5 Efficient Ways to Manage Your Company During Business Trips
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Entrepreneurs that have just started their own company often run into difficulties when they need to travel on business. Until their firm is generating a significant amount of turnover, it is not practical to hire a full-time assistant or receptionist to man the phones while they are away wooing new customers and putting together lucrative deals. However, there are various solutions that can give clients the impression of a large organisation when they call to make inquiries that do not involve them being asked to leave a message on an answerphone and hanging up in disgust.
- Telephone answering services – some companies offer a low cost solution that involves all telephone inquiries being forwarded to their call centre, where they are answered by an operative who can look up details of your company on a computer screen and follow a script if desired. The main advantage of such services is that they are relatively inexpensive but because a call could be answered by any one of a large number of operatives, they lack the personal touch that some clients demand.
- Shared administrative staff – many commercial property managers offer serviced executive suites to small business owners that enable them to run their company from a prestigious address with the full support of a professionally trained administrative team for a fraction of what it would cost if they were to rent a whole building and employ their own team. A quick look at the deals available for office rental in Edinburgh and other major cities in the UK will reveal a number of such packages that are worth further investigation.
- A virtual office – for entrepreneurs that are still running their business from home, the most cost effective solution to the problem of running their company whilst they are visiting clients is to pay for a virtual office package that includes telephone answering and mail forwarding services. In addition to ensuring that calls from potential clients are always answered by a professional assistant, such packages enable you to project a successful image to enquirers as they will naturally assume that your company is actually based in the building where mail is received and calls are dealt with.
- Friends and family – this is a tempting solution for many small business owners as it can be the cheapest option available but unless the people that you enlist to help you are as dedicated to the success of your venture as you are, they may quickly lose interest and miss calls or answer them in an offhand manner. If you have a partner who is committed to the cause then it may be a possibility but otherwise, this option is probably best avoided.
- Call forwarding – a simple and cheap alternative whereby all calls to your home or office number are rerouted to your mobile telephone whilst you are away on business. The advantages of this solution are that it will cost you very little and you will not have to rely on other people to behave professionally in your absence. The main disadvantage is that it may be inconvenient for you to have to deal with incoming calls when you are in an important meeting with a new client.
Whichever option you choose, it is vital to monitor how effective it is by listening to what your customers have to say when you return their calls. Any comments about having to deal with unprofessional employees from your company or complaints about being left on hold for ages should alert you to the fact that your chosen solution is not working and you should act quickly to remedy the problem.
About the Author
Regus is a leading British rental workspace specialist, offering a wide online selection for business owners from all over the United Kingdom. Visit www.regus.co.uk.
Category: Business
