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5 Reasons To Stop Using Your Personal Phone For Business

While a personal phone is essential for everyone in almost all aspects, it’s not recommended for business use. Even if you have the latest smartphone, apps, and the like, it’s still best to have a business phone system. That way, you can avoid the following reasons that may impede your business and affect your personal life:

 

1. Vulnerability And Exposure To Numerous Threats

Since you’re more likely to connect to the internet, using your personal phone to conduct business may expose you to cyber threats. Persistent cybercriminals may hack into your smartphone, steal your personal information, and use it for malicious acts. 

They may even expose your clients’ information stored in your smartphone. Imagine if those information leaks; they may pretend to be you to access your customers’ bank accounts, along with other acts related to identity theft and cybercrimes. It’ll harm your customers, as well as your business. People may perceive you as unreliable because you can’t keep your customers’ information safe. 

If you also use your personal phone number to purchase supplies for your business, you’re increasing your vulnerability. A skilled cybercriminal can hack your information simply by using your personal number. 

You can avoid such risk by using a VoIP number as your business phone number. By understanding VoIP number and its benefits for your business, you can also decrease your chances of exposing your personal number to cyber threats.  

Fret not, because you can still use your personal phone for your VoIP number. What’s more, you can use any device to access it. Thus, you can use it anywhere since you can access it via the internet without depending on location.

Having a separate device and phone number for your business and personal life can secure your data without affecting convenience and mobility.

 

2. Difficulty Distinguishing Personal And Business Calls

If you’re using a personal phone for your business, you may experience difficulties in identifying personal and business calls. You may unintentionally answer a call from a client or investor the way you would a personal call. When it’s too informal, they may misinterpret you as someone unprofessional. 

Since smartphones only show the number and location of the caller, you won’t be able to set the right tone and know how to respond to such calls. You also wouldn’t know the urgency of these calls since all you can see are unlisted numbers.

You can fix this by having a business phone system with features primarily made for business transactions. With it, you can check who the caller is. So, whether it’s a client, an investor, or a colleague, you’ll know how to answer their calls rather than guessing.

If it’s a client, you can check their personal information to personalize how you talk to them. As for investors, you’ll also know the possible reasons for their call. For example, some may want to talk directly to you as the business owner, or you can quickly transfer them to the right persons in your company. All of these are possible with a business phone system. 

 

3. Can Be Costly

Making calls via your personal phone can become costly, especially if your business requires numerous outgoing calls. You may have to upgrade your plans with your service provider, which can come at high prices. Instead of using your profits to improve your business, you may end up paying for costly personal phone bills. 

On the other hand, you can save a lot of money with a business phone system. You won’t need to pay for prepaid plans that rely on signals, but only for your provider’s maintenance and services. Additionally, since you’ll be using the internet to make and receive calls, you can significantly reduce your phone bills. 

As mentioned, most business phone systems allow you to use only one business phone number throughout all your devices. You don’t have to worry if your personal phone runs out of battery, as you can access it through other devices using your login credentials and the internet. 

Also, you can use your phone system to send text messages or conduct video conferences. Again, you won’t need to pay extra to do so, unlike some smartphone prepaid plans. 

 

4. No Work-Life Balance

Aside from paying costly phone bills, using a personal phone for your business may also cost you your work-life balance. For example, you may be receiving calls in the dead of night, disturbing your sleep and rest once your phone rings. Resting is vital when doing business so you can become more productive the next day. 

Using a personal phone for business may invade your personal hours. But with a business phone system, you can direct calls outside your operating hours to a voicemail instead of a personal voicemail. 

Moreover, with a business phone, you’ll know how every call that goes through that number is business-related. Thus, you won’t have to open all your voicemails in your personal phone number to identify which ones are personal and business voicemails. 

Also, you can route their calls to your employees if you’re unreachable. If you have employees working on shifts, they can answer routed calls instead of directing the clients to voicemail. 

 

5. Decreases Credibility

When using a personal phone for your business, it follows that you’ll also be using your personal number. And when you do, potential clients or investors may not see you as a legit business. They start to question your credibility and wonder why you don’t have a business number, to begin with. 

With a business phone, you can simply give them your business phone number and increase your credibility. When customers see your number, they’ll recognize your business right away. They won’t doubt your legitimacy, and they’ll be more willing to engage in business with you. That’s why you may want to get a business number first before posting a contact number on your website or social media accounts. 

 

Conclusion

Conducting business is made more efficient and better with a business phone. You don’t have to eliminate the use of your personal phone completely, as you may still have to contact your employees with it. However, using a separate phone for business transactions will help you avoid the situations enumerated above. A business phone system is instrumental in succeeding as a startup or well-established business.