Review Competitors

Before you open an answering and referral service in your town, it's a good idea to see how you will fit in the competitive landscape. Try our link below to get a list of local competitors near you. After clicking on the link, type in your city, state and zip code to get a list of answering and referral services near you.

• Locate Answering & Referral Services Near You

Prior to opening your doors for business, be sure you fully understand the competitive landscape and where your new business will fit in.

Turning Competitors Into Collaborators

If you are seriously contemplating launching an answering and referral service, it's essential that you learn as much as you can from somebody who is already in the business. It's very unlikely that the local competition will talk to you. Why would they want to educate a future competitor?

However, a fellow entrepreneur who has started an answering and referral service outside of your community may be willing to share their entrepreneurial wisdom with you, once they realize that you are not going to directly compete with them in their community. In fact, they are often very willing to share startup advice with you. In my experience, you may have to call ten business owners in order to find one who is willing to share his wisdom with you.

Want the scoop on finding somebody who runs an answering and referral service who is willing to talk to you but doesn't live nearby?

It's easy. Here's a link you can use to find a mentor outside of your area.

• Find Answering & Referral Service Owners Who Might Advise You

Is Franchising the Right Option?

Franchising lets you take advantage of franchisor expertise and name recognition.

Before you get too far along in your plan to open an answering and referral service, you would be wise to assess whether there are good franchise opportunities available that might be worth investigating.

The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.

• Franchising Lists