Call Handling Subcontracting: A Growth Opportunity for New Virtual Secretary Businesses

You’ve just created your call center or virtual secretary business and you’re unsure how to build a solid client base?

Subcontracting can be a powerful lever to develop your activity. It allows you to quickly find clients, gain experience and secure income while you work toward building your own full client portfolio.

Subcontracting with Ubicentrex

We work with call centers of all sizes.
As a result, we frequently receive subcontracting requests from call centers whose call flow becomes too high for them to manage internally.

We connect them free of charge with newly established virtual secretaries or call answering services looking for clients.
It is then up to both parties to define the terms of their collaboration.

The Benefits

Gain real experience

You build experience by handling overflow calls from other call centers.

Thanks to Ubicentrex, the subcontractor and the main call center can configure multiple call routing parameters.
For example, you can decide to subcontract a call when the waiting time exceeds 30 seconds in the main center.
The call is then automatically redirected to your telephone answering service so you can take over.

Grow your professional network

This helps you get visibility in the industry and expand your professional network.
As we explained in this article, word of mouth is essential for finding new clients.

Learn the software at your own pace

Subcontracting allows you to get familiar with the software slowly.
So when the time comes to manage your own clients, you’ll be fully operational and autonomous.

by Arthur Coiffard

How to Create Your Pricing Structure

Analyze the Market and the Cost of Your Activity

Before defining your pricing, there are essential steps you should not skip:

Market analysis

It is crucial to know your competitors’ prices in order to place yourself within the right pricing range.
If you offer specialized call center services, higher-than-average prices may be justified.
On the other hand, if your call center provides more “classic” virtual secretary services, you should align your prices with the market.

Activity analysis

Being a virtual secretary means having a workload that fluctuates depending on the time of year.
Outsourcing call handling has advantages and disadvantages, and you must learn to navigate them effectively.

A significant part of your activity is linked to overflow call periods from businesses that delegate their call surges to you.
This means your workload and income increase when their business activity increases.
However, when their activity slows down, your income will decrease as well.

On the other hand, outsourcing medical secretary services offers more stable revenue throughout the year.

Estimate your operating costs, define a margin to cover expenses and monthly costs, and stick to it.
Do not accept price negotiations.

Adapt Your Pricing Model to Your Activity

You’ve understood it: your pricing model must match your type of clients and the nature of your service.

Monthly packages

You can offer several monthly plans.
For the client, this provides personalized virtual secretary services tailored to their needs in terms of quantity and quality.
For you, packages make it easier to build client loyalty and give you more predictable revenue.
For example, you can offer plans that include a set number of calls per month.

Tier-based pricing

Establish decreasing pricing tiers depending on the volume of calls handled.

Per-call pricing

You can bill each call individually and apply different rates depending on the type of call
• outbound calls to landlines
• outbound mobile calls
• SMS reminders
• inbound calls

The Ubicentrex Advantage

Our automatic billing module automatically counts every service used by your clients.
You simply set your prices once, and invoices are generated automatically at the end of each month.
You can now bill quickly and efficiently, applying default prices or company-specific pricing.

by Arthur Coiffard

How to Find New Clients?

You’ve just launched your virtual secretary business and you’re unsure where to begin when it comes to prospecting and client retention? Here are a few tips to help you get started right.

Be Visible Online

Having a website is a real asset. Competition in the virtual secretary and independent call-answering market is intense.
For potential clients to find you through a simple online search, your website needs proper preparation.
A targeted and well-executed SEO strategy is essential so your site appears quickly in searches made by potential clients.

Leverage Social Media

If you’re not ready to invest time in building a website, turn to social networks. They are a powerful communication channel for independent professionals.

Make yourself known on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Share relevant posts about your activity and engage with other virtual secretaries and your existing clients. This helps build the image of an active professional who is committed to their work and customer base.
This visibility can only help you attract new clients.

LinkedIn deserves a special mention: it allows you to showcase your services to other professionals and connect with them directly via the platform’s opportunities.

