Virtual receptionist firm greets customers from afar

Starting a small business presents many challenges. The aspiring owner has to get financial backing, find a location and make other big decisions. With all of these issues on the ownerÂ’s mind, he or she might not think about who is going to answer the phone.

A few Fort Worth businesses have found the answer in Ruby Receptionists, a Portland, Ore.-based virtual receptionist company. This answering service sets up a toll-free number for its clients, who give that number to their customers. The call goes to Ruby, but the receptionist answers with the clientÂ’s greeting and company name. The receptionist then calls her client and asks whether he or she wants to take the call.

Sam Saladino, co-founder and CEO of Trinity Fiduciary Partners, uses the service and says it is great. Before moving into The Fort Worth Club building in downtown Fort Worth in April, he had a virtual office at his home.

“I wanted a professional service, and it’s hard to find a receptionist for $160 a month. Ruby is very professional. It’s really nice,” said Saladino, who decided to keep the service even after his move.

He said he looked into other services, but Ruby was the friendliest and most appealing.

“Everyone that works there is very friendly. Their Web site [callruby.com] is friendly, too,” he said.

Because SaladinoÂ’s business is small, he uses the first of three available plans. Option A is $159 a month, Option B is $269 and Option C is $569. The plans vary by number of receptionist minutes and number of voicemail boxes.

Missy Malone, owner of a mobile spa service called Spataneity, also uses Option A.

“We’re a very small business. It’s just me and my husband, Keith. So, we didn’t need a lot of minutes,” she said.

Malone started using the service in July 2005, shortly after starting her business. She, like Saladino, looked at similar answering services, but decided Ruby was the best choice for her.

“We wanted a real person; it’s more professional. And they gave us a 30-day trial,” she said.

Malone said she has between 300 and 400 clients. Her business is completely mobile, so a virtual receptionist works well with it. Malone uses her cell phone to take the calls since she is often on the road. Saladino also has the calls transferred to his cell phone because using a landline can result in expensive long-distance bills.

Saladino now has a tangible office and a part-time receptionist to greet clients, but still uses Ruby and even recommends it to other businesses. He and his business partner, Adam Auten, have about 20 clients and manage three different investment portfolios. Saladino said that hiring Ruby Receptionists was “one of our best business decisions.”

Jill Nelson is the founder and president of Ruby Receptionists, which she started in 2003.

“The overwhelming majority of our clients are small businesses – it’s who we serve best,” Nelson said.

According to Nelson, her company currently serves about 480 clients, and it’s “growing everyday.”

For more information, call 866-611-RUBY or visit callruby.com.

If you have a small-business story idea, contact Nici Sandberg at nsandberg@bizpress.net.