In these economic times a lot of businesses are looking to get out of business. And while that can be a bad thing for some, it can be a good thing for others. As those in the stock market know, a downturn in the market can present an opportunity for those who have the ability to pick up some bargains that will rebound and add value in the future. This buying a selling can help both the buyer and the seller. What is needed with business transactions like this is a good adviser and aid to make sure that the process goes smoothly and that both parties leave the table with the best result.
Let’s say you have a restaurant or restaurants for sale, you would like to get the best price you can for them while perhaps finding the correct buyer who will nurture the business and grow what you have developed. On the other hand the person who is looking for that restaurant for sale is trying to get the most they can for the money without picking up either a losing proposition or too much debt. Enter a good network that can help mate up those two goals.
If you look at a place such as the Merger Network, they can help you find a business for sale that suits the requirements you have without spending a fortune in hours or money weeding through all the options that are not really options for you. And if it is you who is looking to make the sale, you want to find a place in front of those people who are interested in buying a business. You don’t need to be flaunting your stuff an wasting your time with people who aren’t really interested.
Again, the downturns can be a time of opportunity, you just need to know where to look.
As I start looking at a new business we are developing, I keep looking back at all of our existing services from email and databases to phones and telecommunications. While looking at the phones bit, we are more and more intrigued by hosted Voice Over IP, and are probably going to go with a service like that from Qwest. But, we are also looking at the staffing levels behind those phone. Something that we really hadn’t thought off until recently was to outsource the initial level of call answering and triage. This would not only mean our phones could be answered 24 / 7, which we don’t do know, but that we could reduce staffing internally because the cumbersome part of the call would already be taken care of.
As we started looking at the benefits of an answering service a few more advantages came to mind. First, with answering services there is enhanced disaster recovery since the equipment and staff is not physically located in the same area we are. So, whatever might hit us would probably not hit them. Second, things like all-hours 800 numbers and tie-ins with our web site are much easier to accomplish since we don’t have to worry about the hours and whims of our normal staffing.
For an example of what can be done with an answering service I went and did some research and came back impressed by Map Communications. Not only do they have a long history in the business, but they have a very impressive feature set. Sure, we could do all this in house, but to build all of that – especially in these tough economic times – just doesn’t seem like the fiscally responsible way to go.
Do you have any experience with outsourced answering services and call manager functions? Can you give me any feedback?
These offers just arrived in my inbox, and I thought some of you might be interested in some good travel deals, so here you go! I know I am certainly looking into going away to Asheville for the weekend.
From coastal beaches, championship golf courses, historic cities and mountain getaways – the Carolinas offer something to everyone who visits. Diverse landscapes include expansive white beaches, majestic mountain ranges, culture, nightlife and fun.
Not much to say about this, just give it a watch. In addition to being absolutely hilarious, John Stewart makes some very good points. John Stewart and the crew of Comedy Central’s Daily Show totally obliterate John McCain’s acceptance speech before the Republican National Convention. Make sure to watch all the way to the end – interesting comparisons.
