118 trades prepares for full scale assault on UK telecoms market

Daniel Corby, founder and CEO of the fast growing 118 Group has announced plans to launch a full scale telecoms business from q4 2006

118 trades was the first part of the rapidly growing 118 empire, and it has now developed into the countries 4th largest directory business within its first trading year. 118 trades offers a unique service, in as much as it checks references of the advertisers and asks for each prospective advertiser to provide 3 initial references prior to being listed in full. The service has grown and is now backed by weekly advertising which takes in the full range of UK National papers – this success quickly mushroomed, with more visitors coming to the website, the service became more popular and so on, and now ranks as the UK’s leading directory service of trades people and businesses with checkable references.

But this was just the start of the 118 Group empire.

Hot on the heels of 118 trades was a wedding portal, 118 gethitched, and a telecoms reseller 118 telecoms and it is from this business that Daniel Corby, the founder and CEO now plans to roll out a full scale telecoms business for the UK.

Speaking about the launch, scheduled for quarter 4 of 2006, Daniel Corby said ‘118 telecoms has quickly developed a marketplace using 0800 and 0845 numbers packaged with all inclusive minutes and a once only fee to buy the number, unlike many other operators which charge an annual fee for a number. It now makes sense to capitalise on this success of 118 telecom and we are now preparing a full range of telecom services to roll out from quarter 4 of 2006. The next services will include 118 broadband and 118 landline, a product similar to talk talk, the very popular service from Carphone Warehouse. Then of course, there is 118 mobile, and all of these services would be sold through outbound telesales centres of 118 Group and all would focus on the small and medium sized business market. We are not aiming for Joe Public.

The market that serves the general public in telecoms in the UK is now very competitive and a lot of people do it very well, where 118 Group sees its market is to serve the SME and small business sector, something which the majority of the UK players do badly and I feel we will do very well. 118 trades already has 40,000 small business customers, so that will be our first target market’ added Daniel.

Notes for editors

118 trades is the UK’s leading directory service of trades people and businesses with checkable references. The service has over 40,000 small business customers and is operated from 118 group offices in Chelmsford, Harlow and Salt Lake City, India. 118 telecoms started life in q1 of 2006 and targets small business customers selling them 0800 numbers and alpha numeric numbers. The business will now be joined by landline, broadband and mobile products, all to be scheduled for a quarter 4 roll-out. Daniel Corby is the founder and CEO of parent company, 118 Group which is planning an AIM float in 2007 / 2008. The group appointed business veteran, Richard Allan as Chairman in June 2006 and has recently begun grooming itself for an AIM float in early 2007 / 2008.

www.118trades.com
www.118telecoms.com
www.the118group.com

Contact Information

Daniel Corby

ceo

118 Group

Contact via E-mail