That's 4.7 million calls, not minutes. The average number of minutes each caller was on the line was five minutes and the average cost of a call was $10.
Forty-Seven Million dollars was grossed in less than 30 days.
This is only a small sampling of the many uses a 900 line can be used for
Dozens of categories for 900-number services exist, but they boil down to four basic concepts: romance, financial, maintenance, and entertainment.
"Romance" line- that is, true confession, dating, and similar topics--now earn about 80 percent of all industry revenues. However, like the video industry, that situation is changing rapidly as the business becomes more professional and offers stronger concepts to consumers.
"Financial" appeals to people's urges to make money, save money: stock and bond price lines, sports updates for gamblers, and horse racing lines.
"Maintenance" refers to technical support lines. A computer operator, for example, must call a technical support number because they are having problems with either there software or hardware.
"Entertainment" refers to everything else, mostly for recreational purposes: miscellaneous products and services,soap opera updates, rock stars, and contest.
FIVE SERVICE METHODS
To satisfy these four basic concepts, you can offer one of the five methods which your target market can call:
* Interactive auditext--pre-recorded messages responds to caller's choice.
* Live audio: an operator or group discussion interacts with a caller. Obviously, this is more expensive for you to operate than pre-recorded messages.
* Interactive video: a caller's personal computer retrieves text and graphics from an on-line data base.
* Facsimile: sends pre-stored faxes of printed information in response to caller request. News reports, stock reports and so forth can be made available through pre-programmed computerized fax services.
* Messaging: callers leave recorded messages, such as their name, address, product specifications, order information, etc.
TWO TYPES OF SERVICE
Once you choose a method that suits your concept, you have to decide whether to market it locally or nationally. A national line uses a 900 number offered through one of four national common carriers. Telesphere Information Services 900, AT&T, Sprint Gateways, and MCI. Or, if you want to start locally, you can contract with your local telephone company for a local or regional 976 line.
T. Harv Eker, a young California entrepreneur known as the "Biz Opp Wiz," said in a recent report on 900-number service business, " I recommend that a small " infopreneur" start with a local 976 number to learn the ins and outs of this risky business. You can study your target market and test your advertising and your service idea for far less than it costs to start a 900 service."
Experts show that eight or nine out of every ten 900 services fail. However, if your concept hits big, you can make phenomenal profits. And you can reduce your risk by following the experts' advice about how to choose and market the best idea.
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