In the winter months when roads are bad and the commute to work becomes dangerous, there's risk in requiring employees to show up at the office. High-speed internet access and email have increased opportunities for employees to work from home when driving conditions are dangerous, but what about businesses that rely heavily on phone service for their business communications? Virtual numbers may just be the answers.
Virtual numbers are phone numbers that are routed to an existing calling device, for example your office phone and/or mobile phone. They can be set up temporarily for the winter season or permanently for your business. Business professionals can opt to have one or many virtual numbers route to a single phone or multiple phones, based on their business needs. For example, if you have a single work line (e.g., your office phone), you can route a virtual number to this phone line, as well as your home phone, mobile phone, and your business partner or manager’s phone. If you're the owner of a seasonal business, you can establish a single virtual number and route it to your employee's respective phones individually via extensions, no matter where they are.
Once the virtual numbers are set to forward to the phone of choice, callers will be able to reach you and your team through your work numbers at their specified devices. If a call is missed, callers will be forwarded to voicemail, which can be personalized with a professional business greeting.
Virtual numbers not only allow employees to easily work from home when the weather is bad, but they also provide advanced features that will give your company the professional edge it needs. While features vary from virtual numbers provider to provider, here’s an example of what Cloud Phone offers:
- Auto Attendant
- Call Forwarding
- Call Screening
- Extensions / Users
- Fax (Inbound)
- International Call Forwarding
- Local Phone Number
- Management Portal
- Outbound Calling
- Professional Greetings
- Reach Me Anywhere
- Toll Free Numbers
- Voicemail
- Voicemail Transcription
Keeping the team connected (and safe from dangerous winter commutes!) is essential for productivity. Having access to your business phone by way of virtual numbers is convenient and can play a key role in maintaining a professional image – especially if anyone on the team is working from home. Here are some additional resources on the benefits of virtual numbers for business:
Make Your Small Business Look Bigger With Virtual Numbers
4 Reasons You May Want a Virtual Number