Tennessee at a glance
| Time zone | Eastern Time in East Tennessee (including Knoxville and Chattanooga); Central Time in Middle and West Tennessee (including Nashville and Memphis) |
|---|---|
| Main area codes | 615 and 629 (Nashville), 901 (Memphis), 865 (Knoxville), 423 (Chattanooga and the Tri-Cities), 931 (Clarksville and Cookeville), 731 (West Tennessee) |
| Largest cities | Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Clarksville, Murfreesboro |
| Sectors with the most small employers | repair and personal services, retail shops, construction and the trades, professional services, health care (SBA Office of Advocacy, 2025 profile) |
| Call-recording consent | One-party consent (Tenn. Code §§ 39-13-601, 39-13-604) |
Small business in Tennessee
Tennessee's small businesses include music, event and hospitality vendors in Nashville, logistics and trucking around Memphis, healthcare offices statewide, contractors in booming suburbs like Murfreesboro and Franklin, and tourism near the Smoky Mountains in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. Knoxville and Chattanooga run on Eastern Time while Nashville and Memphis use Central.
According to the SBA Office of Advocacy's 2025 profile of Tennessee, the sectors with the most small employers are repair and personal services such as auto repair, salons and dry cleaners, retail shops, construction and the trades, professional services such as law, accounting, engineering and consulting and health care, including medical, dental and therapy offices.
Where Ava helps Tennessee businesses
- Event and music vendors. Nashville event, sound and venue businesses can send calls to Ava for booking requests.
- Smokies tourism. Cabin rentals and attractions can have Ava take reservation requests during peak seasons.
- Logistics and trucking. Memphis-area carriers and repair shops can have Ava capture urgent breakdown calls by your rules.
Industry pages that match Tennessee's most common small businesses:
An example call
Music City Event Rentals (example) · Ava, AI receptionist
We need a stage and lights for a party on Broadway next Friday
Let me take your request. What venue, and roughly how many guests?
Recording calls in Tennessee
One-party consent. Tennessee Code § 39-13-601 makes it lawful to intercept a communication when the person is a party or one party consents, unless the purpose is criminal or tortious. Section 39-13-604 separately covers cell-phone calls, also with a one-party rule. Tennessee is a one-party consent state.
Tennessee businesses often get calls from Kentucky, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, North Carolina, Arkansas, Virginia and Missouri. Those states also use one-party consent for calls, though a caller from an all-party state like California can still reach your 615, 629, 901, 865, 423, 931 or 731 number.
Ava always says she's an AI. If your setup records calls, the script we draft adds a short recording notice to her greeting, and you approve the wording. Interstate calls can be tricky; see the state-by-state overview.
Time zones and after-hours coverage
Time zones in Tennessee: Eastern Time in East Tennessee (including Knoxville and Chattanooga); Central Time in Middle and West Tennessee (including Nashville and Memphis). If you operate in more than one zone, Ava's after-hours script can follow each location's local time.
How setup works from New Jersey
A short call about how your Tennessee business handles the phone, a script you approve, test calls, then call forwarding from your 615, 629, 901, 865, 423, 931 or 731 number. See how it works.
Sources
- Justia 50-state recording survey (reviewed Sept. 2024)
- 18 U.S.C. § 2511
- SBA Office of Advocacy: Tennessee 2025 Small Business Profile (PDF)
- 49 CFR Part 71 (time zones)
General information, not legal advice. Checked November 3, 2026; laws change.