Category: History

How Toll Free Numbers Can Save Your Startup

According to Forbes, 90% of startups fail. That’s a staggering number, considering how many new companies try to get off the ground every year.

In the United States, startups are becoming more and more common. There’s a lot that goes into these businesses, too. Finding the right products, creating a marketing plan, securing funding, and exacting a location can take months or even years to prepare. Many people choose to leave the stability of their “9 to 5” job just so they can chase this dream. This is why it’s so important to make sure every detail of your startup is just right.

Sometimes new entrepreneurs feel like they’re constantly fighting an uphill battle to become profitable. Not only are they competing with other startups and mid-size companies, but they are going up against large organizations with greater resources. All of them are clamoring for the same customer base.

As a startup you have to establish an advantage for yourself, otherwise you may face a shutdown, or even worse, bankruptcy. So how can you differentiate yourself in the market and get clients to spend their hard earned money on your products and services?

Small Brand, Big Branding

Your brand is small now, but you don’t want to be seen as small. That’s why it’s all about brand recognition. You may have heard it said that a consumer needs to hear your company’s messaging at least seven times before finally making a purchase. One way to do this is through having an easy to remember toll free number. It doesn’t matter if you’re only one person working the business or a group of twenty, an 800 number shows that you’re a small company that means big business. By fielding client inquiries and making sales calls from a toll free number provider, you instantly increase your “presence” and make yourself look like a real organization.

You may have heard of vanity numbers before, which can be a local or toll free number. For instance, 1-800-FLOWERS, 1-800-PET-FOOD, and 1-800-ATTORNEY are pretty popular ones that come to mind. Vanity numbers help people remember your name faster than your competitors’! You can choose a vanity toll free number that works just as well for your startup, allowing you to give the impression of being well established. Your vanity number should be a word or short phrase that’s catchy and relates to your industry. Toll free number providers can conduct a search to make sure your perfect number hasn’t already been taken.

An 800 toll free number is also great for startups that provide products and services all across the country regardless of location. So for example, if your main startup office is based in Miami, Florida, you don’t want Los Angeles, California clients to know your Miami area code. They may think you’re too “small” or too far away to give them what they need. Toll free numbers show that your company is accessible from literally anywhere.

Get More Client Satisfaction

One of the biggest struggles a startup can face is how to achieve customer satisfaction. Even just a few unhappy customers at the beginning of your business can really hurt your company, especially if they leave unhappy reviews online for others to read. People associate toll free numbers with credibility and professionalism. There’s an aesthetic appeal that comes with getting an 800 number. They give everyone the impression that you’re in it for the long haul and are dedicated to excellent customer service.

Toll free number providers help connect your toll free numbers to the lines of your choice. So no matter where you are, everyone can reach you on a portable 800 number without needing to change your extension. If your startup has a call center overseas, then toll free number providers give people a way to reach your brand twenty-four seven. They can call no matter what time of day it is, whether it’s 2pm or 4am, and anywhere in between. No one has to face an answering machine and can get their issues resolved quickly.

Make Your Job Easier

Startup owners have many uneasy responsibilities when growing their company. They must make difficult decisions that can change the course of their entire business model. Just one of these decisions is properly understanding how to make the most out of their limited marketing budgets before they run out of funding.

As we stated earlier, toll free numbers are also digital. This means each 800 number you receive can be tracked for sales and marketing purposes. So for instance, if you set up several lines in one city, you can test them against each other and see which ones serve your startup best. If a line just isn’t working out, you can cut it with no further issues.

Toll free number providers can also help you scale your startup correctly. You may have one working line now, but what happens when you have a sudden and unexpected surge of callers? Your company needs to have the right infrastructure to make it work. So if you’re fine using a personal cell phone line for now, this method will not hold you for long. Otherwise customers will always get a busy signal or answering machine when trying to connect with you. When paired with just the right amount of manpower, toll free numbers scale your business by handling a much larger call volume.

Want to take a break from the office life? Even startup owners need a vacation now and then to refresh their creative side, and you don’t have to feel guilty about doing it. Toll free number providers can help you forward the 800 number to any landline or cell phone. Customers can freely call any other member of your team and you won’t have to be bothered if you’re out of town.

Contact Global Call Forwarding

Are you ready to give your startup the push it needs to be a part of the thriving 10% to success? Global Call Forwarding is a toll free number provider with years of experience helping startups turn into large businesses and international corporations. Contact a member of our team today for assistance if you’re interested in purchasing toll free numbers for all of your business needs or order here on our website for a free trial and instant activation.

North Korea has been in the news for many years for reasons that are far from positive. The country has remained in the spotlight due to the approach of the government toward international relations under Kim Jung Un’s rule.

Several issues such as the crisis between North and South Korea, the nuclear program and testing, and a gross violation of human rights and freedoms, have all been in the forefront of the country’s reputation.

