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Imagine your customers--in virtually any country--being able tocontact your business with one toll-free number.
That's now a reality, thanks to recent advancements made bythe United Nations' International Telecommunication Union (ITU)in Geneva. Since June, the ITU, which regulates telecommunicationsissues across the globe, has been issuing toll-free numbersworldwide. It wasn't possible before June because each countryrelied on its own toll-free plan. But that's all changed--andthe ITU has finally established a universal toll-free standard,linking dozens of industrialized nations.
"Today, more than $157 billion is traded annually usingtoll-free lines, and that's mostly in the United States,"says Patricia Sieh of AT&T, one of six U.S. carriers authorizedto apply for the numbers. "The prospects for the growth ofinternational trade are tremendous."
AT&T pioneered the concept of toll-free phone service 30years ago. An impressive 7 million toll-free calls were made thatfirst year--an ever-growing tally that topped 20 billion in 1996.Even those figures are sure to climb, however; businesses vying fora chance to market a single number to their countries of choice areclamoring for these next-generation toll-free numbers. When the ITUaccepted its first round of applications, more than 20,000 pouredin.
The new numbers are being administered on a first-come,first-served basis. But don't worry about the ITU running outany time soon--an eight-digit format, instead of the traditionalseven, ensures millions of additional combinations.
The ITU application fee is about $160; contact AT&T or oneof the other authorized carriers (Cable & Wireless, MCI,Sprint, USA Global Link or WorldCom) for more information. Onceyour application is received, you can expect confirmation of yournew number within three weeks. The ITU requires carriers to makethe number operational within six months of notification.
Some advice for the global-minded: Numbers that spell out wordsmight not work in other countries if the letters assigned toforeign keypads don't correspond with yours. Also, registeringa clever English phrase might be lost on overseas customers whodon't speak the language.
Export Advice
Small exporters take note: A new Web site from American Expressis worth a closer look--and perhaps even a bookmark.
Rich in information, American Express Small Business Exchange(http://www.americanexpress.com/smallbusiness) is designed to help entrepreneurs grow their businesses byproviding access to business planning information and networkingopportunities. Content furnished through a partnership withBoston-based International Strategies Inc., a provider of globalinformation services for small and medium-sized firms, is ahighlight not to be overlooked--especially by entrepreneurs scopingout international markets.
Just click "expand internationally" on the home page,and you're immediately linked to valuable market researchreports for 78 countries. You have two report topics to choose fromfor each country. The Export Issues report covers traderegulations, negotiations, banned imports, labeling requirementsand patent information. The Business Travel and Protocol reportencompasses entry requirements, health considerations, majorcommercial holidays, common phrases, attitudes toward Americans andmore. "[The reports] provide information somebody would needto do business in that country," says Michael Jaffe, thesite's manager.
The standard reports are free, and you don't have to be anAmerican Express cardholder to use them. In-depth country reportscan be purchased from the International Strategies Web site athttp://www.exporthotline.com
Contact Sources
American Express Small Business Exchange, (212)640-4863
AT&T International Services, (800) 448-8600
International Strategies Inc., http://www.exporthotline.com
