don’t have to pay for anything even before you use the service.
Scale up or down easily
Going back to the scenario at number two, what happens if you have to lay off people? You’d still be left with practically the same cost per month going the traditional methods. It’s just as big a headache if you need to add lots of new lines.
But with virtual phone numbers, you can easily add or reduce the number of lines you want so you won’t be forced to make do with what was initially provided to you.
Cancel the numbers anytime
You’re not tied to a contract. So if you decide that you don’t need their services anymore, you can just cancel. Especially for startups, this is an attractive feature because these types of organizations demand a high level of flexibility.
Enjoy additional features for free
Most providers give you additional features like call forwarding and call recording without additional charges. This allows you more conveniences for no additional cost.
Even if you feel you just need the ‘basic’, you’ll be surprised how much easier your job will be with some add-on services and features.
It helps cut costs
If you’re operating in more than one country, this can help you drive costs down. You’re free to get a number from many areas, so you can avoid long-distance charges with the number you get.
Also, virtual phone numbers don’t need any maintenance. Because you don’t need hardware to be set up in your office, you also don’t have to worry about something breaking.
Is it right for every business?
Unless you’re working on a lemonade stand, you’ll benefit from having it. Instead of having to take your work number or phone with you wherever you go, your number can instead follow you everywhere. Definitely, it’s a convenient, cost-effective, and flexible tool for businesses of all sizes.