OpenPhone helps business owners start their businesses in local areas like area code 228. You can sign up for a phone number that lets you look local no matter where you travel and build loyalty with residents. You’ll be part of the neighborhood, calling from a familiar area code shows you’re committed to the community. A local phone number also makes it easier to get through to residents. It’s more convenient to place a local call — it’s more intriguing to pick up a local call, too.
Your business can benefit from a local phone number if you serve local customers. You look knowledgeable about local norms, from real estate to slab grading. For many small businesses, having a local presence instills trust.
There’s plenty that makes area code 228 unique. Here are some of the most important details you need to know:
Area code 228 covers: Gulfport, Biloxi, Pascagoula, Bay St. Louis, and southmost Mississippi. Its main city is Gulfport, Mississippi. If you head to Gulfport, you’ll be among the 72,926 residents of this area code’s biggest town.
This area code touches 3 other codes. It also borders 3 other counties, including Harrison, Jackson, and Hancock counties. Nearby area codes are 251 (Mobile, AL), 504 (New Orleans, LA), 601/769 (Jackson, MS), and 985 (Houma, LA).
With a local 228 phone number, you can effectively get in front of the right people and establish a foothold in the Gulfport, MS area.
What’s the startup climate like for new businesses in area code 228? Here are some statistics on population, employment, and core regional businesses:
The largest county in area code 228, Harrison County, lies entirely within Central Standard Time. Population in the area is shrinking slightly. There was a -0.11% population change from 2019 to 2020.
Overall unemployment rates are significant for businesses looking to source talent and grow their presence in a new area. Between 2019 and 2020, the city of Gulfport’s unemployment rate was 9.5%.
But none of these demographics tell the whole story of new business opportunities in the area. In fact, in area code 228, new enterprises are slightly dropping. Business applications were up 44.00% from 2019 to 2020. And many of these endeavors are thriving with a startup survival of rate 79.90% within Mississippi.
Startups join an infrastructure of existing titans. In area code 228, newcomers can grow along with Gulfport, MS’s top ten employers: United States Air Force, US Navy, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, Ingalls Shipbuilding, A Division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, Pascagoula School District, Cable One, Memorial Hospital of Gulfport, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc., Chevron, Walmart.
New businesses can also benefit from working closely with large existing industries. Mississippi’s top three industries are:
Try out calling and texting with an area code tied to this flourishing region and confirm OpenPhone is a great fit for your business by starting a free seven-day trial of OpenPhone.
Try out calling and texting with an area code tied to this flourishing region and confirm OpenPhone is a great fit for your business by starting a free seven-day trial of OpenPhone.
See which specific 228 phone numbers are available and claim your own Gulfport, MS number by signing up for a free trial. Here’s how it works: using our service, you can easily set up your local phone number without the need to install any additional hardware. Easily download and install our app, and find the right numbers for your business.
Use the OpenPhone browser, desktop, or mobile app.
OpenPhone lets you get a new business phone number in area code 228. You can even port over your existing number with no service interruptions. Use your number on any cell phone, tablet, or computer using OpenPhone, the #1 rated business phone platform on G2. There’s an app for all your favorite devices so your conversations — and contacts — always stay in one place.
Make and receive calls from across the state or around the world. An OpenPhone business number travels with you wherever you have an internet connection. Best of all, you can use your phone number from anywhere to call anyone in the US or Canada without any long-distance charges. Calls to other countries are just a fraction of what you’d pay with a traditional carrier.
You can also have different numbers for departments, teammates, and locations. If you need a new number, it takes just seconds to activate and assign unique numbers to someone on your team. There are no waiting periods, no trips to the store, and no contracts to sign.
OpenPhone’s modern business phone platform comes packed with features that make looking professional effortless. Start by easily adding a phone menu, caller ID, and away voicemail greeting.
Respond to customers easier when you save go-to message templates as snippets. Stop typing the same responses over and over again, and give your customers reliable answers faster.
You can even automatically send out a text message to missed or after-hours calls. There are so many creative ways to use automatic messaging. Harness your newfound powers to nurture leads or promote sales when you can’t answer business calls.
While you’re at it, get your team aligned, too. You can start by working together off a shared number where your team can split responsibility for incoming calls and messages to your business number. That way, no important calls go unanswered and your team stays on the same page.
Decide which numbers to share with team members. Share the main business number with your entire team or share it with your assistant so after-hours calls get answered. Create departments for small groups. Then everyone can collaborate on any external communication through internal threads. You can even offer direct lines for your employees, too.
Most importantly, your team can quickly catch up on any conversation. Anyone with access to your a shared number inbox can see all voicemails, call history, and text messaging in a single view for every contact.
With your OpenPhone number, you have complete control over your business calls. Know which calls are business and which are personal. Your private number stays private — and when you’re off the clock, you can mute notifications for business calls.
OpenPhone’s flexible suite of features means you’re open for business from any device, anywhere.
Michael Seibel CEO at Y Combinator
Jason Ovryn Co-founder & COO at Carry
.svg)
OpenPhone was issued a successful SOC 2 report and is actively monitored by Vanta.