Don’t Underestimate Networking and Word of Mouth

While online presence is essential, networking and word of mouth remain the most effective ways to find new clients.

By building a loyal client base, your customers will recommend you within their own networks.
Nurturing your relationships is the best way to see them grow.

You can rely on different networks
• your customers’ network
• other virtual secretary services
• your suppliers
• professional groups

The Ubicentrex Advantage

If you’re looking for clients or subcontracting opportunities, Ubicentrex gives you access to its extensive professional network.

If you’re just starting your virtual secretary business, we can connect you with call centers and other virtual secretaries using our software who are actively looking for subcontractors.
This gives you the chance to build a client base while developing your business.

by Arthur Coiffard

Home-Based Virtual Secretaries, Boost Your Productivity!

According to a study by Easy-Panel, two out of three employees feel they waste too much time at work. Why? Small interruptions throughout the day that seem insignificant on their own but, when added together, lead to a significant loss of productivity.

For home-based virtual secretaries who handle continuous incoming calls, these disruptions are unavoidable. The constant flow of calls structures the day unpredictably. Naturally, these interruptions harm concentration and hinder productivity.

However, by adopting a few good work habits, you can save valuable time and stop watching it slip away!

1. Handle your most complex tasks in the morning

The first two hours of the morning are when motivation and concentration are at their peak.
Take advantage of this time for complex tasks, then move on to emails afterward.

2. Set time goals for certain tasks

Give yourself goals to complete within a specific time frame (20 or 30 minutes) and keep track of your actions throughout the day.
This introduces discipline into your workday, especially when working from home.

When you assign a fixed time to a task, you subconsciously push yourself to respect the deadline.

3. The “CAP Method”: for an organized inbox

To stay efficient, focus on one objective at a time.
Sorting and processing emails are two separate actions, which is why organizing your inbox properly is essential.

“C” for Classify
Sort your emails into two categories: those requiring an immediate answer and those to keep for later.

“A” for Action
Respond quickly to emails or tasks that require immediate attention.

“P” for Trash
Don’t drown in a flood of informational emails. Read them and delete them.

4. Review your results at the end of the week

It is essential to analyze what you’ve accomplished during the week.
On one hand, review which goals you reached and which weren’t met (number of inbound calls handled, rejected calls, etc.).
This gives you a precise understanding of what your work method allows you to achieve week after week.
Your telephone answering service must be optimal.

On the other hand, assess the number of hours actually spent working.
You’ll be able to adjust your work habits based on the ratio of goals achieved versus time spent.

5. A time for work, and a time for personal life

Speaking of working hours, it is crucial to clearly define your work time so it does not spill over into your private life.
Always maintain a predetermined work-life balance to avoid distraction and reduced efficiency.

by Arthur Coiffard

Billing Software

Are you planning to use billing software? Ubicentrex offers a fully integrated billing tool! With this module, you benefit from completely automated billing.

Advantages of Billing Software

Billing software allows companies to manage and track invoices easily through a system that requires no technical expertise.
It enables you to create, edit and manage invoices and quotes quickly, automate recurring invoices for clients, send invoices by email, or print them for postal delivery or faxing.
It also helps track payments, delays and follow-up reminders.

The Ubicentrex billing tool gives you all these features for free and requires no installation.

Why Use Billing Software?

Many companies use billing software. However, choosing the right solution is crucial to saving time and money.
Businesses must evaluate their needs when selecting a billing tool. Ubicentrex has taken these requirements into account and developed a free, user-friendly billing software that fully complies with current invoicing regulations.

With Ubicentrex, you can
• Generate invoices automatically
• Define general and client-specific pricing rules
• Automate accounting and follow-up processes
• Use direct debit payments
• Reduce payment delays

The billing feature allows you to manage your accounting effortlessly.
You can monitor your consumption and your clients’ usage in detail.
No more worrying about unpaid invoices thanks to our automatic reminder letters.

A complete invoice history is also available.
You can define subscriptions and one-off usages, and send invoices by post, email or fax.

by Benjamin Lauriol