Released: 24 May, 2006
Direct Enquiries and Lloyds TSB agree discount to help small businesses.
Direct Enquiries, The Nationwide Access Register, has agreed a discount with Lloyds TSB Business which will help the bank's small business customers provide information on access to their premises.
Lloyds TSB small business customers will get a 10 per cent discount when they register with www.directenquiries.com, reducing the cost to only £31.50 per year, for nationwide advertising.
Adam Gallimore, Lloyds TSB Business, said: "All of our branches have been on the register since its launch in 2003 - and this has been fantastic news for our customers. We wanted to pass this opportunity onto our small business customers, particularly as it can both increase revenue and help them meet their legal obligations, through the provision of advice, assessment services and planning tools."
"By agreeing the discount with directenquiries.com we are not only providing our small business customers with a financial incentive to join the register, but also clearly demonstrating our support of the service."
Directenquiries.com provides a single source of information for millions of people requiring information about specific access and facilities. This includes disabled people, parents with babies in pushchairs and other members of the general public. Directenquiries.com receives over a million hits per month from people searching for companies they can use and was recently described by Radio 2 as being "right at the tip of the public service iceberg".
Companies registered can attract more revenue by advertising their business nationwide on directenquiries.com, which also helps companies to meet part of their legal obligation under the Disability Discrimination Act. Registration includes use of tools such as a free access assessment and access to the Direct Enquiries Action Plan.
The small business customers automatically receive the discount if they mention they were referred by Lloyds TSB during the registration process.
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Notes to Editors
Directenquiries.com, was set up as the Nationwide Disabled Access Register in 2002 in partnership with RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) and The Employers' Forum on Disability. During the past 12 months the information available has grown to include access for parents with pushchairs as well as the general public. This allowed directenquiries.com to rebrand as The Nationwide Access Register in January 2006.
Directenquiries.com is the only UK directory specifically designed for companies to showcase their disabled access and other facilities. On average, directenquiries.com receives over 1.3 million hits each month from people looking for businesses, organisations and services with the disabled access they require. Registration is only £35 per year, per location, for which companies receive the following:
- Nationwide registration on directenquiries.com detailing company name, address and other contact details, including links to their website, should they have one
- Access to the Action Plan
- A “More Information” section, equivalent to five pages of A4, updateable on a daily basis. This allows businesses to include information on forthcoming additions or changes to their disabled access as well as useful information about their business in general
- Feedback facility to provide customer comments and opinions
For users, directenquires.com provides a full directory service for UK companies detailing the access and facilities available at those registered with directenquiries.com. The register currently includes disabled access information on leading high street names such as Boots, LloydsTSB, Argos, Gap, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Costa Coffee, Pizza Express, PC World and Waterstone’s as well as thousands of small and independent businesses. The disabled access information encompasses everything from parking, entrances, lifts, toilets, counter heights, wheelchair and pushchair access to staff assistance and auxilliary aids such as Braille, large print and induction loops.
For further information, images and interviews please contact us on 01344 360101 or e-mail press@directenquiries.com
www.directenquiries.com