How to Get a Business Phone Number (Guide & Top Providers)

Looking to make your business sound more professional from the first ring? A dedicated business phone number helps you build trust, streamline communication, and separate work life from home life—key steps toward growing a credible and customer-friendly brand.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to get a business phone number, explore the different types available, break down the costs, highlight the must-have features, and compare top providers—so you can find the right fit for your business quickly and confidently.

By the way: Whether you’re a solo entrepreneur or scaling a growing team, with Nextiva, you can get started in minutes—no complicated setup, no technical expertise required.

What Is a Business Phone Number?

A business phone number is a dedicated communication line used exclusively for work purposes. It’s your company’s official point of contact and offers customers, clients, partners, and other stakeholders a reliable and consistent way to get in touch with your business.

Unlike a personal phone number, typically tied to an individual, a business phone number is an asset of the company itself. These specialized communication tools come in various types — local numbers, toll-free numbers, virtual phone numbers, and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) solutions, each meeting specific business communication needs.

While a personal number might suffice for small startups, as your business grows, you’ll need business communication tools and a dedicated business number to drive efficient operations, a professional brand image, and effective customer communication.

Advanced call management capabilities, geographic flexibility, and the ability to separate personal calls and business calls make getting a business phone number worthwhile.

Why You Need a Business Phone Number (Benefits)

Why use a business phone number instead of your personal one? A dedicated business number offers more than just convenience — it’s a foundational tool for growth, credibility, and efficient communication.

Here are the benefits of having a business number:

Professionalism that builds trust: Using a dedicated business number instead of a personal number signals that your business is legitimate, established, and trustworthy. Customers, partners, and vendors are more likely to take you seriously when your contact information reflects a real business — not just a personal cell phone. It sets the tone for professional communication and builds immediate credibility.
Privacy and protection for you: When you use your personal phone for business, you risk exposing your number on websites, social media, marketing materials, or public databases — leaving you vulnerable to spam calls, robocalls, and privacy breaches. A business phone number also minimizes the risk of your number being scraped from public directories or falling into the hands of data brokers.
Work-life balance with clear boundaries: One of the biggest challenges for small business owners is unplugging from work. A business number helps establish clear business hours by allowing you to silence or auto-redirect business calls after hours — without affecting personal communications. This boundary is vital for your mental health, focus, and long-term productivity.
Organized and efficient communication: Modern business phone systems go far beyond just making and receiving calls. They include tools that streamline how you handle customer inquiries, team member coordination, and lead management. A personal cell means you lose out on smart routing, collaboration tools, and professional call handling that customers expect from a serious business.
Stronger branding and better marketing: A business phone number — especially a local number with a recognizable area code or a memorable vanity number — becomes part of your brand identity. It’s easier for customers to recall, reinforces your local presence, and can even improve response rates in marketing campaigns.
Actionable analytics and customer insights: Business phone systems often include dashboards that track metrics like call volume, response times, call duration, and peak call hours.These call analytics can inform hiring decisions, customer service improvements, and campaign effectiveness — giving you a competitive edge.
Built to scale: As your business grows, so do your communication needs. Business phone systems make it easy to add lines or extensions for new team members, set up regional numbers for new locations, and scale up support without losing quality or consistency

You won’t need to juggle multiple personal phones or lose control over customer interactions — everything stays centralized and professional.

Get your business number in minutes.

With Nextiva, there’s no complicated setup, no technical expertise required. Simply choose your number (local, toll-free, or vanity), customize your call settings, and you’re up and running with a professional business phone system.

Get your digits

Signs You’re Ready for a Business Phone Number

Not sure you need a business line?

Here are nine signs you’re ready for a dedicated telephone number for your company. You:

Send business calls to your mobile phone’s voicemail
Worry about the purpose of an incoming phone call
Missed calls when your free business number was reassigned
Answer incoming customer calls unexpectedly
Need more integrations than what Google Voice (and other free telephone number services) offer
Unable to exchange text messages over your business landline
Want to route incoming calls to your business line to another team member
No longer a solopreneur and now operate a small business
Don’t want customers to know your personal cell phone

Business Phone Service vs. Personal Cell Phone

Here’s a quick comparison chart to see the advantage that you’re missing out on when you use a personal cell phone rather than a business phone.

