Telephone answering service with a small team

Trades firms, property managers, care providers, medical and dental practices and other small firms that want calls covered outside normal hours.

Monthly packages by hours or call volume, with higher rates for out-of-hours and urgent call handling.

• Managing and scheduling people
• Confident phone manner
• Setting up simple call scripts and processes

• Employer's liability insurance once you take on staff, and check employment status rules for anyone you engage
• Data protection: check your ICO registration and how you keep callers' details safe
• Keep handlers' home working set-up secure, with clear rules on confidentiality
• Calls from vulnerable or distressed people, so agree clear procedures with clients
• Check whether professional indemnity insurance is sensible for your clients

Estimates suggest startup costs typically around £1,000 to £5,000, depending on your call-handling software, phone set-up and how many handlers you bring in. Check employer's liability insurance once you take on staff.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around £1,500 to £7,500, depending on how many clients you sign up and how many evening and weekend hours you cover. Treat these as rough estimates, not guarantees.

Check your ICO registration and how you keep callers' details safe, plus employer's liability insurance and employment status rules if you take on handlers. Also check whether professional indemnity insurance suits your clients, and agree procedures for distressed callers.