Beginner’s Guide on Starting a Call Centre Business in the United Kingdom
This guide focuses on the essential aspects you need to consider before starting a call centre business of your own. Operating a call centre business is going to depend on four things:
- You have a practical business plan with a solid foundation.
- Your willingness, passion, and commitment to launching this business. You must be willing to do what it takes to reach your goals and see your business succeed.
- You need to have basic knowledge of what a call centre business entails.
- You are working with the right team of people to help you launch the business.
What Is A Call Centre Business?
A call centre business is a centralised location where customer enquiries are directed to. Businesses either have an inbound or outbound call centre to help handle their customers and direct them to the appropriate solutions. An inbound call centre is based and operated by the business’s administrator. Outbound call centres are primarily for debt collection, market research, or donations as an example.
Your call centre is going to be the main contact point for a business’s customer. Call centres are generally part of the business’s customer relationship management aspect. It is the most effective way for a business to manage its customers. By starting a call centre business, your clients will come to you when they need a third-party agency to handle their outsourcing customer interactions. In other words, this is your customer service hub.
Before you go ahead with your company registration in the United Kingdom, you need to set a budget and determine what type of call centre you want to open. Would you prefer a virtual or on-site type of centre? You would also need to define your goals for your business under your business plan. This will give you a clear idea of where you see your business going in the next several years.
There are key features that distinguish a good call centre from a bad one. These key features are:
- You must be accessible
- You must be customer-focused
- You must be friendly and good-natured
- You must be supportive and empathetic toward your customers.
What You Need to Get Before You Register
Before the business registration process can commence, you will also need to ensure you have the necessary budget to acquire your setup. The key things you need for your call centre are:
- A high-speed internet connection
- Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
- A customer relationship management solution
- A help desk
- A Multi-Level Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
- Real-time reporting
The Business Registration Process
Once you have decided that a call centre is the right business model for you, the next step is to gather your documents. Once you have your paperwork in place, you can get to work on your business registration process. A company incorporation service provider like 3E Accounting can make this part of the process much easier for you.
If you’re a foreign entrepreneur that is looking at starting a call centre business and establishing a base of business in the United Kingdom, your first step should be to get in touch with a corporate service provider in the United Kingdom like 3E Accounting. We will be able to advise you right from the start about what steps you need to take. This way, we ensure that the process is done right from the very beginning.
A general overview of what the business registration process entails looks like this:
- Research and choose your new business name
- Choose your preferred legal structure
- Gather your documents and prepare for the registration process
- Prepare your business plan
- Secure the adequate funding needed
- Buy the call centre equipment and technology that you will need to run your business
- Buy the necessary business insurance
- Organise a professional services provider like 3E Accounting to handle your taxes
Out of all the steps above, funding is your most crucial aspect. Your business is going to need funds to survive before it can turn a profit. Ideally, you should have secured enough funding to last you at least 6 to 12 months.
Licenses and Permits Needed
Not all businesses in the United Kingdom require special licenses and permits. In some cases, you may be able to operate without one. In the United Kingdom, you don’t need a special license or permit to operate a call centre.
If you’re ready to launch your call centre business in the United Kingdom, contact 3E Accounting today.
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