Most sole traders in Ireland start the same way. You put your own mobile number on the van, the Facebook page and the first few quotes. A few years later it rings at dinner, on holidays and at eleven on a Sunday night, and you can't tell a customer from your mother until you answer.
There are better ways to set it up, and most of them don't cost much. Here are the options, what ComReg's rules mean for each one, and how an AI receptionist fits on top of whichever you pick.
Option 1: your personal mobile
It costs nothing extra, it's always in your pocket, and customers are used to ringing a mobile. For a lot of people starting out, it's the right call.
The trouble comes later. There's no line between work and home. Every unknown number might be a job, so you answer everything, all the time. And the number is tied to you personally, so if you take on a partner, hand over to staff or sell the business, the number customers know is the one your family uses too.
Option 2: a second SIM or an eSIM
This is the simplest fix for most sole traders. Plenty of recent phones take two SIMs, either two physical SIMs or a physical SIM and an eSIM. Check that your handset supports it and that the network you want offers eSIM. A SIM-only plan on a second number gives you a separate business mobile without carrying two phones.
On most dual SIM phones you can see which number a call came in on, and you can switch the work line off when you finish for the day. SIM-only prices change all the time, so compare the networks' current plans rather than going on what a mate pays.
A business mobile number can stay with you for years. ComReg says you're entitled to keep your mobile number free of charge when you switch provider. The catch: you have to tell the new provider you want to keep it, because it isn't done automatically.
Option 3: a local landline number over the internet
Plenty of providers will give you a geographic number, an 01 for Dublin, 021 for Cork, 061 for Limerick and so on, that rings on an app on your phone or a desk phone over the internet. ComReg lists 50 area codes in the Republic. A local number can help if you do commercial work or bigger jobs, where some customers like to see a landline before they ring.
Before you sign up, ask the provider a few straight questions. Is there a contract or minimum term? What do outgoing calls cost? Can you move the number to another provider later if you leave? Are there any conditions on using a number from an area you are not based in? And how does the app cope when you have poor mobile data on a site?
One range to avoid: 076. You'll still see it in older guides as an internet phone number for Ireland, but ComReg withdrew the 076 range, along with 1850 and 1890, and those numbers stopped working on 1 January 2022.
Option 4: 1800 and 0818 numbers
ComReg says there are now only two non-geographic number ranges in Ireland: 1800 Freephone and 0818 Standard Rate.
- •1800: ComReg says calls to 1800 numbers are free for the caller, so the business pays for the number instead
- •0818: ComReg says a call to an 0818 number costs no more than calling a landline, and it's included in any bundle of minutes that covers landline calls. ComReg also says businesses generally pay no per-call cost to receive an 0818 call
For a sole trader, these mostly make sense if you work nationally or want one number across several counties. If you're a local electrician or plumber, a mobile or a local landline number usually does the job, and customers know at a glance that you're nearby.
Keeping work and personal calls separate
Whatever number you choose, it only helps if you treat it as the work line. A few habits make the difference:
- •Put the work number, and only the work number, on the van, the website, Google, quotes and invoices
- •Decide your hours and stick to them, then let the work line divert or go to a message outside them
- •Record a proper greeting on the work line with the business name, so callers know they've reached the right place
- •If customers message you on WhatsApp, keep that on the work number too, so your family chats aren't buried under photos of leaking taps
- •Save your regular customers as contacts on the work line, so you know who's ringing before you answer
The point isn't to be harder to reach. It's to know, when the phone rings, whether it's work, and to be able to put work down at the end of the day without missing the next job.
Where an AI receptionist fits
Whichever number you go with, you hit the same problem once it's busy: you can't answer it while you're up a ladder or under a sink. That's where call divert comes in. Mobile networks, and many landline and internet phone services, let you divert calls when you're busy, when you don't answer or when you're unreachable. Our guide on how to divert calls in Ireland has the codes for each network.
With Ringvox, you keep the number you've chosen and divert the calls you miss to the number we give you. The receptionist answers in an Irish voice, takes the caller's name, what they need, the address with Eircode and a callback number, and sends you a summary on WhatsApp and by email within a couple of minutes. If a caller asks whether they're talking to a person, it tells them it's an AI.
If you've set up a second number for work, you only divert that one. Your personal line stays yours. The trades plan is €59 a month with 100 call minutes included, then €0.25 a minute, with no contract and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Which one to pick
If you're starting out and the phone isn't that busy yet, your own mobile is fine. Once work calls start running into your evenings, a second SIM or eSIM is the cheapest clean break. If you do commercial work or want a local landline look, add a geographic number over the internet. Leave 1800 and 0818 for when you're genuinely working across the country.
And whichever you choose, set up a divert so the calls you can't take still get answered. A separate number you don't answer is no better than the old one.
FAQ
Q: Should a sole trader have a separate business phone number?
A: It's not essential at the start, but it helps once work calls spill into your evenings. A second SIM or eSIM is the cheapest way to do it, and you can switch the work line off when you're done.
Q: Can I keep my mobile number if I change network?
A: Yes. ComReg says you can keep your mobile number free of charge when you switch. Tell the new provider you want to keep it, because it is not done automatically.
Q: Can I still get an 076 number in Ireland?
A: No. ComReg withdrew the 076, 1850 and 1890 ranges, and they stopped working on 1 January 2022. The two non-geographic ranges left are 1800 and 0818.
Q: What does it cost a customer to ring an 0818 number?
A: ComReg says no more than a call to a landline, and it comes out of any bundle that includes landline calls.
Q: Can I use an AI receptionist with my existing number?
A: Yes. You keep your number and divert busy or unanswered calls to the receptionist. Nothing changes for your customers except that the phone gets answered.