| Answering services for small businesses are on the | | | | needs, including answering calls, for a fraction of the |
| rise. I think one of the main reasons for this is that small | | | | cost of a receptionist. |
| businesses are the companies that are really powering | | | | Other answering services for small businesses include |
| America right now. While unemployment is holding | | | | a dedicated answering company. There are tons of |
| steady, there is no hiring. That being said, many people | | | | them to choose from. Essentially, a client calls into a |
| are out there trying to build their own small business. It | | | | pre-determined phone number and the answering |
| makes a lot of sense, then, for a small business to | | | | company answers as if they were your company. |
| either answer calls themselves or hire an external firm | | | | Actually, there are many variations of how they can |
| to answer calls. | | | | answer the phone. Typically, the prices for answering |
| I'm a small business with just a handful of employees. | | | | service companies range anywhere from about $35 |
| I've been a small business owner since the first | | | | up to even several hundred or possibly even in the |
| dotcom meltdown in the early 2000s. I had every | | | | thousands. This is generally determined by the number |
| imaginable form of "answering" staff and service you | | | | of calls that come into your "office." |
| can imagine. Initially, I hired a full time receptionist to | | | | Automated answering services for small businesses |
| answer phones, then went to a virtual assistant and | | | | are really a great option to consider. In fact, I use one |
| am finally using an automated answering service, with | | | | of them myself, called RingCentral. They can range |
| sometimes a combination of two. | | | | anywhere from $9.95 per month up to $99.99 or more, |
| First of all, answering services for small businesses are | | | | depending on the size of your company and your |
| really an important function to consider. The reason is | | | | need for extensions, voice mail boxes, etc. I have the |
| that they provide your company with a professional | | | | $49.99 version, which suits my company very well. I |
| image. I think this is true regardless of whether you | | | | get a dedicated 800 number and fax number, unlimited |
| have a live person or an automated service. | | | | minutes, 10 extensions, music on hold, custom greetings, |
| A full time receptionist is fairly expensive. This is | | | | and a whole lot more. |
| especially true if this person is full time with benefits. In | | | | I feel that this service suits me very well, since I don't |
| my experience, I was paying anywhere from $1,750 - | | | | need to have a full time receptionist or answering |
| $2,500 per receptionist per month, plus payroll taxes, | | | | service pick up my phones. However, I also have |
| paid vacations and holidays. Now, the benefit of a full | | | | virtual assistants who handle my day to day filing, calls |
| time receptionist is, of course, he / she can greet | | | | and general support, as well. In my case, RingCentral is |
| clients, perform physical document filing and more in | | | | the hub of our customer service communications. One |
| addition to answering the phones. | | | | tip related to RingCentral is the ability to call out from |
| Virtual assistants can also be answering services for | | | | ANY phone with the outbound caller ID as your |
| small businesses. The biggest difference between a | | | | company phone number. This makes it look like your |
| full time on site receptionist and a virtual assistant is | | | | calling from the "office." |
| really cost, which is substantial. Now, if you need a | | | | Now, there are many more tips and tricks that you |
| physical person to greet clients, make copies, etc., then | | | | can make your office / company look really big. I will |
| it makes sense to hire a "on site" receptionist. I have | | | | be writing on many more of these topics in the coming |
| found that having virtual assistants solves all or my | | | | weeks. |