Referral Service

Startup Costs: $2,000 - $10,000
Home Based: Can be operated from home.
Part Time: Can be operated part-time.
Franchises Available? No
Online Operation? Yes

If you're the one everybody in your circle calls for help when they're trying to find a good doctor, attorney, plumber or cleaning service, and if you love being on the phone, then a referral service could be the business for you. You can specialize in one area or several, depending on your preferences and the size of your town. You might run an attorney referral service, matching callers to specialists in family, real estate or criminal law; a physicians' service matching up potential patients with pediatricians, cardiologists and other health-care specialists; or a homeowners' network, referring consumers to plumbers, painters, and cleaning and lawn care services. Keep in mind that most areas have attorney and physician referral services through local bar associations and hospitals--if you want to compete with these, you'll have to come up with a special niche that will bring consumers to you. You can also specialize in travel and tours, entertainment, apartment rentals, baby-sitters, real estate agents, bridal services--just about any service that people need help with. You can also run your referral service online instead of on the phone--or do both. The choice is yours. The advantages to this business are that you get to spend all day on the phone and you get to talk to lots of interesting people. It's a good idea to have some background or experience in the type of referrals you'll specialize in. You'll thoroughly screen the businesses on your list, finding out how they work and what they do best, then checking references so you know you're referring consumers to only the best, which means you'll need good communication and people skills.

The Market

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Needed Equipment

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