Besides the conventional message taking that the industry is noted for, the Telephone Answering Service business also encompasses paging, voice mail, fulfillment, order entry and its latest innovation of Interactive Web Response (IWR). IWR integrates a web site with a live operator for answering questions or taking an order while you are both on a particular web site looking at your computer. In fact, the TAS business is quickly emerging into the contact center of tomorrow.

But in talking about starting a Telephone Answering Service (TAS), there are several starting points that one may consider: The first would be an Entry Level answering bureau. This would be a start-up business from scratch that would require a small capital investment. It could utilize a paper-based or paperless system for answering calls (hand written messages vs. typing them into a computer) and offer a basic answering service. This would be for the individual who is on a limited budget.

The second type would be someone who has an existing business such as a paging or alarm monitoring company who would like to complement his or her business with telephone answering. Let's call this type of start-up venture Start-Up II.

The third type of starting point would be someone who is buying an existing service. By the way, it is always cheaper to buy a service than to start one from scratch. These buyers are divided into two groups: 1. Existing Owners, who are buying TAS accounts only for impact and rolling those accounts into an existing bureau: and 2. New Buyers, who purchase the business as a going concern and either wish to run the business themselves, or operate it as an absentee owner or add new technology to become web-enabled..

So let's address these different areas:

• Entry Level
• Start Up II
• Existing Owners Buying Accounts Only
• New Buyers to the Industry

Tas Marketing
233 Whitepine Creek Road • Trout Creek, MT 59874
Phone: 800 369-6126 • Fax: (406) 827-4554