If you own a business and customers are calling the same number your family, friends, DoorDash driver, doctor, and everybody else calls, it might be time to fix that.
And before you go buy another iPhone, relax.
You do not need another phone.
You need another phone number.
There are apps that can put an entirely separate business line on the phone you already have. When somebody calls your business number, it rings on your regular phone through the app. You can call them back from the business number, text them, have a separate voicemail, and keep the entire conversation away from your personal number.
For some of these, you can get started for $0.
That is the #FreeGame.
Why I Think Every Business Should Have a Separate Number
One of the things I always try to tell people when they are building a business is to start creating separation between you and the business.
Your phone number is one of the easiest places to start.
If I find your business on Google, Instagram, your website, a flyer, or wherever else you are marketing yourself, I should have a business number I can call.
That number can still ring directly to you.
The difference is how you manage it.
You can have:
- A business voicemail instead of your personal voicemail
- Business hours
- A separate text message inbox
- A record of customer conversations
- Call forwarding
- Missed call notifications
- Multiple people eventually answering the same number
- A number you can comfortably put on your website and marketing materials
- The ability to turn business calls off without turning your entire phone off
And when your business grows, you can eventually give somebody else access to that line.
Now you have started building a business communication system instead of having everybody contact you personally forever.
Here are four easy ways to do it.
1. Google Voice
Best Free Option for Someone Getting Started
If somebody told me:
“I just started my business. I need a separate number, but I don’t have money to spend on another monthly bill.”
Google Voice is probably where I would tell them to start.
Google still offers a no-charge Google Voice option for individual Gmail users in the United States. You can choose a separate phone number, download the Google Voice app, and manage calls, texts, and voicemail from your existing phone. Google lists voicemail transcription, domestic calling, and texting among the features of its free consumer version.
Cost
Free option: $0
Google also now offers standalone professional Voice plans for Gmail users:
- Voice Starter: $10 per month
- Voice Standard: $20 per month
The paid versions add more professional business features.
How to set it up
- Go to Google Voice. (http://google.com/voice)
- Sign in with your Google account.
- Search for an available number in your area.
- Choose your number.
- Connect your existing phone.
- Download the Google Voice app.
- Record a business voicemail greeting.
- Start using that number anywhere you advertise your business.
That’s it.
Now when somebody asks:
“What’s your business number?”
You actually have one.
One thing to know
Google describes its $0 version as a personal consumer service. If your business starts depending heavily on the phone or you need more advanced features, move into one of Google’s paid Voice plans or one of the business platforms below.
My rating
Best for: Solopreneurs, freelancers, side businesses, new businesses
Difficulty: Easy
Starting price: FREE
#FreeGame recommendation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If you are reading this article because you currently use your personal number for everything, start here.
2. Dialpad
Best Upgrade When Your Business Starts Growing
Dialpad is where things start getting a little more serious.
You still do not need another phone.
Download the Dialpad app and your business number works from your phone, computer, or tablet.
Dialpad’s Standard plan currently starts at $15 per user per month when billed annually. It includes a business number, unlimited calling in the United States and Canada, SMS/MMS, voicemail features, and AI tools including call transcripts and summaries. Dialpad also offers a 14-day free trial.
This one gets interesting because your phone system can start helping you manage the business.
Imagine having a conversation with a potential client and getting a transcript and AI-generated recap afterward.
Now your phone call starts becoming useful business data.
Cost
Free trial: 14 days
Standard: $15 per user/month billed annually
Dialpad currently lists Standard at $27 per user when paying month to month.
How to set it up
- Create a Dialpad account. (https://www.dialpad.com/small-business/)
- Select a phone number.
- Download the mobile app.
- Install the desktop app if you work from a computer.
- Record your business greeting.
- Set your business hours.
- Turn on voicemail transcription and AI features.
- Start using the number publicly.
You can also forward calls to other numbers and eventually route calls to other people on your team.
My rating
Best for: Consultants, agencies, service businesses, growing teams
Difficulty: Easy
Starting price: $15/month when billed annually
#FreeGame recommendation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
If I knew I was going to have a decent amount of client conversations and wanted something I could grow into, I would seriously look at Dialpad.
3. Grasshopper
Best If You Want Something Simple That Feels Like a Business Phone System
Grasshopper has been around forever in the virtual business phone space.
The concept is simple.
You get a business phone number.
You put the Grasshopper app on your current phone.
Business calls and texts come through Grasshopper.
Personal calls stay with your regular number.
Grasshopper specifically markets the service as a way to keep work and personal communication separate without buying additional hardware.
You can also set up things like extensions.
So instead of:
“Call William.”
You can eventually have:
Press 1 for Sales.
Press 2 for Support.
Press 3 for Billing.
Everybody could still be working remotely.
You are simply creating a better front door for the business.
