Cut Small Business Costs & Keep Thriving In 2026

Published 1 month ago

Originally published June 2023

Employing a full-time receptionist in Australia typically costs $71,000-$85,000+ per year, factoring in super, leave loading, WorkCover and recruitment. OfficeHQ’s virtual reception service starts from $33 per month. That’s a potential saving of more than $70,000 a year – without sacrificing a professional caller experience and allowing you to capture more opportunities than is currently possible.

Running a small business in Australia right now means dealing with rising costs from every direction. Wages. Rent. Energy. Insurance. Fuel. Margins are under pressure. Most business owners are looking hard at where they can cut without compromising the service their customers expect.

Outsourcing call answering is one of the highest-impact, lowest-risk ways to do exactly that. With OfficeHQ, your calls are answered by professional receptionists in your business’s name, around the clock – at a fraction of what an in-house hire actually costs.

With more than 22 years of experience helping Australian businesses streamline their operations, we’ve seen first-hand how this switch transforms not just the bottom line, but the way business owners spend their time.

What does an in-house receptionist actually cost in Australia?

Hiring an in-house receptionist or your own reception team can be a significant financial burden for small businesses. The costs associated with recruitment, training, salaries, benefits and infrastructure can quickly add up.

Cost	Estimated annual amount
Base salary (full-time receptionist)	$60,000–$65,000
Superannuation (11.5%)	$6,900–$7,475
Annual leave loading (17.5%)	$875–$956
WorkCover insurance (avg ~1.5%)	$900–$975
Recruitment and training (amortised)	$3,000–$5,000
Total estimated annual cost	$71,675–$84,406+

Based on ABS Employee Earnings data for administrative and secretarial workers, current ATO Superannuation Guarantee rate, and Fair Work Australia annual leave loading provisions. Costs vary by state, industry and individual circumstances.

The table above doesn’t account for sick days, public holidays, the productivity gap when your receptionist is unavailable – or the calls that go unanswered and the leads that go to a competitor as a result.

What does OfficeHQ’s virtual reception service cost?

With OfficeHQ’s live call answering services, small businesses can forget all those expenses and simply pay per call (or per minute) for the calls we answer on their behalf. This flexible approach can result in substantial cost savings.

For example, instead of paying $200-plus per day for a receptionist’s wages, you can pay roughly a couple of dollars per call – depending on your plan, taking into account your service requirements and call volumes – safe in the knowledge that concurrent calls and calls after-hours will be answered.

OfficeHQ plans start from just $25 per month for a message-taking answering service, $33 per month for a full virtual reception service that includes call transfers when appropriate and $49 per month for services that allow for more complex interactions (such as order-taking, payment processing, lead input directly into your CRM or appointment scheduling using your online calendar). There’s no lock-in contract and you can scale your plan up or down as your call volumes change.

Even on a mid-range plan suited to a small business, the annual cost is a small fraction of full-time employment – with the added benefit that you’re never paying for sick days, annual leave or quiet periods.

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How virtual reception gives your business a competitive edge

Cost saving alone would be reason enough for most business owners. But the competitive advantage goes further.

Every call answered – not just during business hours

With a team of professional receptionists available 24/7, your business never goes to voicemail. Calls answered after hours, during lunch, or when your team is on a job represent real revenue that would otherwise be lost. Research consistently shows that a significant proportion of callers who reach voicemail won’t call back – they’ll simply call a competitor instead.

A professional experience your callers will remember

Your calls are answered in your business’s name, following your instructions. Callers experience a seamless, professional interaction. There’s no indication they’ve reached an off-site team, meaning no compromises on the quality of your first impression.

More focus on the work that actually grows your business

Removing the distraction of a constantly ringing phone lets you and your team concentrate on what you do best. For trades businesses, as an example, time spent on the phone is time not spent on the tools – and that has a direct cost. For sole traders in any industry, who already juggle many hats, inefficiencies hits particularly hard.

