As a business owner, you probably have more on your plate than is possible to accomplish in a 24-hour day. From running the core elements of your business to managing a growing number of employees, vendors, and clients or customers, you probably feel like your time and attention is being split in countless different directions.
While passion, drive, and hard work can help push you for a while, eventually it’s important to come to terms with the fact that you simply can’t do everything on your own. Fortunately, you don’t have to!
Benefits of a receptionist
If you’ve never hired a receptionist before, chances are you’ve considered it at least once or twice. After all, wouldn’t it be great to have a reliable individual who could take calls and messages, organize your calendar, and keep your schedule on track? Of course, it can be difficult to incorporate the expense of a receptionist into your business’s budget — especially when the tasks they take care of could technically be handled by you.
If you do have a receptionist, you probably have found one of two things. Either their schedule filled up much quicker than you expected and even they could use some help, or they have some downtime between calls and aren’t quite busy every minute. It’s difficult to perfectly strike a balance that efficiently uses their time each hour they’re in the office.
Despite the expense and scheduling hassles, most business owners eventually realize that their time is much better spent (not to mention an improved quality of life) with a friendly and professional receptionist taking care of calls and scheduling.
Why a Live Virtual Receptionist Can Be A Better Option
While there are certainly merits associated with hiring a full-time, in-house receptionist, there are a number of benefits associated with partnering with live virtual receptionists that can make them a much more appealing alternative for entrepreneurs and small business owners. A live virtual receptionist can be a more flexible option for businesses that are cost-sensitive, or that simply want to be as efficient as possible with their overhead expenses.
What exactly is a live virtual receptionist?
A live virtual receptionist is similar to a typical receptionist in many ways. They can take and screen your calls, take/deliver messages, schedule appointments — they can even remind you when you have a meeting about to start!
The biggest difference with a live virtual receptionist is the fact that they do not actually work in your office. Instead, they work in a central location and might work with a few other companies at the same time. A virtual receptionist will still answer the phone using your business name, and can even establish an ongoing relationship with your clients and vendors.
The other difference is that live virtual receptionists are typically much less expensive than a full-time salaried receptionist. Because they can serve multiple clients like yourself simultaneously, you won’t need to pay them for 40 hours per week of work — only the specific amount of work they need to do to accomplish your company’s goals. Not only that, but the monthly plan you choose can easily be increased or decreased depending on your business’s requirements in any given month.
A live virtual receptionist is a flexible and affordable option for small businesses who need the benefits of a receptionist but don’t want the full cost or all the hassle that comes with hiring, training, etc. To learn more, simply visit contact us for a free consultation and trial!
Here are some related articles you might be interested in:
Incorporating a Virtual Receptionist into Your Business Strategy
Benefits of Hiring an Answering Service Instead of a Receptionist
