Could 0844 numbers help firms during times of economic uncertainty?

Date: 31/10/2011

Entrepreneurs running their own business will probably be keen to keep up with economic activity in the UK and check they are aware of how the country is faring following the recent downturn.

After all, they will want to ensure their company is doing as well as possible and staying alert and planning ahead in case of future monetary woes is all part of having a good business model and making arrangements for every eventuality.

Those who are keeping an eye on economic progress cannot have failed to notice the threat of another recession is very real, with some experts predicting a contraction in gross domestic product could be just around the corner.

Speaking to Channel 4 News recently, Martin Weale, who sits on the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee, said: "The underlying rate of growth of the economy is weak now and I wouldn't be terribly surprised if we were to see output contract in the fourth quarter."

Furthermore, inflation is rising and the cost of living is going up in the UK. Indeed, the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed the consumer price index (CPI) stood at 5.2 per cent in September 2011, while the retail price index hit 5.6 per cent during the same month.

CPI equalled its highest ever total, last seen in September 2008 and companies may be concerned about rising costs and keeping their outgoings as low as possible as a result.

One way in which they could do this is to purchase 0844 numbers. These are revenue share prefixes, which means firms will make money from them every time a customer or client gets in touch. Furthermore, they do not cost a lot for people to call from a landline, which may encourage even more business as individuals will not have to worry about the excessive charges that can occur when they ring helplines or customer service numbers.

At a time when companies will probably be looking to spend as little money as possible, 0844 numbers could be the perfect choice as the cost of buying and setting them up could soon be recouped through the cash made when customers get in touch. Once this is done, businesses are then free to enjoy the extra revenue and spend it on whatever they see fit to try and grow their enterprise and possibly expand to other parts of the country.

New 0844 numbers may also be useful if this is the aim, as once they have been purchased any calls that come in to them will be automatically redirected to an existing number - either landline or mobile - of the company's choice. This means that if they move to new premises or open additional offices, they can keep the same digits and simply have all enquiries rerouted to other lines.

This is useful for customers as it means they will not get confused by new digits, while the firm will not have to pay for new stationery to be printed or go to the trouble of updating their website with the revised contact information - something that is bound to be appreciated if they are trying to cut costs and keep expenditure to a minimum.

Although it may not seem as though something as simple as a telephone number can help companies to make money, it could be well worth purchasing 0844 digits during uncertain economic times in the UK.