Why NOW is the Time to Start a Telephone Answering Service
Business Overview:
If a home-based business that is both easy to manage and consistent in profits is what you’re after, consider starting your own telephone answering service. This business idea is perhaps one of the easiest ventures to get into, can be started with no initial investment, and has the potential to grow to include employees of your own. Here’s how to get into the phone answering service industry: First, you will need to make sure you have the basics—a solid landline telephone (possibly with multiple lines for each business you service, but at least with Caller ID), a small tabletop or workspace, and either a computer or paper and pens. Next, you will want to brainstorm a list of businesses that might be interested in a service like yours—in this day and age, customers and potential customers are more than pleased when they call a business and get to speak to a live and professional-sounding human being, as opposed to an automated machine. There’s your marketing technique—remind the businesses you are trying to recruit how much business they stand to gain when they use a convenient and personalized telephone answering service like the one you provide. Finally, you will want to contract with the businesses who decide to use your service, determining how and how much you will be paid and what level service you will provide (business hours, paging service, etc.). As your business grows, if that’s your goal, you can add more telephone lines and hire other people to answer the calls of the businesses that your company services.
A Day in the Life of a Telephone Answering Service Business Owner:
Your work hours in this business will greatly depend on the types of businesses you service—you might have a typical 9 to 5 schedule, or you might take calls after hours for businesses that close but still want to provide top-notch customer service. When your phone rings, you will be able to determine which business you are answering for (based on the line the call comes in on), and answer appropriately. The key to this business is being professional, courteous, and well-spoken throughout each and every conversation you hold with your client’s customers. You will take messages for your customers and then, depending on your contract with them, deliver all the messages at once at a certain time or page the person the message is intended for (this paging option gives you the chance to charge more for your service; businesses like this because they get their message immediately). At the end of the day or week or month, you will tally up the number of calls you took for each of your businesses and invoice them accordingly. If you are handling your call log with ease, you might consider adding another business line or two to increase your profits. Before long, you will likely want to hire others to answer the phones so that you can continue to serve more businesses.
About Your Customers:
Your customers will be those business owners who want to provide stellar customer service, but cannot afford to staff someone just to answer phones. The business may also be outdoor-oriented or very physical (think pet groomer or tree cutter) whereby answering phones is just not an option. These businesses would benefit by having a person speaking to their existing and potential customers and getting their messages clearly and accurately. They know the value of your service and will be willing to pay your fees, assuming they are competitive.
What You Need to Start:
- A landline telephone with multiple lines and Caller ID
- A workspace to keep your messages and paperwork organized
- Businesses who contract you to answer their telephones
- Financial-tracking software
The Good:
- You can start this business quickly and with little startup money.
- You can add as many clients as you can handle.
- Your business can grow to include hired employees.
- You can work solely from home.
The Bad:
- It might take you some time to contract with your first clients, and it will require some cold-calling.
- You will want to ensure you can answer your calls in a quiet location that sounds professional, which might be tough if you have young children at home.
Resources:
- Association of TeleServices International
- Bureau of Labor Statistics on Communications Equipment Operators
- Wikipedia on Call Centres
About The Author
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