Start a Business
How to Start a Wake-Up Call Service
Opening a wake-up call service is your ticket to owning a good, stable business but it's important to plan out the business in detail before you start. We offer nuts-and-bolts information on successfully operating a small business.
Wondering how to start a wake-up call service? We take you step-by-step from start to success.
Wake-Up Call Services: A New Face On an Old Idea
Those who believe wake-up services are a startup concept that has been left behind in the digital age are in for a rude awakening. Although consumers are equipped with more electronic gadgetry than ever before, many still need to place control of their alarms and alerts in the hands of a third-party -- and with today's technology, there is an abundance of ways wake-up calls or alerts can be customized to individual consumer preferences.
At its core, wake-up call services operate the same as they always have: at a predetermined time, a paid service provider calls the customer and alerts them that it's time to either wake-up or meet an important deadline.
But what has changed is that today's leading wake-up call services leverage mobile and online technology to provide a seamless, fully tailored wake-up/alert experience. With the click of a mouse, customers can set multiple alerts, record their own greetings and receive 24/7 alert access, regardless of where they are located.
Wake-up call service entrepreneurs need to be forward thinking to survive in this fast-paced and constantly developing industry. Even though it's entirely impossible to launch your business from a virtual office, the most successful business owners are those who are proficient in adapting emerging technologies to deliver improvements in customer service and convenience.
Startup Tips for New Wake-Up Call Service Providers
Although every startup is unique, startup wake-up call service owners need to incorporate a handful of business concepts and strategies into their startup plan.
- User-Friendly Website. A user-friendly business website is your startup wake-up service's most important asset. Consumers simply won't take you seriously unless your site allows them to set up an account from which they can create customized call schedules, voice recordings and other features.
- Variable Pricing Plans. Variable pricing plans allow consumers to select a service that is affordable and flexible. While some services offer monthly plans ranging from $4 to $15 per month, others allow users to purchase prepaid credits that they can use to set up a call schedule that changes on a weekly or even daily basis.
- Mobile Features. Best-in-class wake-up call services go out of their way to incorporate advanced mobile features including text messaging, mobile-friendly account log-ins and more. If you are extremely ambitious, consider designing a system that uses mobile technology to deliver a daily weather report and headlines for your customers' current locations.
Essential Features of Business Plans for Wake-Up Call Services
Every business plan is unique, yet the most effective plans share a handful of essential traits.
If your plan lacks required elements like an executive summary or marketing plan, it could jeopardize its potential to deliver real benefits to your startup.
But in today's business environment, it's also important to discuss the external factors your wake-up call service is facing. As a rule, we recommend including a PEST (Political, Economic, Social & Technological) analysis in your business plan as a way of addressing potential threats and opportunities at the macro level.
Take a Look at Competitors
Prior to opening a wake-up call service within your community, it's a good idea to see how you will fit in the competitive landscape. We've provided the link below to help you find competitors in your area. Just enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of wake-up call services in your community.
It's important to be aware of what the competition is doing. Take the time to visit the competition to properly assess their strengths and weaknesses.
A Good Source of Advice
Once you've finished assessing the competion, it's a wise move to have a conversation with someone who is in the business. If you think owners of nearby wake-up call services will give you advice, think again. It'd be crazy for them to teach you the business.
Thankfully, an owner of a a wake-up call service outside of your community may be more than happy to give you a few tips, as long as they don't view you as a competitive threat. Many business owners are happy to give advice to new entrepreneurs If you are persistent, you can find a business mentor who is willing to help you out.
Want the scoop on finding a wake-up call service founder in another community?
Simply, try our helpful link below, type in a random city/state or zipcode, and start calling.
Advice for Acquiring a Wake-Up Call Service
Without a doubt, it usually makes more sense to acquire a wake-up call service than it does to pursue a startup.
Yet for many entrepreneurs, financing represents a major hurdle to buying a wake-up call service. Business acquisitions are easier to finance than business startups, even though the financing process can still be exhausting.
Our Business Acquisition Financing Tips have the information you need to successfully navigate the challenges of financing your new business.
Consider Franchising
The odds of achieving your primary goal of surviving in business greatly improve when you opt to franchise and benefit from the prior work of others and their lessons learned.
Before opening a wake-up call service, you would be wise to investigate whether franchising might be the right move for you.
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.
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