Did your grandmother just find another way to leave you dumbfounded by asking, in her most casual voice, and over some dainty tea and scones, to tell her about your experiences when hiring an answering service? You haven’t hired one yet, and her internet business savvy might just be enough to make you lose the grip on your long English trifle spoon.

You see, it’s not the just the kids, these days, that are going online to find and create new sources of revenue; it’s the ‘rents and their ‘rents too. Regardless of how long or short a while a person’s been in business, no one can keep an enterprising momentum going on their own — growth will always demand that more personnel be added to the rosters. But how do you go about hiring for newly created positions when your immediate budget constraints will not cover them? The predicament is an example of a stage in business life where considering something like telephone answering services becomes necessary.

These valuable services quickly become essential to the everyday running of your online store or home business. Telephone answering services provide the decorum and professionalism that can become exceedingly hard to bring forth if you are a harried owner looking after product development as well as accounting and billing. How can you possibly summon the patience to take on the very same questions from customers, day in and day out, when there are so many other things to resolve? It’s impossible, if you’re honest, because there aren’t enough hours in the day to get everything done if it’s just you. Even doctors with private practices have been known to take advantage of the many benefits offered by a high-quality medical answering service.

If your grandmother’s party supplies business has been gathering a lot steam lately, maybe you can help her out by researching the deets on the popular call center that’s offering good deals for its service. It’s more than likely your grandmother already has a soft spot in her heart for you — even if you’re thirty, you’re still her grandchild — and she’ll really appreciate your help.

Sam Walters is a writer living in Los Angeles. Her writing appears in print and online.