Campaign guide · B2B
Reaching small businesses by message
Small-business owners live on their phones: orders, suppliers, customers, staff — all by message. That makes a short, relevant text one of the most direct ways to reach them, as long as it respects their time.
What sells well to small businesses
- Card terminals, POS systems and cheaper payment fees
- Booking, invoicing and stock software
- Wholesale supplies and new suppliers
- Websites, local SEO, social media and printing
- Business energy, internet and phone contracts
Know who you are writing to
A business list keeps business accounts only — shops, clinics, garages, cafés and salons — with private chats left out. If your offer only fits one sector, tell us the sector when you order and we will tell you what is possible for your country.
A message owners actually answer
- Show you know their business: "Hi — a quick one for salon owners in Rotterdam."
- One concrete benefit with a number: "Card payments from 0.9% with no monthly fee."
- A tiny next step: "Reply INFO and I'll send the price list" beats "Book a 30-minute demo".
- A real person: a first name and a company name, not "Sales Team".
- An opt-out, even where the law does not require consent for business numbers.
Three example messages
Card terminals, to cafés: Hi, Sam from PayPoint here — card payments for cafés from 0.9%, no monthly fee, terminal delivered in 48 h. Reply INFO for the price list. STOP to opt out.
Booking software, to salons: Hi — Mia from Bookly. Salons using our free booking page get fewer no-shows thanks to reminders. Want a 2-minute video? Reply YES. STOP to opt out.
Supplies, to garages: Hi, Tom at PartsDirect — next-day brake and filter parts with trade prices, no minimum order. Reply LIST and I'll send this week's prices. STOP to opt out.
Each one names the sender, the type of business, one benefit and a reply that costs the owner two seconds. (Names and companies are made-up examples.)
Follow up without annoying
Answer replies fast — within the hour if you can, because an owner who wrote "INFO" between two customers will have forgotten you by tomorrow. Send what you promised, nothing more, and ask one question that moves things on ("Shall I call you Thursday morning?"). One reminder to people who did not answer is fair; a third message is not.
Timing
Avoid the rush: a café at lunchtime or a shop on Saturday afternoon will ignore you. Mid-morning and mid-afternoon on weekdays usually work best. Follow up once, a few days later, if there was no answer — then stop.
The rules still apply
Business numbers are treated differently in some countries — in the UK, for example, limited companies are not covered by the consent rule for texts, while sole traders are. Elsewhere the same rules apply as for consumers. Our guide to the rules in six countries sums them up.
Try it
Business lists are ready in the Netherlands, the UK, Denmark, Italy, Portugal and Austria — 200 numbers free to test, then from 1,000 to 50,000 per list.
Questions & answers
Are there private numbers on a business list?
No — the business filter keeps business accounts only.
Can I choose a type of business?
Tell us the sector in the live chat or on Telegram and we will tell you what is possible for your country.
Do I need consent to text a business?
It depends on the country and the type of business. In the UK, limited companies are outside the consent rule for texts but sole traders are not; in other countries the consumer rules may apply. Always identify yourself and offer an opt-out.