Cost
Grasshopper currently lists its True Solo plan at $14 per month, with lower promotional annual pricing sometimes available. It includes one user, one business phone number, and one extension. Grasshopper also offers a free trial.
How to set it up
- Create a Grasshopper account. (https://grasshopper.com/)
- Choose a local, toll-free, or available business number.
- Download the app.
- Record your greeting.
- Set your call forwarding.
- Set your business hours.
- Add extensions if you need them.
- Start using the number.
My rating
Best for: Traditional small businesses, contractors, service providers, businesses that receive a lot of calls
Difficulty: Easy
Starting price: About $14/month
#FreeGame recommendation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I especially like this for businesses where people actually call.
Think contractors, consultants, caterers, salons, photographers, event companies, accountants, real estate businesses, cleaning companies, and similar service businesses.
4. TextNow
Another Free Option If Your Budget Is Literally $0
TextNow is another way to get a second number without buying another phone.
The free version gives you a phone number, calling, texting, and access through the mobile app or a computer. TextNow says its free service is supported by ads.
Cost
$0
That makes it useful for somebody who needs to create separation between personal and business communication immediately.
Download the app.
Choose a number.
Start calling and texting.
How to set it up
- Download TextNow. (https://www.textnow.com/)
- Create an account.
- Enter the area code you want.
- Choose an available number.
- Set up voicemail.
- Start using that number for business inquiries.
There is one important catch
I would treat TextNow differently from Google Voice.
TextNow can recycle inactive free numbers. The company recommends regularly calling or texting from the number to keep it active. You can also pay to lock the number to your account.
That matters.
If you print 5,000 flyers, put your number on your website, add it to Google Business Profile, put it on business cards, and then lose the number, you have created another problem.
So I like TextNow as a free starting option, temporary business line, side-hustle number, or secondary line.
For a number that will become a major permanent business asset, I would choose Google Voice, Dialpad, or Grasshopper first.
My rating
Best for: Side hustles, temporary numbers, businesses with absolutely no budget
Difficulty: Very easy
Starting price: FREE
#FreeGame recommendation: ⭐⭐⭐
So Which One Should You Pick?
I can make this very easy.
If you have $0 to spend:
Start with Google Voice.
You can create the separation today without adding another monthly expense.
If you’re already getting consistent calls and leads:
Look at Dialpad.
The call management, transcription, AI summaries, desktop access, and ability to grow with your team make the monthly expense easier to justify.
If you want a straightforward small-business phone system:
Look at Grasshopper.
Especially if phone calls are a major part of how customers contact your business.
If you need another free option immediately:
Try TextNow.
Just understand the limitations of using a free number long term.
Do This Today
This is one of those business upgrades that can take less than 30 minutes.
You do not need an LLC first.
You do not need employees.
You do not need an office.
You do not need to go to Verizon and add another $80 phone line.
You need to create a little separation between your personal life and the business you are building.
Pick a service.
Get the number.
Then update:
- Your website
- Google Business Profile
- Business cards
- Email signature
- Invoices
- Proposals
- Booking page
- Flyers
- Advertisements
- Online directories
Then record a simple voicemail:
“Thanks for calling [Business Name]. We couldn’t get to the phone right now. Please leave your name, number, and a brief message, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
Now you have a business line.
Same phone.
Separate number.
Separate voicemail.
Separate communication.
Better boundaries.
Better organization.
And when the business grows and you need somebody else to start answering those calls, you already have something you can hand off.
That is how you start building the business to operate beyond you.
#FreeGame: How I Actually Use These in My Business
And just so you know, I am not recommending these because I found a list of business phone apps online.
I personally use two of them.
I’ve been using Google Voice in my business for more than 10 years, and it is still my primary business number.
That is the number I give out for business.
Client texts come through there. Business conversations happen there. Voicemails are captured there. If somebody needs to reach me about work, that is usually the number they have.
It has basically become the communication hub for my business.
Then I use Dialpad for something more specific.
When I have a client consultation or an important business call that I want recorded, I will typically make that call through Dialpad.
Dialpad gives me the ability to record those conversations, which becomes extremely useful when I need to go back and reference what a client said, what we agreed on, what they asked for, or what the next steps were.
And with AI now being able to help transcribe, summarize, and pull information out of those conversations, those recorded calls have become even more valuable.
So my setup is basically:
Google Voice = everyday business communication
Calls. Texts. Voicemails. Client messages. My public business number.
Dialpad = important client conversations
Consultations. Discovery calls. Recorded conversations. Calls I may need to reference later.
You do not necessarily have to choose one platform and make it do everything.
You can build a simple system around how you actually work.
I’ve been doing some version of this for more than a decade, all from the same phone I already carry every day.
That is the part I really want you to take from this.
You can start simple.
Get the separate number first.
Then, as your business grows, start putting better systems around how you manage the conversations coming through it.
#FreeGame