The U.S. and worldwide economies are driven highly by the growth of small businesses. Especially with the recent global credit crises, economic downturn, and high unemployment rates, many individuals are turning to operating their own businesses. Many of these small businesses are operated as "Sole Proprietorships." For example in the UK in 2009, sole proprietors comprised over 24% of newly registered businesses and the second largest category. Being a sole proprietor is commonly the case with consultants, contractors and freelancers, but it expands across a huge array of industries. While email has taken over much business communication, establishing a business phone line is essential for the success of these enterprises.

Choosing a winning domain name for your business or venture's website can be difficult. When brainstorming the new website's name, a few core factors or rules should be considered.

Before spending good money to test advertising initiatives or strategies, it is crucial you do good research. The research process doesn't always have to be incredibly expensive or lengthy, but it should be the foundation for any business decision. A great product or service isn't going to be of much value if you don't have advertising skills or an idea of what is working in the current environment. It is always best to bounce your ideas off a marketing professional before testing advertising ideas. If you're on a tight budget, you can also analyze and research what is working for the competition or outsource the research for a few hundred dollars to a third party that can provide an outside point of view.

1-800 and other toll free numbers are no longer just for businesses. Toll free vanity numbers that spell out words now have a wide variety of uses. Advances in technology have created many new ways to utilize phone numbers and lines. As the name suggests, vanity numbers can be used purely to feed the ego, but they can also be for privacy or used as personal marketing tools. Traditionally, vanity numbers have been used by businesses for branding and to differentiate themselves from the competition. You have probably seen numbers such as 1-800-Dentist and 1-800-Comcast. Here are several ways you can use vanity numbers to your advantage:

1-800 and other toll free numbers are no longer just for businesses. Toll free vanity numbers that spell out words now have a wide variety of uses. Advances in technology have created many new ways to utilize phone numbers and lines. As the name suggests, vanity numbers can be used purely to feed the ego, but they can also be for privacy or used as personal marketing tools. Traditionally, vanity numbers have been used by businesses for branding and to differentiate themselves from the competition. You have probably seen numbers such as 1-800-Dentist and 1-800-Comcast. Here are several ways you can use vanity numbers to your advantage:

Most business owners don't even know that a poorly managed toll free number could be causing the company a problem! But yes, your toll free numbers may be mismanaged!

Choosing a 1-800 number is a great advertising method that boosts conversion rates and increases brand awareness. By your choosing the numbers that correspond to your business, whether it is the brand name or the product itself, customers will find it easier to remember who and what number they should call. For example, if you are selling motorbikes, it would be a good idea to choose a vanity number that looks like 1-800-BIKE.

Toll free service and toll free numbers are becoming more important in telemarketing than ever. Despite increased restrictions and tougher implementation and fines involved with the FTC and the Do-not-call list, telemarketing companies continue to sprout up and grow worldwide. Many of these new or growing call centers are located outside of the US or involve remote sales teams.

Consumers trust companies that they can easily reach by phone. It gives the impression of reliability, efficiency, and customer service. Both big corporations and small businesses use vanity numbers to build a strong brand. Customers invariably believe that a company is a stable one when it doesn’t scrimp on their expenses.

The affiliate portal now includes several widgets that locate numbers and provision rev-share programs. The search technology is optimized for high traffic sites to sort through thirty-five million records with a small footprint to get a toll free number.