Weighing a Specialized Focus against Serving All Clients It used to be that telephone answering services (TAS) could function as a generalist – serving all clients – or specialize in specific niches. I now wonder if a niche strategy might be needed in today’s marketplace. A huge answering service niche is the healthcare industry. Within […]
Since its beginning, every year brings changes to the telephone answering service (TAS) industry. And the scope of change seems to increase each year. However, not everything changes. Some things stay the same. Though these four keys may fluctuate in importance from year to year, they are always at the forefront of our efforts to […]
A problem faced by telephone answering service owners (like all business owners) is addressing life cycle changes: dealing with shifting priorities as we age. While some people may have both the drive and ability to run a business for the remainder of their lives, most get to a point where they want to scale back: […]
A blog is a great way to connect with people online. It also provides fresh content, which makes search engines happy. And happy search engines show your site to more people, giving you a higher position in their listings. If a blog brings more people to your site, it seems like a can’t-miss strategy. It […]
Most telephone answering services are small businesses with closely held ownerships. Even many larger ones are still privately held, while a few are public companies or part of a public company. Regardless of size and structure, all answering services must plan for the future. Interestingly, their core concerns are essentially the same. They all must […]
I’ve been involved in buying over a dozen telephone answering services. While some parts of the transition were fun to plan and easy to handle, the employee aspect was always the hardest. Despite my hard work to successfully integrate new operators into our existing workforce, they often thwarted my best efforts and ended up quitting […]
Management Methods for Multiple Locations and Work-at-Home Agents Last month I wrote that many TAS owners use a management style called “management by walking around.” The default method of many entrepreneurs and small business owners, this is a simple yet effective way to oversee a single-location business, provided the owner is on-site. However, if the […]
Many small business owners, including TAS owners, use the simple yet effective management style of “management by walking around.” They manage what they see. However, to be effective the manager must be physically present. If the manager can’t be around on a regular basis, the results are often disastrous, producing either micromanagement or mismanagement that […]
Standing groggy-eyed in a fast-food restaurant, contemplating my breakfast options, the positive, friendly demeanor of the girl behind the counter captured my attention. Suddenly she saw someone out of the corner of her eye, and her smile widened. “Good morning Jimmy,” she called out. I assumed Jimmy was a friend. I was wrong. Jimmy was […]
The majority of family businesses aren’t successfully transferred to the second generation, and only about 15 percent make it to the third. There are many theories why. A likely factor is that the second generation, who didn’t sacrifice to launch the business and see it through the lean, early years, lacks the resilience to persevere. […]