Dedicated line

A dedicated line is a number assigned to a single use: the professional line distinct from the personal mobile, or a line reserved for a specific service — emergency callouts, quotes, complaints. The separation has three virtues: identification (the business name displays), redirection (that line can be forwarded without touching the rest), and transferability (the number belongs to the business, not the employee who leaves).

For a starting solo operator, the "I'll just use my mobile" temptation is legitimate — until the first evening the phone rings for a quote at 10:30 PM, and until the first client calls back three years later and lands on the voicemail of a number that has become personal. The virtual number has made the dedicated line nearly free; excuses for skipping it are running out.