An online business profile, social media engagement, effective digital marketing, online review management, and now, a second phone line. Those are the new basic requirements if you want to run a successful business in the modern age.

While others on the list are well-known, the second phone line is a relatively new entrant that’s already making life easier for businesses. Here are five proven advantages of getting a second phone line that should persuade all independent business owners to download one at the earliest opportunity.

Five reasons to get a second phone line for your local business

Better work-life balance

You can finally separate your professional and personal lives. With a second phone line, all your business communication can be routed to a different number, which will free up your schedule. Now you can spend time with your loved ones without having to check your phone every few minutes.

This doesn’t mean that you have to start answering your second number. Or that nobody can reach you. If you’re unable to take a call or immediately answer a message, they can be routed to voicemail or auto-reply.

Less stress

As a local business owner, you know that even when you find time to unwind, during the evenings or weekends, you’re always on call. Anyone can text or call you and disrupt your personal time. Even if there’s nothing you have to do in response to the call, the fact that you take it can increase your stress.

Let’s say you’re out with your family for dinner on a Saturday night and a client calls about a delayed delivery. You assure them that you’ll look into it first thing on Monday. You end the call and get back to dinner.

But it’s at the back of your mind. You’ll be thinking about it not just during dinner but the next day too. And your family members will notice and won’t be too happy about it. That’s the thing about stress. It’s quickly contagious.

With a second phone line, however, you won’t get the message when you don’t need it. It will go to voicemail or get an automated response. Or it can be directed to the client management personnel.

More security

A second phone line exclusively for business enhances the privacy of your personal number in several ways. To begin with, it reduces the exposure of your private number.

You don’t have to make it public by posting it on your website, social media or store signages. So, fewer conversations with tele-callers and lesser risk of privacy violations.

Secondly, you can monitor and manage all communication that comes to that number. You don’t have to worry about calling back unknown numbers as you’re not risking your personal number.

Professional = premium

Among the many reasons why you should have a second phone line, the one with the most profound impact would be that it will make your business look more professional.

There’ll be a professional response to callers on your second phone line. In case you’re unavailable, they’ll be routed to voicemail or auto-reply responses which will show your business is credible.

Professional also means premium. Clients and customers will be more willing to pay extra for services from a local business that has a professional response to their queries.

Advanced features

Aside from automation, second-line number apps offer advanced services that can help local businesses. They can request online reviews from clients and customers, which will boost your online reputation. You won’t have to call up customers or email them for a review anymore.

The second phone line app will do all that on its own, saving you time and effort.

24/7

While your shopfront or website may describe your business hours, the real working hours for local businesses could be described as ‘all day, and all night’. You have to take all the calls and read all the messages that you get. You can’t ignore anything because it could be an important client or vendor. So, can you ever switch off? Yes. By switching on a second phone line.