Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
And also at my age of over 50, who is going to employ me, only myself. You have a Good Day now, Carl A Jeptha http://www.airnet.ca Office Phone: 905 349-2084 Office Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm skype cajeptha Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: Telcos cannot cover the sort of area we as a WISP can cover. Sure they can take the low hanging fruit, but I see it is similar to the gold rush days. The first guys cashed out big, and the well financed guys bought the best fields and made a mint. A LOT of gold was recovered by very ambitious and patient people who went over the grounds that were too barren or difficult for the big guys. We are those patient guys. We work harder and the rewards are not as large as the early days, but we are doing just fine. To put it in perspective, I know a lot of people who work harder and make less money. In that respect we are doing OK. I provide high speed Internet to people who cannot even get a phone line from the Telco. Sure they rode into town with ADSL and denied me faster than a T1 for 2 years while they converted about 2/3 of our dialup users to ADSL, but we have a higher potential for the people the Telco simply CANNOT service. We now have a 35 mbps fibre and the world looks bright. The silver lining to losing the dial up customers is that without the Telco coming in we would still have a T1. The other thing we all have going for us is that we can embrace new technology right away and not wait 10 years for it to become a commodity item. If you are willing to take advantage of new technology you will succeed. The market is there. You just have to go after it. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Telcos. They're going to get what they want @ the FCC, which is to put the little guys out of business. It'll just be a matter of time and money, and we don't have much of either. Of course, wasn't it Marlon that said that that's what people said about us 5 yrs ago and here we are, still, today ? Look at it this way. If you're building to sell, you're building fast and furious right now, just to put yourself in the way of the next one that comes along. At some point you're going to amass enough users to make it more attractive to the Verizons and the SBC's of the world to just buy you out instead of marketing to all your customers, who are really happy campers and don't WANT to switch. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wispa Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:53 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. I'm curious about why you think this, Rick... -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Yes, we need to be able to charge per bit, because we have alot content providers riding on our pipe selling things to our clients. I have noticed they are less and less talking to the ISP's whose bandwidth it is that they are using. We don't need another war on the list about this either, it is a reality. CTV in Canada is offering programming from their website You have a Good Day now, Carl A Jeptha http://www.airnet.ca Office Phone: 905 349-2084 Office Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm skype cajeptha wispa wrote: On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:49:32 -0500, Rick Smith wrote Telcos. They're going to get what they want @ the FCC, which is to put the little guys out of business. It'll just be a matter of time and money, and we don't have much of either. I'd agree with you, if you take the first impression too. Problem is, I don't really know this. Nor do I think it strongly either. Several reasons: 1. We're far enough down the food chain that the telco / cableco wars are going to result in a lot of blood on the ground and it won't much be our blood. 2. Three years is really an eternity when it comes to how rapid change has been will be and lots of perspectives have been adjusting. Of course, wasn't it Marlon that said that that's what people said about us 5 yrs ago and here we are, still, today? Well, I said 2 years ago that I am willing and able to take on ANYONE and can find a way to get myself enough market share to survive against ANYONE...except the government. They're the only people we can't survive. Look at it this way. If you're building to sell, you're building fast and furious right now, just to put yourself in the way of the next one that comes along. At some point you're going to amass enough users to make it more attractive to the Verizons and the SBC's of the world to just buy you out instead of marketing to all your customers, who are really happy campers and don't WANT to switch. If I had 1000 customers today, and was asked to take a half million dollars and walk away... I don't believe I would. I know that seems a bit crazy, but at this point in my life, going to work for someone else... is about as attractive as eating cow pies. However, I think ALL of us should be diligently looking for ways to get beyond just that 'net connection. Video, tv, ( we're all aware of VOIP, of course ), and ... well, what else? We should be building our networks with the idea that there's a future beyond surfing. We can be competitive, especially if we team up in numbers. / Mark Koskenmaki Neofast, Inc Broadband for the Walla Walla Valley and Blue Mountains 541-969-8200 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Rick Smith wrote: actually, I've been told the opposite. Buyers of your company want as close to zero liability as possible. Especially when they will probably come in and replace your gear with theirs. If the two seem to match, you only win bigger... Finance people don't want to replace your gear; other operators may. Loans / Leases / Credit Lines are BAD in the eyes of a potential buyer. And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. In all my years working with VCs, I have never met one that thought leases were a bad idea. Leasing companies allow VC funded companies to better leverage their capital. However, it is important to understand that loans, leases, and credit lines are not at all the same thing. Leases are not balance sheet items like loans and credit lines. Leases are an SGA item. -Matt -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Even at 51% be sure that the contract contains the following: - that you get 51% of the voting and decision making. - How everyone exits. - What are their responsibilities. - What about a stale-mate - How is that handled? You probably have a lawyer with you who specializes in corporate or contract law, right? Good luck! Peter @ RAD-INFO, Inc. (813) 963-5884 Rick Smith wrote: Oh, I've been in the partnership thing, got screwed, and was lucky enough to figure out how to negotiate for 100% ownership of the company that I built and my deadbeat partner didn't help with. So, now here I stand, smarter for the experience, but also looking at a pool of vultures ready to hand me money but wanting 75% equity. lol. yah. Came out of meetings today with a whole bunch better group of people, and my stance is to never own less than 51%. At least this group respected that. Thanks -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Or until the FCC continues to allow you to be in business. Tom DeReggi wrote: Yeah I disagree. If I shut down its because I get tired, not because I get run out. There becomes a point, when the only big cost is roof space, and a big company tends to pay more for roof rights. When I'm debt free, not sure how someone can run me out. I can just give it away, and still survive. Maybe not yet, but in a couple more years, thats where I'll be. I'm already on my Gigabit backbone plans, fiber isn't necessarily a killer either. I agree that Wireless was meant to be a transition product, but once its in place, not sure it will get wiped out. Even for a redundancy play it has a life of another 10-20 years. And anyway you slice it the big boys will never be able to offer personal service. I could stay in this business for quite awhile if I want to. