Did you know that those people who call you and try to persuade you to pay your old debts may not be working in some big, central office? That’s right, many of the debt collectors that are making money trying to get a piece of yours are actually home – based professionals. With the economy in its current slow state of affairs, many people have fallen behind on their bills and their creditors are calling on collection agencies for help in collecting payments.
In order to be a successful home – based debt collector, you must have the right personality. If you are patient enough to listen to the people that you are calling as they explain the often complicated situations which have led to their inability to pay their bills, you are off to a good start. If you can empathize with how overwhelmed and frustrated they may be feeling, that can go a long way towards helping them figure out whether there is a way that they can begin to pay something towards the debt. Remember, the people that you are calling are usually good people who have come upon hard times.
A separate space within your home is a must for this type of home – based business. The conversations that you are having are very private and sensitive and background noise must be shut out in order to maintain a professional appearance. The equipment that you need is fairly simple – a dedicated phone line may be all you need to get started and you can add other things like a fax machine and debt collection software as you go along.
Rules and licensing requirements may vary from state to state, so be sure to investigate these right at the beginning of your exploration of whether this is the business for you. Also, your business will be governed by the provisions of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act so be sure that you have read it and that you understand its provisions.
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