ALL ABOUT FOREX

Many businesses want and need to expand their services into additional markets to increase revenues, but they are not sure of the best way to accomplish it. Do they add another brick and mortar location and the associated overhead and headaches that come with it? Do they go the costly route and buy an existing business and take over the customer base while implementing their proven systems? How do you manage additional staff from afar? Will you need to relocate some of your top people? One successful method that businesses have implemented over the years to minimize risk and increase profits is to use foreign exchange numbers.
What is a foreign exchange number?
A foreign exchange number is a local phone number from another market that rings to your market via different methods. It allows you to have a "local" appearance, while possibly not being "local" at all.
In different markets they will go by different names. Some markets refer to them as RCF or remote call forward numbers, some call them telebranch numbers, some "out of rate center" numbers, and some markets refer to them as foreign exchange numbers. All will serve primarily the same function, but not all cost the same.
The primary function of the foreign exchange number is to appear as a local business, even if you do not have a local location in the market. Clients in many markets prefer to do business with a local vendor, so they look for a local telephone number. Whether it is accurate or not, the general consensus is that you will receive superior service and response time from a "local" company vs. the out of area business that may be hard to get in touch with in a time of need or warranty.
How do customers determine if you are local? Quite simply, they look at your advertised phone number. Every area or local phone company central office uses a set of NPA-NXX's per central office that will cover several square miles. NPA-NXX refers to the area code and prefix for your area. Your town or city may only have one area code and prefix, or it may have hundreds. If it is hundreds, it may be more important to own foreign exchange numbers than you think.
Enter your area code and prefix, press enter, scroll down to the bottom, and you will see the name and location of your central office, along with the associated NPA-NXX's for your area. This is how you know if you will appear as a local. You can click on neighboring offices to see additional NPA-NXX's that you may want to acquire. If you test where you live, you will recognize the numbers that are familiar to you as "local". Your clients are the same. They instinctively know which numbers are local out of repetition and experience.