Small Business Start Up Case Study

City slickers Martin and Theresa decided to up tools and start a new life on the East Coast of England. Previously having administration roles they both decided to take the plunge and start up two new businesses, one each.

Martin, who was a landscape gardener by trade, had always dreamed of having his own gardening business. He began by ordering business cards incorporating the home telephone number, advertising his services as gardener and handyman.

Theresa, who had begun trading as a holistic therapist did the same, as well as using the line to receive incoming house calls.

Theresa was intending to work from her office in the house which meant she would be at home to answer any calls that were made during Martin’s working hours. Although Martin’s mobile was an accessible tool, his working hours and demands meant he may miss calls at times.

The businesses gathered momentum at a much quicker pace than either of them expected. Incoming calls to the house phone were indistinguishable, meaning Theresa had to answer the phone with a simple “hello.” As the first point of customer contact the impression is less than professional, causing the company to sound small and underdeveloped. It is then left with the customer to identify themselves instead of the company identifying its services.

There was also the problem that Theresa would have to leave the house to carry out errands, or if she was with a client she would not be able to answer the phone.

Martin and Theresa’s client bases were also very different from those in the city. Being a more rural environment, they did not feel as though a complicated telecommunication package would be the answer.

08 Direct were able to offer them simple solutions without complicated installation and expensive equipment:

Non Geographical Number

By giving them a non geographical number which sits on top of their existing phone line, both businesses were able to benefit from free 08 numbers, increasing company presence and providing a more memorable number for their businesses.

Call Whisper

By applying call whisper to their non geographical number they were able to distinguish between business calls. For example, “This is a call for Martin’s Landscape Gardening, press one to accept.” This allows both businesses to use the same telephone number but be able to answer the call according to the service provided.

Follow Me Routing

08 Direct’s follow me routing service means that the business line will ring three times, if unanswered the call will be diverted to Martin or Theresa’s mobile. If the call still cannot be answered, a voicemail will activate to record a message for further action.

Voicemail

Voicemail after a preset number of rings means that potential clients are always given the ability to leave details and receive call backs.

These services not only benefit the companies as they start out but will continue to support them in their success. Their non geographical number and additional free services can stay with them for life, through expansion, office moves or increases in members of staff. One number will still be able to provide all their communication needs.