Incumbent phone companies such as BT are helping small businesses grow faster.

Check out this press release highlighting recent growth at Hedgepig Gifts, a UK based online retailer that sells unusual gifts. According to Lynn Hill, owner of Hedgepig gifts, much of the growth is attributed to BT’s latest flagship product, BT Tradespace.

BT Tradespace is a simple way for small business owners, like Hedgepig, to promote themselves on the web so they can attract more customers, sell more things, and manage important business relationships -- with no IT expertise required.

Ms. Hill states, "BT Tradespace is far more than just a shop front for your business. It is a synergy of both conventional and social media tools that creates a bustling marketplace where traders can interact with their customers and build trust through comments, reviews and ratings".

Tradespace is the latest example of how incumbent telcos such as BT are using software on the web to redefine existing relationships with small business customers.