If you've launched a small Business recently, you're probably deep in the trenches of business licensing, budgeting, and hiring. While you're setting yourself up for success, you should strongly consider getting one or more dedicated business phone numbers. Though they might seem outdated in today's digital world, they are still surprisingly relevant — even phone technology has kept up with the times. Here are five reasons that you should take the time to find business numbers and acquire some for your organization.

Relevant Technology

One major reason to consider getting a business number is simply that it's a great tool for your business, with a very affordable price tag. Although in the past it was necessary to purchase a separate phone line and potentially expensive equipment, Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology allows a phone call to happen over the internet, which makes it much less expensive and much easier to install. Particularly in a small business where expenses may be tighter, this is a distinct advantage over former technology, with no sacrifice of quality.

Professional Appearance

Although a phone number might seem like a minor detail, it can actually help legitimize your business and make it appear more professional to customers. A dedicated number shows that your business is the real deal, and may set it apart from businesses that only offer connection through email or online chat. In addition, a registered business phone number will also make your business appear more professional when making outgoing calls — potential partners or clients with certain types of caller ID will easily be able to identify who is calling when they see your name come up on their phone screen.

Connection to Customers

When customers can reach you at any time, they may feel more connected to your business and more loyal to your brand. Since VoIP allows for multi-ring (i.e. ringing multiple phones at once), it's also more likely that customers will be able to reach your business easily. In addition, features like call monitoring and recording, transferring, and forwarding are a cinch with VoIP technology, making the customer service experience smoother and more positive.

Competitive Edge

Business numbers help make your business relevant to your customers, especially if you serve a particular region. In particular, VoIP numbers also allow your business to have both local and toll-free numbers, making your business more accessible to your client base, even if your office is located in a different area code (or a different country) than your service area; this can be particularly important in the case of international business, where a foreign phone number might make your business unreachable to some customers.