Home-Based fax sending bureau

Older people, tradies, small businesses and sole traders who occasionally need to fax a clinic, solicitor, agent, council or supplier but have no fax machine.

A fee per fax or per page, a small fee for receiving, and optional monthly plans for regulars who need a dedicated number or frequent sending.

• Reliable and careful with private documents
• Basic comfort with scanners, email and phone systems
• Friendly, patient customer service

• Privacy of client documents such as medical or legal papers; check whether the Privacy Act applies to you and how you will store and delete files
• Fax over the NBN or VoIP can be unreliable, so check your set-up and have a backup
• Demand is small and shrinking, so keep costs very low or treat it as an add-on to other services
• Check with your local council whether a home-based business needs approval, and get an ABN
• Consider public liability or professional indemnity insurance

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $200 to $1,200, depending on your equipment, phone or fax set-up and any insurance you choose. Treat this as an estimate and keep costs low.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $200 to $1,000, depending on how many clients you attract and what you charge. Demand is small, so it may suit best as an add-on to other services.

Check whether the Privacy Act applies to you and how you will store and delete client files, as documents may be medical or legal. Also check your fax set-up over the NBN or VoIP, council approval for home businesses, your ABN and insurance.