There are necessities that are being enjoyed by the rest of the world, for example, public access to communication in North Korea, which are extremely monitored by the government. Another instance, as far as North Korea telecommunications is concerned, is in regards to the fact that international phone calls are illegal in North Korea. There is also a very strict regulation of any usage of technology in North Korea.

Why Are International Phone Calls Illegal In North Korea ?

The North Korean government holds the use of communication technology in the country with a very tight grip, especially to countries that are referred to as “enemies.” This was revealed in a report by Amnesty International.

North Korea has a popular mobile phone service which serves more than 3 million subscribers. But international phone calls are not permitted on this network as it is restricted to only local calls.

Only a select few citizens and foreigners are allowed access to the internet. However, some North Koreans have access to a closed-off network which can connect to only domestic websites and email services that are also closely monitored by the government.

Ordinary North Koreans are not allowed to use mobile phones to call members of their families who have defected as they risk being sent to detention camps or political prisons.

“Nothing can ever justify people being thrown in detention for trying to fulfill a basic human need – to connect with their family and friends” stated Arnold Fang, an East Asia Researcher at Amnesty International.

The restrictions by the North Korean Government on international phone calls as well as information coming from outside reveals the intimidation and oppression of the North Korean populace since Kim Jung Un became the leader in 2011.

Arnold Fang also states, “To maintain their absolute and systematic control, the North Korean authorities are striking back against people using mobile phones to contact family abroad.”

Several reports have affirmed that the North Korean government sees the absolute control of communication in the country as a weapon by which they can suppress the voices of the people. Their stance on international calls and communication technology is in a bid to obscure the realities and information about the extent of human rights violations in the country.

Most people who have fled the country often live in a constant state of fear due to not knowing the situation of their families. The inability to contact their loved ones leaves both parties in the dark about whether they are alive or dead, imprisoned or being investigated.  

How Do North Koreans Communicate With The Outside World?

Many North Koreans have relied on the booming private economy to gain access to smuggled clothing, food, and other goods from China. Along with this trend includes the smuggling of mobile phones and SIM cards. This practice is however not without great risks.

In a 2016 report by the New York Times, it was revealed that North Koreans have had to rely on smuggled-in mobile phones from China in order to connect to the rest of the world. People who live near the border with China are at an advantage as they can easily take advantage of some of China’s mobile networks to make international phone calls. For people in other areas, however, the ability to communicate with the outside world is much less easily done.

Government Crackdown on Illegal China Phones

Making calls at the border has become increasingly difficult to take advantage of as Kim Jung Un ordered that there be more measures put in place to prevent the exchange of information between North Korea and the outside world. This major government move has also cut down the number of North Koreans defecting to South Korea from 2,914 in 2009 to about 1,276 last year (Source: New York Times).

The North Korean government strengthened the crackdown on mobile phones that are being smuggled in from China with measures such as deploying surveillance devices and more soldiers along the border. High tech devices that jam communication signals have been deployed and used to trace calls back to those who used the banned mobile phones. The level of risk involved is massive, and North Korea has no issue going to the most drastic measures possible to halt the ability of their nation to communicate with those beyond their country’s borders.

Arrests and Incarceration

There is always a high price to pay whenever someone gets caught making illegal international phone calls in North Korea using smuggled Chinese mobile phones. Those who get caught are often sent to reform facilities and prison camps. In some cases, they are made to pay a certain fee as a bribe, if they have connections to influential people. According to several interviews by amnesty international, it appears that bribery is the motive behind many arrests.

Being sent to a reform facility is usually seen as a better scenario as this means a person would spend only about a year or two. Many people have been released with the assistance of bribing. Political prison camps are seen as much worse cases because they carry a longer, harsher sentence.

For those willing to take the risk, creativity and ingenuity are used. Many North Koreans who have a need to make international phone calls often come up with methods to avoid detection. When making international phone calls, they make use of pseudonyms and kept their conversations very short. Sometimes they climb up remote mountains to prevent their calls from being jammed or from being spotted while making illegal international phone calls.

The High Price of Communication

The imminent desperation and need for communication with the outside world has given rise to middlemen who offer the service to those who do not own a Chinese mobile phone. These middlemen get paid to set up phone calls so that the communication can be executed. This style of broker system is also used by defectors to send money to their families in North Korea.

Generally, the cost for this service can be quite high. The middlemen can take up to 30% of every USD1000 cash transfer as commission. However, the downside is that there are no guarantees that the money will reach the recipients. This is due to the fact that security agents are always on a mission to intercept money transfers, whenever possible.

There are also cases where family members send Chinese mobile phones, SIM cards, and money by bribing border patrol agents. With an increasingly tightened border, the bribes also tend to increase in value, reaching as high as USD500 per instance.

Despite the difficulties and dangers involved, communication comes at a high price for North Koreans with the ability and need to gain access to it.