Meanwhile, in setting up your own facilities keep your costs in line with a realistic view of your anticipated first year income. It should’t be too difficult to find low-cost rental space in an older building not far from the telephone company’s exchange building- the telephone company is usually just as reluctant to pay high rent as you are..Locating in an older, less than “beautiful” building should not detract from your business because few of your customers will ever actually see your offices. Most will sign up for your services either thru your in-person sales calls on them, or your telephone soliciting efforts, and send their payments in by mail.

You’ll need 125 square feet of space for each a small reception area which can also double as a rest area for your operators and general office area for bookkeeping, billing and other administrative functions. Be sure there are convenient restroom facilities as well.

Before installation of your first switchboard, the phone company will require an inspection of your office, mainly to determine if the floor is strong enough to support the weight of the switchboard. Save yourself a lot of frustration by explaining this to the real estate agents or the building managers before they start showing you what’s available. The best thing is to ask for certified copies of the original building blueprints or previous inspection reports, and have these in hand when you contact the phone company.

Once you’re ready to go, consider the attitudes and feelings of the people who’ll be working long hours on the switchboards for you–invest in some cherry paint for the walls, non-glare lighting, carpeting for the floors and a few wall prints, pictures or other decorations. Look around for good used office furniture and buy or lease only what is absolutely essential. A pocket calculator and a used manual typewriter will work fine until you get the business running on a dependably profitable.

When you order your first switchboard, listen to the telephone company’s instruction, read the operating manual and attend their training sessions. The more you know about the equipment, the easier it’s going to be to operate it, and the more you’ll understand your profit potentials.

Related post with How to Start a Telephone Answering Service

How to Start a Telephone Answering Service (part 1)
How to Start a Telephone Answering Service: Switchboard
How to Start a Telephone Answering Service: Setting up Facilities
How to Start a Telephone Answering Service: The traditional Telephone Company Switchboard
How to Start a Telephone Answering Service: Maintaining Basic Customer Information
How to Start a Telephone Answering Service: Qualifications to Look for in an Operator