How to Start Your Own Medical Call Center Service?

Want to switch gears and start your own medical call center service? You can do so easily and with just a few steps. Here are some important elements to keep in mind when starting a call center service.

Starting Your Own Medical Call Center Service: What Do You Need to Do? 

Starting your own medical call center is simple. All you need is a group of good call center agents and a reliable voice over internet protocol (VoIP) system. You can start with a small group of agents that you can train, and then grow gradually in numbers. Additionally, a VoIP system can be purchased and set up along with virtual numbers from a cloud-based phone service provider like United World Telecom (https://www.unitedworldtelecom.com/). So, what steps do you need to follow to start your own call center service?

1. Create a Business Plan: Decide What Your Call Center Will Do

First, you need to determine what type of services your medical call center will provide. Will it be an inbound center handling incoming calls or an outbound center making outbound phone calls? This is important because it influences how you will train your agents, market the business, and what software needs to be purchased.

Draw up a business plan detailing important elements of your service as well as making note of market research and budgeting plans. Consider these questions:

  • Who is your target audience? How will you target them? What will your marketing budget be?
  • How many agents do you want to have? Should they be experienced or newbies?
  • How will you brand your business?
  • What equipment, office supplies, technology, or software might you need? Make a budget for these elements.

Deciding these factors beforehand will help give you an idea of what you may be getting into so you can be prepared.  Yes, preparation is key, and being foresighted pays off. What makes a business successful is the attentiveness of its employees. These are reasons enough to get a professional telephone answering service.

2. Form a Legal Entity

Next, you start establishing your call center as a legit business. Choose what legal entity you want your business to come under: Corporation, Limited Liability Company (LLC), or Doing Business As (DBA). Doing so will keep you, the business owner, from being personally liable, in case you are sued or need to file for bankruptcy.

3. Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN)

After that, apply for your EIN number through the Internal Revenue Service’s (IRS) website or by mail.

4. Register for Taxes and Open Bank Accounts

Once an EIN number is issued, you must register for state and federal taxes, as required. This is a necessary step that must be completed before opening a new business. Then, open business bank accounts and get a credit card for business needs. This is a good way to keep your personal and business accounts separate.

5. Obtain Necessary Permits 

Acquire the necessary permits and licenses to avoid fines. Different states have different requirements, so it is necessary to understand what your state needs you to do. Do the same for local requirements.

6. Purchase the Right Equipment and Call Center Software

Finally, purchase equipment, tools, technology, or software. For a medical call center, you may need to purchase desk phones and headsets that support the multiple lines connected to your VoIP set-up. Research and decide on a virtual phone service provider for your VoIP service and to purchase your business phone number. Those aside, you may also want to look into customer relationship management (CRM) systems and call tracking software to get analytics, reports, and to store customer information. Make sure that your expenses match your budget so that you start without any obstacles.

7. Hire and Train Agents

Hire employees and train them to meet the standards you set for the medical call center. Provide them with educational and informational materials that ensure they do a good job.

8. Market and Start Calling

Finally, once your business is set and ready to go, it is time to market and promote it. Create and optimize your website. Enter the business in local directories. Target medical services that come under your target audience. Build connections and networks. Engage actively on social media. Consider digital marketing to further increase visibility.

Author Bio: Meryl D’Sa loves to work with words. She’ll write, she’ll edit, she’ll read. Her favorite writing topics are travel, books, relationships, humor, and communication.