Big business eyes small business

February 5, 1996 by Strategy Staff

Some members of the Stentor Alliance and a number of business partners have banded together in an initiative designed to generate sales within the growing small business market in Canada.

Last week, it was announced that at least five members of the Stentor Alliance of Canada’s 11 telephone companies as well as Purolator Courier, HB Group Insurance Management , Kodak Canada, Xerox Canada, and the Sunlife Assurance Company of Canada will offer special deals on products and services to members of the new initiative, called the Advantage Performance program.

The program is designed to attract the small office and home office market.

The telephone companies involved include Alberta’s agt, BC Tel, Bell, Manitoba’s mts and SaskTel. mt&t in the Maritimes and NB Tel are expected to join the program later.

Membership will be offered free to small businesses, but the specific criteria will vary from telephone company to telephone company.

Generally, members will be among those who spend less than $2,000 per month on long-distance calls.

Examples of savings include discounts on phone rates from the telephone companies, lower shipping rates from Purolator, exclusive home office insurance coverage from hb, and special prices on equipment from Kodak and Xerox.

‘What we are all about is providing you with additional value and benefits at competitive prices that cannot be matched by our competition,’ said Roy Osling, vice-president, long-distance services at BC Tel, at the launch of the program.

Future partnerships are expected to include companies involved in computers, travel, fuel, office supplies and vehicle rental.

The program also offers members a 1-800 number to get access to a program representative, company-specific customer service representatives, and a quarterly newsletter.

Advantage Performance will be promoted through a targeted direct mail program to current customers of Stentor companies, developed by Toronto-based Cohn & Wells.