Types of Business Phone Numbers

You need the right type of business number for effective communication and branding. Let’s go through the options and explain which ones cater to different needs.

1. Local Phone Numbers:

What it is: A number with a specific area code tied to a geographic region
Features: Builds local presence, affordable, can choose area codes strategically, supports number porting
Best for: Local businesses, shops, restaurants, service providers, or anyone targeting a specific region

2. Toll-Free Phone Numbers:

What it is: A number that customers can call without being charged
Features: Begins with 800-series prefixes, enhances professional image, often included with business plans
Best for: National brands, customer service centers, and businesses wanting to project accessibility

3. Vanity Phone Numbers:

What it is: A custom toll-free or local number that spells a word or brand name (e.g., 1-800-FLOWERS)
Features: Improves memorability, great for marketing, boosts brand recognition
Best for: Brands with high advertising focus, service-based businesses, and those wanting to stand out

4. Virtual Phone Numbers (VoIP):

What it is: A number that works over the internet, not tied to a specific device or location
Features: Supports remote teams, includes voicemail-to-email, call forwarding, apps for both mobile (iPhone & Android) and desktop
Best for: Startups, digital businesses, remote teams, and entrepreneurs who value flexibility

5. International Phone Numbers:

What it is: A foreign local number customers abroad can call as if it were local
Features: Boosts trust in global markets, avoids long-distance fees, supports global routing
Best for: Multinational companies, businesses expanding internationally, global customer support

6. Direct Inward Dialing (DID) Numbers:

What it is: Direct lines assigned to individual employees or departments
Features: Bypasses reception/menus, increases efficiency and professionalism, scalable by department
Best for: Larger businesses, customer service-focused companies, remote teams needing direct contact

Here’s a quick summary chart of the different types of business phone numbers:

Top Business Phone System Features

The best part of using a business phone service is the impressive number of features that come with it. Here are some of the most valuable features to look for:

Auto-attendants (virtual receptionists): Essential for efficient call handling, providing a professional first impression, and routing calls effectively.
Call forwarding: Ensures that business continuity by allowing calls to be redirected to any device, preventing missed opportunities.
Business text messaging (SMS/MMS): A key communication channel for quick updates, reminders, and direct customer interaction.
Desktop and mobile apps (softphones): Enable remote work, enhance mobility, and unify communication across devices, improving productivity.
Automatic call recording: Essential for quality assurance, training, compliance, and dispute resolution.
Voicemail transcription: Saves time and improves efficiency by providing text versions of voicemail messages and quick scanning and prioritization.
Business call routing: Directs calls to the right person or department, improving customer satisfaction and call handling efficiency.
Custom greetings: Project professionalism, reinforce branding, and set a positive tone for customer interactions.
Virtual phone numbers (as a feature): Provide flexibility and help businesses establish a presence in multiple locations without physical offices.
Video conferencing: Facilitates remote meetings, enhances collaboration, and reduces travel costs — quite important in a modern workplace.

Other advanced features such as online fax, international calling, and anonymous call rejection are valuable to certain businesses. But the features discussed above are the core features that offer the most far-reaching benefits across different industries and company sizes.

How to Get a Business Phone Number

Getting a business phone number involves the following four key steps:

Step 1. Consider your industry and budget

Understand your industry’s communication norms and your audience’s preferences to determine the most appropriate type of phone number and features. For example, a business that targets a local clientele might prefer a local business phone number, while a nationwide business might benefit more from a toll-free option.

Also, evaluate your budget. Narrow your provider options and choose a business phone system that offers the necessary features without having to spend too much on the bells and whistles you won’t use.

Step 2. Pick the right business phone number provider

The next practical step is to choose a business phone service provider. When choosing a provider, conduct a needs analysis and determine whether you need basic calling features or advanced features such as voicemail-to-text, call analytics, or CRM integrations.

Reliability and availability are also crucial. Look for a phone number provider with a strong track record of uninterrupted phone calls. Compare the features offered, focusing on the essentials like call forwarding, business voicemail, auto-attendant, and scalability.

At the same time, consider customer support and compare pricing structures and contract lengths to find a plan that fits your budget and needs. Exploring different business phone number providers helps find the best solution for your business.

