Business phone number: Helping you to achieve a better work-life balance

If a second business phone number always seemed like a compelling idea, the idea of working from home has made it an absolute necessity.

When the pandemic first struck and disrupted our professional, personal and social lives, one of the first things we’d hoped for was that the nature of work would change. That there’d be less of it, actually. That we’d be able to spend more time with our loved ones. That there’d be more family time.

But working from home turned out to be anything but that. Work took over every aspect of our home lives. This is especially true for business owners who are supposed to be always available to answer calls and messages from clients and customers.

How bad is it? According to a 2020 survey, we spend three more hours on work while stationed at home. In other words, more work and less life. This is true whether you own an independent business or work as a freelancer.

The solution could be in the form of a business phone number. Once you get started with it, this simple technology could finally help you achieve a better work-life balance while also being productive and functional.

The benefits of a second, business phone number

• Separate channels: Your personal calls will have your personal number while all your business-related communication will be on the business phone number. This way, you can organise contacts and messages into two separate sections.

• Prioritisation: A business phone number makes it easy to prioritise your family time. When you’re with your loved ones, you won’t be disturbed by constant pings and calls. You can choose to route them to voicemail or send auto-generated responses.

• Specialised responses: You don’t have to repeatedly give the same response to the same kind of queries. You can direct them to concerned personnel for a quick response. If a client calls about an invoice, you can route that to the accounting team, for example.

• Undisrupted time blocks: Perhaps the most important benefit of a second, business phone number is that you won’t be disturbed when you’re with your friends or family. Even a short call or text can distract you. Or worse, it can change your mood. Agitated or nervous is the last thing your family wants you to be when you’re with them.

• Privacy protection: With a business phone number, you’re enhancing your privacy. You’re protecting your personal number from reaching unscrupulous individuals while monitoring all the communication to your new number.

How to use a business phone number

Second phone number apps use an internet connection for making and receiving calls and messages. This is different from mobile service providers who use cellular coverage. Once you choose a second number app with enhanced features, it’s easy to get a business phone number in a series of quick steps.

• Download the app

• Verify your existing phone number

• Get a second number within seconds

• Ensure that you’ve given all the necessary permissions for the app to work

• Select your plan at the end of the free trial period

How to better control your life with a business phone number

When you make a call from your business phone number, the receiver will see the new number you’ve selected. This is what you should be sharing with your business associates, customers, clients, and on your website, social media, billboards, storefronts etc. This ensures that in a single step, you’ll be reducing the exposure of your private number.

Secondly, you should share the new number with all your current contacts. You should convey that you’ll be available on your new number for all business calls and texts from now on.

Thirdly, whenever you’re with your family or friends, you should only be responding to personal calls and messages. All calls and messages coming to your business number should be directed to voicemail or auto-responses. It might take a little while for customers to get used to your new way of working, but it will be definitely worth sticking with in terms of your own happiness.

Manage all of your work calls and messages with a business phone number.

Work-life is busy – and important. But you have to make time for your personal life too.

As your personal life gets consumed by work tasks, getting a business phone number could be a deeply effective solution to that problem.

Chalkboard gives you a business phone number and all the messaging features you need, without a phone system.

No contracts, no SIM cards, and no configuration. Just install the app and go!