Office electronics: setting up an answering service for your office

So you're ready to take the plunge and set up an answering service for your home office. That means you probably already know about some of the benefits that an answering service can provide for you. Maybe you're most attracted by the savings factor. You will certainly save time by not having to spend half your day on the phone. Think of all the other tasks you will be able to accomplish! You will probably save money, too. You won't have to pay the wages and insurance premiums of a receptionist/secretary. Or perhaps professionalism was the selling point for you. An answering service can help put a professional polish on any home-based operation. You no longer will have to worry about screaming kids or barking dogs in the background when fielding customer telephone inquiries. Whatever the reason, you've decided that an answering service is right for you. Here are some tips to help you get one set up for your home business.

Before you go any further, you must determine exactly what you need from an answering service. Is a toll-free number necessary for your customers, or will a local number suffice? Do you want your business phone answered by a live operator around the clock, or just during office hours? Would potential customers benefit from a bilingual operator? Put yourself in your customers' shoes. What do they need when they call you? The answers to these questions reveal what you need from an answering service.

It is worth noting that answering service companies these days rarely just answer phone calls. They often offer a whole array of business-related services. For example, some companies can set up client appointments for you, take customer orders, and even process customer credit card information. Other companies can accept incoming packages and redirect outgoing mail in order to give your home-based business a more corporate-like address. Of course these extra services do not come free of charge; you should carefully consider how much you will gain by using them, and then decide whether or not they are worth the money.

After you've decided what you need from the answering service, it's time to shop around. Get out the Yellow Pages and call local services, or get online and widen your search to include national companies. Look for reputable companies that have been in business for several years and that have received good reviews (or "testimonials") from their existing clients. Make a short list of the companies that look the most promising, and then call those companies for pricing information. Ask specific questions, such as:

- Is there an account setup fee?

- Is a long-term contract required?

- Is there a cancellation fee or a contract termination fee?

- How many phone calls are allowed per billing cycle?

- What is the fee or penalty for each phone call beyond the maximum?

Remember: the more information you get up front, the less likely you are to be surprised by hidden fees or extra charges later on.

Once you've found an answering service that looks promising, there's nothing left to do but sign up. Depending on the individual company, you can sign up in person, over the phone, or online via a secure website. Activation of the service might take anywhere from two to forty-eight hours. After that, you can sit back and let someone else worry about the phones for a change!

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Time management tips for the office

At home or in the office, we all strive to do one thing—save time. Time is critical when trying to put the finishing touches on the monthly reports, or when trying to reach your deadlines. Fortunately, there is hope for even the most disorganized people. By making a few simple changes, you can save the time you need to be able to focus more on the important tasks in your office.

1. Perhaps one of the most frustrating ways we waste time occurs while flipping through phone books or piles of paper as you try to locate numbers that you use on a regular basis. An easy way to avoid this is by having a list of the numbers you frequently use near your phone. You could make up a small list and tape it to your desk, or you could try using a roll-o-deck to keep them in order.

2. Why put off until tomorrow what you can get done today? Don’t let the little things accumulate until there is just so much to do that it will take you hours to get caught up. For example, filing is a small task that when not done regularly, adds up to major time loss in the office. File those papers as needed.

3. Keep the clutter away. Maintain a clean work surface on your desk. If this means having a drawer to keep papers or projects in that are incomplete, then that’s fine. A cluttered work surface is overwhelming. Looking at all those projects that need finished can immobilize you in the office and can make it nearly impossible to get anything done. All you can think about is how you are ever going to get it all done, or where you are going to begin.

4. Take it one task at a time. When you are feeling overwhelmed by all you need to do, order your projects by priority. Stick to the most important project and give no thought to the others until that one is done. For example, if you have reports due the first of every month, and it is the 29th already then make those your priority. Don’t worry about the project that is due the middle of next month.

5. Get into the habit of using a desk clock. Use it for those projects that you are really procrastinating on. Tell yourself that you will work on it for a half hour and stick to it. This will help you motivate on things you aren’t really excited about doing.

6. Don’t be afraid to say no if you already have more than you can handle. If your office mate comes up to you and asks you to file some papers for her because she is short on time, just be honest and tell her that you are too. Often we get more stressed than is necessary because we do not know how to say no.

7. Finally, do whatever you can to make your office as stress-free as possible. Light relaxing scented candles like lavender to make you feel at ease at your desk. If you have a knack for growing plants then set a couple on your desk or somewhere nearby. Plants are surprisingly therapeutic. Just having something close that is alive and growing can bring some sunshine to your day. Bringing pictures of loved ones and decorating for the seasons will also make your area a little more cheerful. The less stressed you are, the better you will be able to focus on your tasks.

If you are disorganized, as many are, you will be amazed at how much these small changes will help you to save more time—leaving room in your day for the more important undertakings you are responsible for.

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