All Advice welcome

[Jack H]

Hi All!

This is my first thread on here so I'm not completely sure what to expect but here it goes!

So, I've had an idea of starting up my own customer service business where businesses can outsource some of their workload to us. Ideally this will be customer interaction such as emails, social media etc however with my skill set I'd be happy to take on any data entry, following up leads, representing them at face to face events, representing them in a retail environment. Basically, the limit of what I could do for them is endless and the skills I don't have currently, I'd be willing to learn.

Initially I would start out on my own (freelance) and when I have enough workload I would look to expand my workforce. My main question to you guys would be how would I market this and what sort of costings would I be looking at?

This is literally just an idea at the moment but the more I think about it the more excited I get. I think there's a big enough demand out there what do you guys think?

 

[Mr D]

Representing them in a retail environment? Like a sales rep?
Many operate with smaller businesses, representing multiple ones across an area and visiting retailers to flog junk / sell outstanding quality goods.

 

[BusterBloodvessel]

I can only throw at you what my initial questions would be if you came and pitched your services?

- How do I know you're any good at all of the above? What's your skills/background/track record?

- How can you represent me at something you know nothing about? You could be asked to represent somebody selling fence panels one day and somebody selling face cream the next. How will you have enough knowledge of the product/service to represent them?

- Ditto with industry knowledge as well as product (I am not sure if you are talking representing people B2B or B2C). If it's B2B - do you understand enough about the industry to follow up the leads with the best potential - and where to potentially not follow them up to avoid conflicts of interest? Do you have the ability to recognise competitor product and pitch appropriately, or know where you should be pitching pricing, or where to find potential weaknesses in a customers' offering that you could exploit and offer a better solution?

- What do you offer that I can't get from other sources? I have a PR company and creative agency that do my social media, there are plenty of services available for admin/data entry, if I need sales representatives I can look at agency agreements, or if I really needed just one person to do all of the above it would potentially be a full time job and I'd employ someone.


Not trying to throw a dampener on it but that would be everything I would be asking (and more probably, I'll keep thinking!) and your answers would determine whether you could offer anything of value to me.

 

[CVRO]

One thing you need to be careful with is not to come across as a "jack of all trades, master of none".

I'd suggest you start by offering something you are really good at and then once you have the trust of yoir customers you should consider expanding to other areas.

In any case, the first customer will probably be hard to secure. So, one idea is to find a friend or relative who can offer you that first contract even if it's at a mate's rate.

 

[Jack H]

I can only throw at you what my initial questions would be if you came and pitched your services?

- How do I know you're any good at all of the above? What's your skills/background/track record?

- How can you represent me at something you know nothing about? You could be asked to represent somebody selling fence panels one day and somebody selling face cream the next. How will you have enough knowledge of the product/service to represent them?

- Ditto with industry knowledge as well as product (I am not sure if you are talking representing people B2B or B2C). If it's B2B - do you understand enough about the industry to follow up the leads with the best potential - and where to potentially not follow them up to avoid conflicts of interest? Do you have the ability to recognise competitor product and pitch appropriately, or know where you should be pitching pricing, or where to find potential weaknesses in a customers' offering that you could exploit and offer a better solution?

- What do you offer that I can't get from other sources? I have a PR company and creative agency that do my social media, there are plenty of services available for admin/data entry, if I need sales representatives I can look at agency agreements, or if I really needed just one person to do all of the above it would potentially be a full time job and I'd employ someone.


Not trying to throw a dampener on it but that would be everything I would be asking (and more probably, I'll keep thinking!) and your answers would determine whether you could offer anything of value to me.

Brilliant! that's exactly the sort of feedback that I needed! My expertise lie in customer service so that should be my focus! I'll bear all of this in mind when I come to putting together my business plan should I go any further with this

 

[Jack H]

One thing you need to be careful with is not to come across as a "jack of all trades, master of none".

I'd suggest you start by offering something you are really good at and then once you have the trust of yoir customers you should consider expanding to other areas.

In any case, the first customer will probably be hard to secure. So, one idea is to find a friend or relative who can offer you that first contract even if it's at a mate's rate.

I totally agree! Finding that first customer will be tough especially as I don't really have any friends or family to rely on for that first lead. Although I would be happy to start off really cheap in order to gain some traction. Any recommendations on how i should approach businesses?

 

[Jack H]

Representing them in a retail environment? Like a sales rep?
Many operate with smaller businesses, representing multiple ones across an area and visiting retailers to flog junk / sell outstanding quality goods.

I'm not really sure myself if I am honest! haha. I meant as in if they needed retail staff at an event when they might have a stall etc. Most of my expertise lie in retail and customer service so i just thought I would bounce the idea out there

 

[Mr D]

I'm not really sure myself if I am honest! haha. I meant as in if they needed retail staff at an event when they might have a stall etc. Most of my expertise lie in retail and customer service so i just thought I would bounce the idea out there

As a regular user of such events - staff that don't know the products and can't answer questions are not so good.

 

[Cubik]

Hey @Jack H

Welcome to the community!

Me myself is new here too, I've had some great advise so I'm sure you'll do well here. Essentially you're looking to do "Virtual PA" services?

Marketing

• Signup to PeoplePerHour.com
• Avoid Fiverr
• Get yourself a website, advertising YOU not your company.
• Get some business cards printed and hand them around to local businesses.

 

[fisicx]

This is literally just an idea at the moment but the more I think about it the more excited I get. I think there's a big enough demand out there what do you guys think?

Not really. There are loads of people already providing these services. One more isn’t going change anything. If you do decide to do this expect to spend more time marketing your services than you do actually providing the services.

 

[Darren_Ssc]

Although I would be happy to start off really cheap in order to gain some traction.

That's not going to work. You can't really convince me your service has any value if your first action is to discount it.

I would look for a niche that you can gain some understanding of and stay within that niche. If you succeed than you can widen that niche into other areas.

There is a lot scope, such as high value retail where there is often a disconnect between 'customer service' and what's actually happening on the ground. Check out the Facebook page of any major retailer to see this playing out.

How you could get involved, I don't know, but there is definitely a need for it.

 

[Alison Moore]

So tricky as you would need to understand the markets you were representing (as would your staff is you later expanded). We get asked really complex questions on a daily basis, which we are all expected to know all the answers to, and that has been the same in every job that I have ever done. You mention that your expertise is in customer service, but if you have a specialist field within this, then you could promote yourself in this particular field. It will be tricky though as in my experience, companies often prefer to hire a new member of staff rather than outsource it - but of course we are now living in different times, so that may no longer be the case. Good luck with the venture.

 

[CVRO]

I totally agree! Finding that first customer will be tough especially as I don't really have any friends or family to rely on for that first lead. Although I would be happy to start off really cheap in order to gain some traction. Any recommendations on how i should approach businesses?

It will be a tough process without knowing anybody to help you with that first contract.
Imagine you approach a business and they ask you about your experience with other businesses. You will have to spend a long time calling into a huge number of businesses to get that first yes.
Obviously, you can make your life a bit easier by targetting specific niches but make no mistake. It will be a long and hard slog to get it going but that's no different than most other startups.

 

[Office Mover]

Hi Jack, welcome to the forum. Quite a few people have mentioned needing to know a good deal about the service/product you might be representing, which is fair comment, however smaller businesses who perhaps cant afford full time office staff, might just need a 'human being' taking calls who can explain briefly what the company is about. You can then take details to pass on. Also with so many websites now that are making it hard to find a phone number, a personal touch might go a long way.