Getting all of the different aspects of a business, from its initial funding and accounts to its office space, staff and marketing, into place can undoubtedly feel hectic – to the extent that the question of your phone number rather gets brushed under the carpet.
To start with, just having any phone number ready and waiting might seem to suffice – but, for garnering more sustainable success, you might want to switch to something tailored more specifically to your corporate needs. Here are some examples of business-suitable numbers…
01 and 02 numbers
If you’ve picked up a number in a rather hurried, slapdash fashion, it’s probably one of these types: regional geographic numbers. They aren’t necessarily a poor choice to stick with – Marketing Donut acknowledges that they are widely recognised by people seeking to deal with a local supplier.
Such is their appeal that you might want to implement such numbers even if you aren’t based in the relevant area, as is possible when you take out virtual 01 and 02 numbers.
0800 numbers
These numbers, too, attract much recognition. 90% of people know them to be free to call – and, though phoning one used to incur a per-minute charge of up to 50p on mobiles, Ofcom axed this particular charge for all 0800 numbers in 2015.
This is reassuring to know in an age where, when people want to make a call, they often routinely reach for their mobile rather than a traditional landline phone. It probably shouldn’t surprise, then, that advertising an 0800 number has been shown to attract 185% more responses.
0845 numbers
Despite starting with “08”, these numbers – and, indeed, 0843 and 0844 numbers, on which we will elaborate a little later – should not be confused with “Freephone” numbers. Some of the financial burden is, in this case, shifted to your callers, who will be charged at low call rate.
However, for callers, these low call rate numbers remain fairly cheap, as Startups.co.uk reassures. As a result, if your business isn’t exactly flush with cash, 0845 numbers could be the more viable ones.
0843 and 0844 numbers
Like with 0845 numbers, calls to 0843 and 0844 numbers are charged at between 1p and 7p a minute, regardless of where either the caller or the recipient are located. However, these numbers subtly differ in allowing you to share in the revenue made from the call.
Choosing any such number from Planet Numbers enables you to earn 2p per minute on each incoming call – and we even throw in free voicemail and time-of-day routing.
03 and 0345 numbers
Naturally, when running a small, relatively new business, you need to keep a close eye on its finances. Therefore, it’s appealing when you can set up a number at little upfront cost, as is the situation with 03 and 0345 numbers.
With Planet Numbers, you can receive free incoming calls on 0330, 0333 and 0345 numbers and also learn: “Exactly how much does it cost to call an 0345 number?“
