March 26, 2025
How much money do you have to spend on a receptionist for your small business? If your hiring budget is looking a little slim, your first plan might be to cut a few corners where possible, avoid or pause hiring for a while, and start trimming your expenses.
That might not be necessary. If your small business is in any of the following industries (listed below) or if you work from home, a virtual small business receptionist can take care of all the duties an in-house receptionist would without requiring a desk, lunch breaks, salary, or benefits.
At a starting cost of only $1,639/year*, hiring a virtual receptionist through Conversational is the most cost-effective option for handling your phone calls, messages, and appointments.
The following industries report the most success when working with a virtual receptionist:
Industries that use virtual receptionists
- Health and Medical Offices – This type of business needs to be able to set appointments throughout the week without missing any calls. Virtual receptionists allow patients to call nearly all day and guarantee no calls are missed.
- Legal Firms & Practices – Whether it’s a full-fledged law firm with several partners or a solo law practice, a virtual receptionist removes the need to hire a full-time receptionist. Legal clients can be assisted with basic customer service, directed to voicemail, or scheduled for appointments through a virtual receptionist.
- Beauty & Aesthetics – Beauty salons, barber shops, nail salons, waxing clinics, and more can benefit from letting a virtual receptionist take the incoming calls, schedule appointments, and take/deliver messages.
- Real Estate Agents – Since real estate professionals are always out showing homes and working outside of the office, a virtual receptionist makes perfect sense.
- Service Providers – From landscapers to plumbers, those providing local services can certainly benefit from a virtual receptionist. This type of service needs after-hour emergency call capabilities and a virtual receptionist service provides this type of service.
- Home-Based Businesses – Any type of business based out of a home may want to use a virtual receptionist to appear more professional and much larger.
- Non-Profit Organizations – Since non-profits try to keep the list of full-time employees to the absolute minimum, a virtual receptionist service may help.
- Online Retail Stores – Online stores need to provide customer service all throughout the week. This can be difficult without a full support staff. A virtual receptionist may eliminate the need for a support staff.
The price of a small business receptionist
Please note: This information applies to Conversational virtual receptionists only. Unlike Conversational, other virtual receptionist providers may not offer appointment and booking services, can charge up to $2.39/minute, and may require you to enter legal contracts to use their services.
How much you pay for your virtual small business receptionist depends on the cost per minute, how much availability you’ll need, and the provider you select.
Industry research shows that Conversational offers the lowest per-minute plans of any provider in the industry for North American reception services – with per-minute cost as low as $1.25. Conversational also offers a 30 day free trial, earning you a free month of service with up to 1000 minutes included in the first month.
If your business has:
- Low or unpredictable call volume – go for the Starter plan (100 minutes/month)
- Low to medium call volume – check out the Professional plan (200 minutes/month)
- Medium to high call volume – you need the Enterprise plan (500 minutes/month)
Based on the plan you select, you will pay just $1,639 – $6,875 per year for your virtual receptionist. Compare that to the $33,000/year average salary for in-house receptionists and there really is no contest. Virtual receptionists are more cost-effective and offer a host of other benefits, too.
How to get started
Thinking a virtual small business receptionist might be the perfect solution for your business? Visit our Pricing Plans page to take a detailed look at the per-minute cost, features, and included tasks of our virtual receptionist services.
Ready to hit the ground running? Click the chat bubble below to start your 30 day free trial now!