Step 3. Select your phone number

After choosing a provider, purchase your business number. You have several options, each with distinct advantages:

Local phone numbers for a community and local presence
Toll-free numbers for nationwide reach and free phone calls for customers
Memorable vanity numbers for branding
Flexible VoIP phone or virtual numbers for operating over your internet connection
International numbers for a global presence

Consider your target audience, brand goals (local, national, or international), and future expansion plans to pick the most suitable option. Many providers offer free local and toll-free numbers in their tariffs, so make sure to inquire about the different options.

Step 4. Set up your system

Finally, you’ll need to set up phone extensions and other optional features. Telephone extensions route phone calls to specific departments or employees, organize communications, and connect customers to the right person.

When setting up extensions, implement a logical numbering system, such as assigning the “200” numbers to Sales and the “300” numbers to Support to make identification easier. Use auto-attendants and automated greetings to direct callers to the appropriate extension.

You can also set up call forwarding rules, implement ring groups for multiple recipients, and voicemail-to-email for easy message management. Your business phone service should make it easy to add or change features and extensions as your business grows.

How to Choose a Business Phone Number

Besides following the other best practices, an important aspect is to choose the right business number. Here’s how:

Know your audience and reach: Determine your target market’s location. Local businesses should prioritize local numbers. Businesses with regional, national, or international reach should consider toll-free or international options, so customers can easily contact you without incurring extra costs.
Match your business style: Consider how customers interact with your business. Customer support-heavy businesses benefit from toll-free numbers, while professional services might prefer local numbers for a personal touch. Also, think about your internal communication needs (multiple lines, departments).
Use your number for marketing: Use your phone number as a marketing tool. Vanity numbers boost brand recall. Using different numbers for campaigns helps track their effectiveness and make data-driven marketing decisions.
Prioritize essential features: Don’t just focus on the number itself. Ensure your phone system offers essential features like call routing, forwarding, voicemail-to-email, recording, analytics, and CRM integrations. Choose a scalable system that grows with your business.

Note: You can transfer or port your existing small business phone number (toll-free number or local numbers) to many providers. Check out our guide that explains! 👇

Top Business Phone Number Providers

Here’s a quick summary and an at a glance overview of the top business number providers.

Provider	Best For	Key Features	Pros	Cons
Nextiva	Businesses that need reliable VoIP numbers with customer experience-focused features	Video conferencing, auto-attendant, call routing, team messaging	High reliability and uptime, strong customer support	Some advanced features require higher-tier plans
Google Voice	Businesses using Google Workspace, solopreneurs, small teams	Voicemail transcription, call forwarding, number porting	Affordable, simple interface	Limited advanced features
RingCentral	Growing businesses and enterprises that need an advanced tool	VoIP, video conferencing, team messaging, faxing, call recording, analytics	High reliability, extensive integrations	More expensive, especially for smaller teams
Ooma Office	Small businesses and startups that need cost-effective, easy-to-use solutions	Virtual receptionist, extension dialing, mobile app, conference calling	Affordable, simple setup	Fewer integrations compared to larger providers
Grasshopper	Entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, small teams wanting a professional image	Vanity/toll-free numbers, call forwarding, custom greetings, voicemail transcription	Affordable, easy call handling	Limited collaboration tools and advanced features
Vonage Business	Growing businesses that need a scalable solution with flexible pricing	Team messaging, video conferencing, call recording, CRM integrations	User-friendly interface, customizable solutions	Lower-tier plans are not as feature-rich

1. Nextiva

All-in-one communication hub for growth-focused businesses

Nextiva is a leading cloud phone system known for its exceptional reliability and Amazing Service. The platform has a redundant network infrastructure, ensuring high uptime and call quality. It caters to businesses of all sizes, offers thoughtful calling features that optimize the customer experience , and is equipped with multiple productivity features.

Strengths:

Customer support: Responsive and knowledgeable customer support team, available 24/7.
Extensive features: You get everything from basic calling and voicemail to advanced video conferencing and analytics.
Scalability: Nextiva’s plans easily scale to accommodate growing businesses.
Unified customer experience management (UCXM): The all-in-one platform combines voice, video, chat, collaboration, and customer experience tools.

Pricing: The basic plans start around $20 per user per month (billed annually) and can go up to $60 per user per month for the most comprehensive plans and competitive pricing.

Best for: Small- to mid-sized businesses, customer-centric organizations, and companies experiencing rapid growth.