Underground Journal

Virtual Receptionist

If you run your own business, but don’t have a receptionist, chances are you’ve considered hiring one. However, it can be difficult to rationalize the cost of a full time employee, especially if you freelance or are just getting started. If you need assistance with answering phones, sending emails, or other office work, you might consider hiring a virtual receptionist.

A virtual receptionist is an office worker who works remotely. You set them up with their own phone number or extension, give them access to your email, bookkeeping, or other accounts, and allow them to work their magic. A virtual receptionist can do anything an employee could do, but only works remotely. This allows them to work from the comfort of their home, and saves you money on payroll, office equipment, and other expenses. Virtual receptionists are generally independent contractors, meaning that they take care of their own insurance, taxes, and other costs of doing business.

There are many advantages to hiring a virtual receptionist. First, they save you time and energy – resources that you can devote to advertising, working, or growing your business. Instead of being constantly interrupted by your phone and email, you can route calls through your receptionist. He or she can screen them, then send important callers on to you, drastically reducing the number of interruptions you have to deal with in a typical work day.

There are few disadvantages to having a virtual receptionist. One is that you can’t directly supervise their work. This means that you may have to dedicate some time at first to training them and getting them used to the way you do business. If their phone or internet goes down, you may lose contact with them briefly. If you’re prepared for these small drawbacks, however, having a virtual receptionist can be a great asset to your business.

The cost of a virtual receptionist varies greatly depending on their nationality. If you plan to hire a native English speaker based in the US, United Kingdom, or Canada, you can expect to pay at last $10 an hour. If you hire an overseas worker, you may be able to pay less per hour due to the exchange rate. No matter the pay rate, you should be sure that you spend time training your receptionist so that they are prepared to represent your business in the best way possible.

You can find a virtual receptionist by posting an ad in your newspaper or on a classified ad site such as Craigslist. You can also list the job on work at home sites like www.wahm.com, or on bidding sites like eLance, Guru, or RentaCoder. If you plan to hire a foreign receptionist, you might try posting ads on classified boards in the area you’d like to hire from. Spend some time interviewing candidates so that you find a worker who fits your requirements – you may have to schedule many interviews before you find a receptionist you can work well with. Approach the hiring process in the same way you’d approach hiring an employee in order to achieve the best results.

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