e-PA

What e-PA does

e-PA is a privately held, UK-based outsourced customer service and telephone answering provider headquartered in Shanklin on the Isle of Wight, with a secondary office in Chania, Greece. Founded in 2000 (per corporate history) or 2002 (per firmographics) and operating for over 25 years, the company delivers virtual receptionist and multi-channel customer support to UK sole traders and SMBs across sectors including property, legal, healthcare, hospitality, trades, and professional services. Its core products are Telephone Answering (full or part-time), Customer Service Teams (multi-channel phone, email, live chat, social, web forms), and Outsourced Switchboard, supplemented by add-ons such as business telephone numbers, postal addresses, appointment/diary management, custom voicemail, live video receptionist, and — most recently — an AI telephone answering service ("Grace") launched in February 2026 alongside a managed AI Agent Management offering.

The underlying platform integrates client CRMs, calendars, and vertical-specific systems (Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket, Alto) to allow PAs to operate as an extension of the client's office. e-PA's business model is subscription-based with monthly billing, entry pricing of £21pcm for outsourced switchboard and £45pcm for customer service teams, a three-month minimum contract term, and a 3% annual price escalator. Customer acquisition is sales-led, direct, and digital-first, combining SEO, content marketing, referrals, and a one-week free trial as the primary conversion mechanism, with account managers assigned post-signup to tailor service packages. The company is bootstrapped with no external funding disclosed and operates with 11–50 employees.

Name

e-PA

Legal name

e-PA

Website

https://e-pa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

e-PA is a UK-based, bootstrapped provider of outsourced telephone answering and multi-channel customer service for sole traders and SMBs across property, legal, healthcare, and trade sectors, with subscription pricing from £21pcm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Virtual Receptionist and Outsourced Customer Service

NAICS

Telephone Call Centers (56142), Office Administrative Services (5611)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAAAAAF

Billing, Payments & Account Administration Centers

Business & Public Services/Administrative & Support Services (BPO, Call Centers, Back Office)/Customer Contact Centers (Inbound/Outbound, Voice)

SECONDARYIMAIALAK

Workplace Technology & Smart Office Support (Room Booking Systems, IT/AV Liaison)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Services & Facility Operations/Facility Operations Support Services (Mailroom/Reception/Catering/Workplace Services)

Keywords

• Telephone answering services
• Virtual receptionist services
• Outsourced switchboard
• Customer service outsourcing
• Call handling services

Headquarters

HQ city

Shanklin

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Telephone Answering (Full/Part-time): e-PA acts as a full-time or part-time virtual secretary/receptionist answering all inbound calls in the client's company name. Pricing is subscription-based with packages starting from £21pcm for outsourced switchboard and £45pcm for customer service teams. A free one-week trial is offered. Minimum contract term is 3 months.
2. Customer Service Teams: Multi-channel support packages covering telephone, live chat, social media, email, and web form handling, priced from £45pcm for full-time office team coverage.
3. AI Telephone Answering Add-on: AI-powered 24/7 telephone answering service for after-hours coverage, offered as an add-on to existing plans.
4. Business Postal Addresses: Professional high street or city addresses provided to clients for mail receiving and forwarding services.
5. Business Telephone Numbers: Supply and management of business telephone numbers including Freephone (0800), Premium (0845), Local, and International number types.
6. Creative Design Services: Creative design services offered through dedicated creative PA teams for branding, marketing materials, and design work.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

e-PA provides outsourced telephone answering, multi-channel customer service teams, and outsourced switchboard services to UK businesses, acting as a full-time or part-time virtual receptionist. Services cover inbound call handling, live chat, email, social media, web forms, and video, complemented by add-ons such as AI telephone answering (24/7), business telephone numbers, business postal addresses, and creative design services.

