Usually, startups bootstrap their business expenses. This isn’t surprising when you consider most small businesses can’t afford an office. A whopping 69 percent of American entrepreneurs start their businesses at home due to budget restrictions.
With that in mind, expanding your empire will probably be a slow process with offices and employees following in the future.
This is where a virtual number can be a lifesaver.
Small business owners need to make their company look authoritative because startups usually lack the resources to make their businesses look large. And that can be off-putting for clients.
The solution is simple. Make your business look bigger than it is.
Let’s dive into this in further detail.
How Do I Make My Small Business Look Bigger Than It Is?
The answer is straightforward, get a new telephone system for your company. But, don’t get scared. Today’s phone systems are hosted and don’t require you to purchase anything.
This is one of the simplest and most cost-effective ways to make your business look bigger than it is and we’re going to explain why.
Trust us; this isn’t as complicated as it sounds.
The best way to tackle this is to get a virtual number forwarding service.
You’ll easily extend your reach, maintain a professional image and most importantly, look like a massive company, as explained later in this article.
So, What Is a Virtual Number?
A virtual number is a regular local or toll free telephone number. The only difference is that there are no wires running to your home or office.
In contrast to traditional landlines, virtual phone numbers run online. You immediately cut the costs of having several physical landlines installed.
The beauty of this is the control you have. You can program your virtual number to redirect customers to either your cell phone or landline.
This is especially handy because as we’ve already heard, it’s not uncommon for small businesses to be home-based. This often goes hand in hand with working from, coffee shops, and other temporary workspaces.
With a virtual number, it doesn’t matter where you are because you’re able to stay connected to your phone number wherever you go.
This gives your business complete location freedom, which is perfect if you’re working in town or continually moving offices. This is the solution to avoiding changing your number in between office moves and confusing clients in the process.
Plus, it doesn’t look professional for your personal and business landline to be the same.
All of these factors add up to creating the impression your company is bigger, more available to your customers and more grounded than it is.
Are There Other Benefits?
In short, yes – there are loads!
As this is an internet-based phone system, you could have local numbers that serve different cities, states and countries across the globe.
This is perfect for giving the appearance of being a local business without establishing a physical presence.
Obviously, this is cheaper than setting up a new office in the location you’re looking to conquer.
The convenience of appearing like a local company for international business is essential. Your clients will save money by making local calls to call you instead of long distance calls.
Plus, the chances of a potential client calling a foreign number is unlikely. One, because people fear the unknown and two, because of the costs involved.
Furthermore, clients trust local businesses more than a business located far away. When a client trusts you, it’s much easier to build a rapport with them. This can only be good for business.
Finally, as your company grows, you can hire remote workers in the areas in which your brand is known. These numbers can direct clients to any device, so you don’t have to stick to one telephone. This makes the process of expansion much smoother.
How Do I Make the Most out of My New Telephone System?
To make the most of your virtual number you should team it with a killer auto attendant and voicemail system.
As previously mentioned, it’s vital to give the impression you’re a big company. You could be a one-man band or have a handful of employees – either way; you want to look bigger.
You should optimize your phone and voicemail system for this purpose.
This is simple. All you need to do is give your clients a few options to choose from when they call in.
This makes it sound like your company is running lots of different departments. A classic example of this is: Thank you for calling Your Company. If you know the extension of the person you’re calling, you may enter it at any time. For sales press 1; customer service press two; billing press 3.
It doesn’t matter which option they select, the client is always forwarded directly to you – but they don’t know that!
You can add to the professionalism of your business by ensuring your voicemail maintains a consistent brand across all of your numbers.
You can do this by crafting and using the same voicemail message.
Clients associate big companies with big business, so give them what they want to hear.
How Do I Get Started?
These simple changes can make the world of difference to your small business. We guarantee when you utilize these services they’ll become one of your most significant business assets.
Implementing these techniques not only makes your company look more prominent, but you’re able to expand your audience, save on costs, and give your business location freedom.
If you’re looking to get yourself up and running with a virtual number forwarding service or would like to know more about our professional phone and voicemail facilities, please feel free to contact us here at American Voice Mail.
One of our friendly team will be more than happy to discuss with you your options and point you in the right direction.
Please also feel free to see our blog and services pages.