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1-800, 1-888, or a Local Area Code? How to Choose Your New Business Number

Getting a phone number for your business used to be pretty straightforward, before you were able to, you know, choose it. But today, options abound.  You can choose a local number with an area code that matches your city, go with a toll-free number like “1-800” or “1-888,” or even buy a memorable “vanity” number […]

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Alan Lopez
Alan Lopez  ·  October 13, 2026  ·  7 min read
All Ask the Pig By The Numbers Community Corral Customer Service Featured Customers General
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Ask the Pig

1-800, 1-888, or a Local Area Code? How to Choose Your New Business Number

Getting a phone number for your business used to be pretty straightforward, before you were able to, you know, choose it. But today, options abound.  You can choose a local number with an area code that matches your city, go with a toll-free number like “1-800” or “1-888,” or even buy a memorable “vanity” number […]

Alan Lopez
Alan Lopez
Oct 13, 2026
⏱ 7 min read
General

Text STOP: Americans Get 13 Political Calls and Texts a Week, but Opting Out Doesn’t End the Messages

Election season comes with campaign ads, yard signs, debates, and increasingly, a steady stream of political calls and text messages. But are political calls and texts actually working? To find out, NumberBarn conducted a nationwide survey of U.S. adults about the political calls and texts they receive, exploring recipient sentiment, what recipients do to avoid […]

Collin Czarnecki
Collin Czarnecki
Oct 9, 2026
⏱ 8 min read
Ask the Pig

Scary Good Ideas For Your Halloween and Holiday Campaigns

Boo! Hallothanksmas has come upon us! While there’s much to love about this season, keeping your brand visible amidst the relentless holiday hustle might feel like a nightmare, (whether you’re a team of one, or a team of many). Good news, navigating your upcoming seasonal marketing during the holiday marathon doesn’t have to be terrifying! […]

Melana Preston
Melana Preston
Oct 5, 2026
⏱ 8 min read
Ask the Pig

Recovering an Old Phone Number (Can You Get It Back?)

If you recently lost access to a favorite or preferred phone number, you’re probably asking:“Can I get my old phone number back?” The short answer? Sometimes, yes… and sometimes, no. We know that’s not the most satisfying answer, but recovering an old phone number is no easy feat. It relies solely on factors like how […]

Jeremy Watkin
Jeremy Watkin
Sep 30, 2026
⏱ 12 min read
General

How Burner Phones and Burner Apps Work, and Their Alternatives

There are many reasons to get a burner phone or burner number. In fact, there’s many more than you might realize. Do you have a small business? Well, you probably don’t want to plaster your personal number onto a billboard, or post it online for the whole world to call you. What if you just […]

Alan Lopez
Alan Lopez
Sep 22, 2026
⏱ 7 min read
General

Miami Phone Numbers: A Guide to 305, 786, and 645 Area Codes

305 isn’t just Miami’s main area code, it is Miami. It shows up everywhere, from songs, tattoos, and of course, Florida gift shops. But 305 isn’t even the only area code in Miami! As South Florida’s population (and demand for phone numbers) grew, additional area codes were introduced. Today, 786 and 645 also serve Miami-Dade […]

Alan Lopez
Alan Lopez
Sep 15, 2026
⏱ 6 min read
Ask the Pig

How to Get a No-Contract Business Phone Number

Are you looking for a business number? Maybe you just started a small business selling lawn flamingos from your basement. (Congrats, by the way.) You’re probably looking to separate your business calls from your personal ones. Or maybe you’re expanding operations and opening a new branch of a corporate office. Now you gotta fill an […]

Alan Lopez
Alan Lopez
Sep 8, 2026
⏱ 16 min read
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Our Writers

Authors at NumberBarn

Real people who know phone numbers, telecom trends, business tips and more, inside and out.

Melana Preston

Melana Preston

Melana Preston is a Sr. Copywriter for NumberBarn and ClearHello. With her extensive background in marketing and humanitarian work, she loves working for “a company that truly values people and meaningful connections.” When she’s not pun-tificating clever copy or dad jokes, you can find her lost behind her camera lens capturing a mountain or sunset.

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Jeremy Watkin

Jeremy Watkin

Jeremy Watkin is Director of Customer Support and Experience at NumberBarn. Not only does he love serving customers, but he's a prolific writer and speaker on the topic and has been recognized numerous times for his thought leadership. Be sure to connect with him on Twitter. His handle is @jtwatkin.

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Jenny Dempsey

Jenny Dempsey

Jenny Dempsey was Social Media & Customer Experience Manager from 2017-2020, bringing her extensive telecom industry knowledge to help build NumberBarn’s content-base while cultivating a positive & happy customer experience.

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Joel Arnold

Joel Arnold

Joel Arnold is a Digital Marketer with diverse experience and industry expertise in telecommunications, real estate, travel, health & wellness, and content creation. When he’s not at home watching Survivor, you can catch him and his wife reading at a coffee shop or taking their family to the park.

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Alan Lopez

Alan Lopez

Alan is a lifestyle blogger, marketing manager, and art director who has been covering electronics and media culture for so long, he remembers being disconnected from the internet whenever somebody would pick up the phone.

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Will Fulton

Will Fulton

Will Fulton is a writer and editor who's covered technology, games, and theater for publications like Popular Science, Uber, Polygon, Lifewire, Digital Trends, and more. He's now mostly focused on helping his houseplants thrive and raising his chihuahua mix Charlie to be an upstanding citizen.

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Mariana Camacho

Mariana Camacho

Mariana Camacho is a content strategist and communications specialist focused on brand storytelling, marketing, and creative writing. She works with international brands and founders across lifestyle, hospitality, technology, and social impact, helping them shape narratives that connect and genuinely impact the people they’re meant to serve.

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Ella Delancey Jones

Ella Delancey Jones

Ella Delancey Jones is an award-nominated journalist and copywriter who began her career in tech and consumer PR in London before launching her own content business in 2018. Her writing has appeared in publications including Cosmopolitan, POPSUGAR, Insider, The Independent, and Grazia, and she has been featured on Sky News and BBC. Ella is known for producing clear, thoughtful, and reliable content across journalism and brand storytelling.

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Collin Czarnecki

Collin Czarnecki

Collin Czarnecki is a researcher specializing in consumer behavior, public records analysis, and survey-based studies. He spent nearly a decade as a journalist and editor, publishing more than 2,500 articles for newspapers and digital news outlets across the Gannett network and Patch.com.

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