eZe-Talk Ltd

The tough economic climate has made growing a business challenging for many businesses, but for UK telecoms provider eZe-Talk, it has made the process of acquiring new customers a little easier.

"We provide broadband and telephone services to consumers and small businesses, and sometimes it can be hard to get people to seriously consider switching providers, because it seems like a hassle" says Mike Taitt, group chief executive. "However, in the current climate, people are a lot more inclined to listen to you, and take action, when you can save them a few pounds a month on their bill."

The Crewe-based company has found being based in the North of England is an advantage because overheads are lower, although recruitment remains a challenge in some areas. "Finding telesales staff is sometimes easier in cities where you have a lot of young people, but we aren't finding it a big problem so far."

eZe-Talk was funded by its two founders and two other private investors, and has funded additional growth using bank financing. The company would be interested in acquisitions but Taitt admits that any ambitions are frustrated by the lack of available bank funding for fast-growing companies.

Instead, the company has focused on investing in its underlying technology and processes, to create a solid platform for expansion. For example, eZe-Talk has developed its own business management system which automates many of its routine business processes, from customer acquisition and throughout their lifecycle, driving efficiency and allowing the company to offer a more flexible product portfolio. The completed system will also be available for re-sale to businesses with similar needs.

"We've recently added mobile telecoms to our product portfolio so this can be packaged along with broadband and fixed-line services, and invoiced on a single bill, which is very attractive to customers," says Taitt.

The biggest challenge on the horizon for eZe-Talk is how the company raises its profile to continue its growth. To date, the company has relied on word of mouth and telesales to acquire new customers, but they now need to start investing in marketing, PR and creating a public profile. "It will be a little difficult because we've always gone direct to the market, but we have to keep reinventing ourselves and raising our profile to continue to grow" says Taitt.