With fewer new customers in the market, cell service providers are growing increasingly competitive over the existing pool of accounts.

That can mean great deals and better options for business and residential customers.

But to find those deals, one has to drive all over town, compare countless plans, promotions and contracts. Then one has to go online and check out the exclusive online offers from the same carriers.

Not to mention choosing the wireless devices that would best suit your needs (do we want a walkie-talkie-like device or a BlackBerry? And is everyone in the company getting the same device?)

One Southern Nevada franchisee has built a business around helping small-business people find the best carrier, plan and phones for their companies at the best price with less hassle.

Tom Kirma owns a local branch of Wireless Toyz, a national cell phone service and gadget chain.

After opening his store in Henderson in 2006, Kirma realized that by breaking from the franchises' traditional sales strategy and focusing on business customers, he could fill a niche in the market that wasn't being met in his part of town.

The 2,000-square-foot store displays hundreds of cell phones and accessories and is authorized to sell cell phone plans with all of the major carriers, including T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and AT&T.

"It gives the customer a place to get unbiased advice on carriers based on their experience," Kirma said. "It's nice having all the carriers - we have a great relationship with all of them. We don't have to push one single carrier to meet a quota."

The company's specialty is customized sales. Sales representatives sit down with a potential customer, examine his needs, location and size and finds a carrier, phones and wireless plan that works best at a price the customer is comfortable with.

Kirma said the store draws on a client's experiences with wireless service to help find solutions.

For example, all cell carriers have stronger signals in different pockets of town. And some have places where reception is very poor. Wireless Toyz can present a business customer with maps showing each carrier's hot and cold spots so he can be sure to have service in places his company goes to frequently.

Salespeople are required to be up to date on the latest offers, discounts and promotions from each of the carriers so business clients can find the best deal for them.

"Being individually owned gives us the flexibility to do a little more than a (provider) corporate store can do," Kirma said. "We can give more away based on our structure."

The strategy has worked so well that the franchise is taking the sales tactic national, encouraging other franchisees to focus more on small-business customers.

It has even laid out new educational and training tools for its franchisees so they can better attract and serve potential customers.

Small-business owners are learning that it's a buyer's market in the wireless industry and that they can demand more from a carrier or leave at the end of the annual contract in favor of the competition.

"We've noticed that these days you have to get creative to compete and keep your numbers up," Kirma said. "Most people already have cell phones and if you walk into a (carrier's) store, its mission is to flip you from your carrier to its. We don't have that. We want to make sure you're happy with your carrier and if you're not, get you with one or with a plan that meets your needs. One carrier isn't ideal for everyone. They each have their niche. We try to show that to businesses."

The most difficult thing for small businesses is leaving a carrier they have been loyal to for five or 10 years and taking a risk on a new one, Kirma said. But the savings from a more customized plan that better fits a business' needs can be significant, Kirma said.

He has seen small businesses save up to $5,000 a year on a new wireless plan that better serves its needs.

That's no small matter at a time of economic hardship for many small businesses.

"Customers are appreciative, they like to see that we can save them money," Kirma said. "We feel that this year especially, business-to-business sales are really going to take off. Businesses need to save money and cut costs these days, and wireless is one way they can do that."