Scalability without the headcount

Overflow calls during busy periods, after-hours calls, and cover during staff leave are all handled without the need to hire additional staff or pay agency fees. As your business grows, your plan grows with it.

While OfficeHQ also answers calls for government organisations and major corporations, we’re driven to ensure we remain affordable for even the smallest of businesses. That’s why we even offer extremely flexible, pay-as-you-go options with no lock-in contracts.

Real results from Australian businesses

By outsourcing call answering to a specialised Australian-owned-and-operated virtual reception service provider like OfficeHQ, small business owners can have peace of mind that their calls are answered promptly, in a courteous and professional manner, while enhancing their productivity and overall efficiency. Here’s some real-world examples of how our clients have benefited.

Bostock Pools, Wollongong

After transitioning to OfficeHQ, Bostock Pools reduced their reception costs by 93% compared to employing a full-time receptionist. The saving was significant, but the business also gained something they hadn’t expected: the peace of mind that comes from knowing every call is handled professionally, even when they’re in the middle of a job.

JGID, Sydney

Andre Quin, CEO of Sydney software company JGID, describes the switch to OfficeHQ as “one of the best business and lifestyle decisions I have ever made”, pointing to improvements in both client communication and operational efficiency.

Rebound Rehab and Recovery, Canberra

Director Matthew Rodgers describes OfficeHQ’s service as “prompt, polite and professional” – and notes that his own clients have commented positively on their experiences calling the business.

Which businesses benefit most from virtual reception?

Virtual reception suits businesses of almost any size or type, but it tends to deliver the greatest impact for:

Sole traders and micro-businesses – where the owner is the business and answering every call personally isn’t feasible
Trades and field service businesses – where being on-site makes phone management difficult and missed calls are expensive
Professional services firms – where the quality of the first impression directly affects client confidence
Small businesses with variable call volumes – where paying a full-time salary for a receptionist doesn’t make financial sense
Businesses that receive calls outside standard office hours – where after-hours answering captures leads that would otherwise be lost

How to get started

Getting up and running with OfficeHQ is straightforward – with instant activation of our 7-day free trial and easy setup, most businesses are live within just a few minutes!

Start your free trial – test the service, without any obligation
Brief your receptionists – add business details and instructions via our online portal, including how you’d like calls answered, what information to capture and how to handle different call types
Set up call forwarding
After the trial, choose a plan based on your needs and call volume – talk to our team if you’re not sure which plan is right for you

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FAQs

How much does a virtual receptionist cost compared to an in-house receptionist in Australia?

An in-house receptionist typically costs $71,000-$85,000 per year including super, leave loading, WorkCover and recruitment. OfficeHQ’s virtual reception plans start from $25 per month ($300/year), with the typical annual cost being around $2,220/year on our most popular plan. The potential annual saving for most small businesses runs well into the tens of thousands of dollars.

Will callers know they’re not speaking to someone in my office?

No. Your calls are answered in your business’s name, using your preferred greeting. Our professional receptionists are trained to represent your business seamlessly – callers experience the same quality of interaction they’d expect from an in-house team.

What happens to calls outside business hours?

OfficeHQ can provide 24/7 live call answering, with Australian receptionists available around the clock, so calls outside standard business hours can be handled exactly the same way as calls during the day. You can set specific instructions for after-hours calls – such as taking messages only, or escalating urgent matters.

Can I use virtual reception alongside my existing staff?

Yes – many businesses use OfficeHQ as overflow support when their in-house team is busy, to handle calls during staff absences or to ensure after-hours cover. It works either as a standalone service or complementing your existing team.

How quickly can I get started with OfficeHQ and do I need to commit for a specific time?

OfficeHQ offers a 7-day free trial, so you can test the service before committing to a plan. You can instantly activate your free trial online; by doing so, most businesses are up and running within just a few minutes! If you move onto a paid plan, there’s no lock-in contract. OfficeHQ operates on a month-to-month basis. If you need to make changes to your plan or cancel, you can do so without penalty.