Product overview

e-PA is a UK-based outsourced customer service provider offering a comprehensive suite of virtual receptionist and business support services. The core offering consists of three main services: Telephone Answering Service (full/part-time virtual secretary), Customer Service Teams (multi-channel support for phones, chat, email, social), and Outsourced Switchboard (professional receptionist teams). These core services are supported by a wide range of add-on modules including AI Telephone Answering (with AI receptionist named Grace), AI Agent Management, Business Telephone Numbers, Business Postal Addresses, Design Services, Appointment Making/Reminders, Diary Management, Marketing Reports, Enquiry Logs, Custom Voicemail, Message Relay, Live Video Receptionist, Email Answering, Social Media Answering, Live Chat Answering, and the premium eXec Service. The company integrates with property platforms (Rightmove, Zoopla, OnTheMarket, Alto) and business CRM/calendar systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Telephone Answering Service Full or part-time virtual secretary service that answers business calls in the client's company name, protecting the business from potentially missed calls. Each call is professionally handled with detailed messages sent via email or SMS. Targeted at UK small businesses and sole traders who need continuous call coverage.
• Customer Service Teams Dedicated teams handling phones, website live chat, contact forms, social media, and email as if based in the client's office. Packages start from £45pcm with seamless integration and professional service. Targeted at growing UK businesses needing multi-channel customer service coverage.
• Outsourced Switchboard Professional receptionist teams providing overflow call handling assistance for existing teams or round-the-clock reception coverage. Starting from £21pcm with options for full-time, overflow, marketing, shortage, and emergency support. Targeted at UK SMBs needing flexible receptionist capacity.
• AI Telephone Answering (Grace AI Receptionist) AI-powered 24/7 telephone answering service that handles calls outside business hours with instant responses to customer inquiries, appointment requests, and urgent matters. Available as an add-on to human receptionist services. Targeted at UK businesses needing continuous after-hours call coverage.
• Business Telephone Numbers Professional telephone number services including Freephone (0800), Premium (0845), Local rate, and International numbers with optional recording features. Targeted at UK businesses needing professional phone number provision.
• Business Postal Addresses Professional high street or city addresses for mail receiving, forwarding, and advertising purposes. Ideal for businesses not wanting to advertise a personal address. Targeted at UK SMBs and home-based businesses needing a professional mailing address.
• Design Services Creative design services provided by expert teams taking an imaginative and out-of-the-box approach to client design needs, covering branding, marketing materials, and design work. Targeted at UK businesses needing design support alongside their virtual PA service.
• Live Video Receptionist Face-to-face video call service where a professional PA answers video calls received through a website, modernising customer service. Targeted at UK businesses wanting a premium, in-person digital reception experience.

Quantifiable outcome

• Save up to 80% on hiring costs compared to in-house receptionists (no PAYE, HR, equipment, holiday cover)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• PATLive: US-based 24/7 virtual receptionist and answering service for SMBs with sector packages and CRM/calendar integrations. Similar subscription pricing model and customer base (trades, property, professional services) as e-PA.
• Ruby Receptionist: Virtual receptionist and live answering service primarily serving SMBs in North America. Offers similar subscription-based telephone answering and outsourced switchboard capabilities, with comparable customer segments (real estate, legal, trades).
• Answer Connect: Outsourced telephone answering and live receptionist services for SMBs across the US and UK, with 24/7 call handling and sector-specialized receptionists (legal, property, medical). Directly comparable service mix, pricing model, and target customers to e-PA.
• Smith.ai: Provides 24/7 virtual receptionist and AI-augmented phone answering plus web chat, lead intake, and CRM integration for SMBs and professional services firms. Closely mirrors e-PA's mix of human + AI + multi-channel + SaaS-style integrations.
• Moneypenny: UK-headquartered provider of telephone answering, outsourced switchboard, and live chat services to SMBs and mid-market clients. Closest direct competitor to e-PA in the UK virtual receptionist space, with similar pricing and service structure (24/7 answering, message relay, multi-channel).
• VoiceNet (VoiceNation / DAS Group): US-based live answering and virtual receptionist services for SMBs with sector-specific packages (legal, real estate, medical). Competes on similar subscription pricing and inbound call handling versus e-PA.

Broad incumbents

• Foundever (formerly Sitel): Global customer experience (CX) and contact-centre outsourcer with voice, chat, email, and social support. Large incumbent whose SMB-facing offerings increasingly overlap with e-PA's customer-service-team and switchboard services.
• Concentrix (now Concentrix + Webhelp): Large global BPO offering inbound/outbound voice, omnichannel customer experience, and contact-centre services across enterprise and mid-market. Much broader scale and capability, but overlaps on inbound call answering and customer service outsourcing where e-PA plays.

Regional players

• ReceptionHQ: Australian/NZ virtual receptionist service for SMBs offering phone answering, message taking, and live chat. Comparable service model to e-PA but operated in APAC geography.

Emerging players

• HumanIX Virtual Assistants: Virtual assistant / receptionist services provider offering remote front-desk and customer support for small businesses. Smaller and more niche than e-PA but with overlapping capabilities (call answering, admin, scheduling).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/epavirtualservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/e-pa-virtual-services

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about e-PA