Having a phone service as an entrepreneur is beneficial in many ways. One of the biggest benefits of having an 800 number telephone routing service is that it adds more credibility to your business and makes it appear larger than it may be. In this blog post, we're going to be taking a closer look at 800 numbers for entrepreneurs. This is a topic that we have discussed on the site before, yet this time we're going to be diving a little deeper into some other phone services for entrepreneurs and we'll be making sure that everything is up-to-date and current. Thanks for checking it out!
The main services we are going to be discussing offer a VoIP phone service. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and it converts standard telephone signals into something digital that can be transferred through the internet and correctly routed to where you want it to go. Among the common features of these services, are: a toll free number specific to your business, number routing to your mobile phone, receiving of faxes, and calls to your routed phone.
If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to add anything to the discussion, feel free to comment in the section below this article.
Grasshopper 
Grasshopper is a very well-known VoIP phone system and service that is very easy to manage, is affordable, and is a great choice for entrepreneurs and small businesses. I do personally use Grasshopper for my phone service for a couple of my businesses, and have since 2011. With Grasshopper phone service, you can choose vanity or custom numbers, record custom greetings, and route the calls to various numbers and/or departments in your business(es).
With Grasshopper virtual phone service, you'll know who is calling you before you answer and you'll know what line (business) they called to get through to you. You can read voicemails on-the-go via email or listen to the mp3 voicemail. There is no need to buy new phone hardware, you'll keep your existing cell phone or business hardline phone, and can keep your number, simply forwarding the calls to where you want them to go. This adds to the privacy of your business and not having to give out any personal numbers, etc.
With Grasshopper business phone service, you can host conference calls with up to 10 participants. You will need to individually dial each of your participants in the call to start a conference call, so make sure you have the phone numbers of all other participants handy before getting started.
With Grasshopper, you can add an unlimited amount of extensions for your business. You can set up different departments and areas of your business to be in a directory for which the caller can choose from. Another excellent feature is on-hold music while your caller waits for you to answer the line. Both of these features add a new level of professionalism to your company.
Phone Apps
Grasshopper has developed two very clean, user friendly, and advanced mobile apps both for iOS phones and for Android phones. The Grasshopper app allows you to make calls from your cell phone using your Grasshopper 800 number, allows you to route voicemails directly to your phone, view faxes, recent calls, and much more. The Grasshopper app has the ability to have everything that you'd need right at the tips of your fingers is an excellent advantage and advancement in the world of mobile business and phone services for entrepreneurs. This application is super handy from my experience.
Grasshopper prices start around $26 per month (updated in 2020). Be sure to take advantage of the Think Entrepreneurship pricing discount for signing up with Grasshopper, below. You will instantly save $75 using this Grasshopper coupon.
Phone.com 
With very similar basic features and functionality to that of Grasshopper, Phone.com is another great phone system for entrepreneurs and small businesses. Phone.com is likely the most direct competitor in this VoIP business to Grasshopper. They have a very clean, user-friendly service and backend that brings to the table a couple more features.
With Phone.com as your business phone service, you can add the functionality of a custom vanity number that will add credibility, customization, and consistency to your business and brand. You can choose to record your own custom, professional voice recording or choose to use one of their many options. Routing to various numbers and departments in your company, Phone.com offers a great VoIP service for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
Phone.com also offers on-hold music for while your caller is waiting to be routed through to your phone. This is a great feature that adds professionalism to your business and allows the caller to feel more comfortable on the other end of the line.
Analytics and CRM
With Phone.com, you can integrate caller analytics and CRM softwares to enhance your experience even more. See the demographics, caller information, location, etc. of who you're receiving calls from. Integrate your virtual phone system with the CRM program or software of your choice to add easy click-to-dial and screen pops, as well as adding to the functionality and reporting of it all.
Phone.com prices start around $10 per month.
RingCentral 
When looking for the best phone services for entrepreneurs, another great VoIP service to consider and that we'll look at with you is RingCentral. RingCentral has a lot of offerings for your business. With RingCentral, you can set up a specific local or toll-free 800 number.
RingCentral currently comes with a bit higher monthly rate than the other companies we have previously gone over. It does offer standard features similar to the two services we've gone over, yet RingCentral comes in with other, newer offerings that we'll go over in deeper detail in the next few paragraphs.
Conferencing
Yes, the other services also come with conferencing features, but they are not as advanced as what RingCentral offers. You can collaborate on a whole new level with the conferencing options that RingCentral brings to the table. Do you need to make a visual, video conference call? No problem, that can easily be done on their servers with their offerings. Do you need to set up an audio conference with multiple members in a phone call? No problem either. RingCentral has this whole conferencing and collaborating thing down to an art form and they make it very seamless for you to accomplish.
Integrating with other Programs/Apps
Truly one of my favorite features that RingCentral brings to the table, is the ability to integrate your virtual phone system with other programs, apps, and websites that you use on a daily basis to manage your business. Popular integrations include: Box, Google. Desk.com, Office 365, Oracle, Outlook, Salesforce, Zendesk, and more. Connecting your phone system to these integral applications of your business brings the communication and productivity to a whole new level. A great feature of RingCentral!
RingCentral prices start around $25 per month.
eVoice 
The last business phone system service that we are going to be looking at is a great starting point for smaller businesses or entrepreneurs that aren't needing as much functionality and integrations as others. Do you only need a few extensions? eVoice is there for you! It does offer very similar basic features and functionality similar to the other phone number systems and services that we have talked about.
With eVoice, you can get your toll free number, screen the calls that are incoming, use their application to work on-the-go, have your customers or clients hear hold music while waiting to speak with you, send and receive faxes, and make conference calls with a few others. eVoice offers a quite a features, but it isn't quite as powerful as the other systems that I've mentioned. Nonetheless, it is a great starting point as a phone service for entrepreneurs or small businesses.
eVoice prices start around $20 per month (updated in 2020).
Summary of the Best 800 Numbers for Entrepreneurs
This was a look at probably the best 800 numbers for entrepreneurs based off VoIP technology. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol and it converts standard telephone signals into a digital form that can be transferred through the internet and correctly routed where you want it to go. These systems all share some common features: a toll free number specific to your business, number routing to your mobile phone, receiving of faxes, and calls to your routed phone.
You truly will get what you pay for and if you're looking for a top-of-the-line service I'd recommend Phone.com, RingCentral, or Grasshopper. Take your time and continue researching each service as needed to find the best phone number service fit for you and your business. Adding a custom number will help increase your business's professionalism and creditability.
Again, if you have any questions, concerns, or would like to add anything to the discussion, feel free to comment in the section below this article. Thank you for taking the time to read through this article!
* Photo courtesy of GetApp
