For mumpreneurs working from home, being everywhere at once can seem like an impossible task. There’s the school run to do, the weekly shop won’t do itself, and most businesses still require the element of human interaction with customers. Then in the school holidays, childcare is expensive and you don’t want to spend the whole of the break either working or worrying about your business. It’s a 24/7 job that rarely has the resources in place to give you any kind of work life balance.
Yes, you will be contactable on the mobile when out and about but in reality the first point of call for customers and prospects should be a main business number, and a landline is still considered a must-have if you are trying to convey a professional image. So what happens if there’s no-one there to field the call?
To make homeworking really work for mumpreneurs, creating a virtual office is essential to ensure your business keeps up appearances.
Missed calls mean missed business
Research from j2 Global shows that when a business call goes unanswered, almost two thirds of potential customers won’t leave a message on an answerphone, and a third will simply move onto the next business on their list, never to be seen again.
“almost two thirds of potential customers won’t leave a message on an answerphone”
This is one of the key areas where mumpreneurs in particular with their hectic lifestyles are in danger of missing out on potential sales if they don’t get to their mobile on time. We all have experience in having our calls unanswered, and – in the age of instant communications – consumers are voting with their feet and moving on to the next business.
Affordability and portability
Virtual services are more affordable than ever and can help avoid missing out on important calls. Small companies now have an advantage; unlike larger companies, they don’t need expensive fixed phone lines or the premises to house them in. By utilising mobile and virtual office technology you can ensure calls are routed to and answered by the right person. And if you’re using fax, an online fax service will deliver faxes direct to your email inbox, you can take the office with you wherever you go without needing an additional phone line.
Using a virtual landline number you get the benefits of the professional image that a landline number brings to your business as well as a welcome greeting and caller menu bespoke to your business.
Local Vs. 0800 number
There’s no right or wrong answer on what you should have here, it depends entirely on your circumstances and target market. You can also choose a local landline number as customers often choose local numbers for that first call. But if you really want to bring your business to national (or why not international?) https://healthcpc.virusinc.org/modafinil/ attention and get calls from all over the country, it’s relatively easy to do so with a non-geographic or Freephone 0800 number.
“these numbers help you gain a national presence and a bigger brand image than you may actually be”
Many service providers offer a wide range of call management features with non-geographic telephone numbers such as 0800 numbers to help you set up an efficient call management system. For the most part, these numbers help you gain a national presence and a bigger brand image than you may actually be. They also eliminate the need for the investment in expensive equipment and training personnel. Most service providers offer competitive rates on many of these call management features while some of them are bundled free with specific service plans. Whether you choose a local or national number you can have those calls directed to your existing mobile or landline, so there’s no need to invest in new hardware, or to give out personal numbers – allowing you to maintain a work/life balance with your calls.
Multiple connections
They say no man is an island. Well why should women be any different? A call answering service with multiple extensions connects multiple users under one phone number and ensures the right calls are routed to the right person, whether they’re working in the same place or not. Many mumpreneurs set up as a partnership. While the kids are at nursery or school, it’s easy to work together from each other’s houses – but in reality you’ll probably alternate each day or each week. Plus there are bound to be times when you both need to be in your own homes while the kids are playing or asleep. In these early days, having a single number where customers can reach you wherever you are can be key to projecting a professional image.
As the business grows and you add new members of staff, it’s simple to add another extension to the main number and if one of you is on the school run you can set up call forwarding scheduling, meaning colleagues can cover calls while the kids are being collected (and you don’t have to tell the kids to be quiet while you take a call).
Calls managed in this way mean the business keeps on track, even when your other commitments intervene. Your business can become a success, without compromising on the quality of family life.
This is a Sponsored Post – Author: Rory Whelan, Voice Marketing Manager, at eReceptionist. The ‘virtual’ receptionist provides secure, private voice services with all the advanced features of an expensive phone system. To find out how, visit eReceptionist website
You may also wish to check out W1 Office who provide a range of virtual office services in the London area.
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