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Equipment leasing? Every install for us is a break-even (after truck roll, installing a firewall/router/AP for free, etc.) and we start making money on every customer on their first monthly payment. :) Just a thought. Travis Microserv Matt Liotta wrote: Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Travis Johnson wrote: Equipment leasing? Every install for us is a break-even (after truck roll, installing a firewall/router/AP for free, etc.) and we start making money on every customer on their first monthly payment. :) Equipment leasing only addresses one part of an operator's fixed costs. What about the rest? What about the operators who can't get a lease because of their lack of capital? -Matt -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Small business owners have many resources for help. The local university, small business development centers, SCORE.org, and many others. There are finance companies that can help with the leasing - or sometimes the manufacturer can help you find one. For every problem there is a solution. Regards, Peter Radizeski RAD-INFO, Inc. (813) 963-5884 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Matt, he said he got rid of a useless partner, thus no loss of manpower and added capital. Raising funds is not easy and requires a lot of paperwork and letting a stranger into your life in a very personal way. Since he is at the break even point and has straightened out some issues my best advice is still to simply keep going and the profit will happen. As for the volume thing, that method rarely works and you must make a profit on every subscriber, no matter how many you have. You are not Santa Claus and there is no free lunch, so basically, if a subscriber will create a loss for you, simply do not accept them. If you get enough customers that are losing you money you go broke. If you accept fewer customers who make you money then you survive. I know it hurts the pride to walk away from a customer but in the end, if you go broke, you'll be walking away from a whole bunch of them and maybe your house, car, and family as well. Given those choices I'll choose to walk away from the customer. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Matt Liotta [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. We charge a flat $150 install fee and $30 a month. We pay for the gear in 2 months and we are straight profit after that. If the Telcos had their ROI that good they would be dancing. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Equipment leasing? Every install for us is a break-even (after truck roll, installing a firewall/router/AP for free, etc.) and we start making money on every customer on their first monthly payment. :) Just a thought. Travis Microserv Matt Liotta wrote: Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Lonnie, This is not a true statement if your CPE is costing you $150 (which seems a little low after antenna, pigtails, misc. hardware like zip ties, weatherproof, mounts, etc.) you are breaking even on the equipment. Then you still have the truck roll, insurance, gas, employee, etc. which could be $50 to $100 per install... so really you are out 3-4 months or longer... which means for a quickly growing company you are in trouble because you aren't profitable for 3-4 months. :( Travis Microserv Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. We charge a flat $150 install fee and $30 a month. We pay for the gear in 2 months and we are straight profit after that. If the Telcos had their ROI that good they would be dancing. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Equipment leasing? Every install for us is a break-even (after truck roll, installing a firewall/router/AP for free, etc.) and we start making money on every customer on their first monthly payment. :) Just a thought. Travis Microserv Matt Liotta wrote: Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
True to a point Travis. But in your earlier post, you claim to be profitable immediately, which isn't necessarily so since you lease. The lease is a liability, therefore, you may have a positive cash flow, but until you pay off the equipment, you are not automatically profitable. There is a difference in cash flow and profit and it is easy to confuse the two. For me, being profitable on a subscriber after 3-4 months is preferable to a 2-5year lease. Not everyone feels that way, thus there are different business models. Travis Johnson wrote: Lonnie, This is not a true statement if your CPE is costing you $150 (which seems a little low after antenna, pigtails, misc. hardware like zip ties, weatherproof, mounts, etc.) you are breaking even on the equipment. Then you still have the truck roll, insurance, gas, employee, etc. which could be $50 to $100 per install... so really you are out 3-4 months or longer... which means for a quickly growing company you are in trouble because you aren't profitable for 3-4 months. :( Travis Microserv Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. We charge a flat $150 install fee and $30 a month. We pay for the gear in 2 months and we are straight profit after that. If the Telcos had their ROI that good they would be dancing. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Equipment leasing? Every install for us is a break-even (after truck roll, installing a firewall/router/AP for free, etc.) and we start making money on every customer on their first monthly payment. :) Just a thought. Travis Microserv Matt Liotta wrote: Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List:
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
True... what I meant was I am profitable on that customer from day 1... because I factor in the monthly cost of the lease per subscriber... so the customer is installed at no cost to me, and I start making money from their first payment. Travis Scott Reed wrote: True to a point Travis. But in your earlier post, you claim to be profitable immediately, which isn't necessarily so since you lease. The lease is a liability, therefore, you may have a positive cash flow, but until you pay off the equipment, you are not automatically profitable. There is a difference in cash flow and profit and it is easy to confuse the two. For me, being profitable on a subscriber after 3-4 months is preferable to a 2-5year lease. Not everyone feels that way, thus there are different business models. Travis Johnson wrote: Lonnie, This is not a true statement if your CPE is costing you $150 (which seems a little low after antenna, pigtails, misc. hardware like zip ties, weatherproof, mounts, etc.) you are breaking even on the equipment. Then you still have the truck roll, insurance, gas, employee, etc. which could be $50 to $100 per install... so really you are out 3-4 months or longer... which means for a quickly growing company you are in trouble because you aren't profitable for 3-4 months. :( Travis Microserv Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. We charge a flat $150 install fee and $30 a month. We pay for the gear in 2 months and we are straight profit after that. If the Telcos had their ROI that good they would be dancing. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Equipment leasing? Every install for us is a break-even (after truck roll, installing a firewall/router/AP for free, etc.) and we start making money on every customer on their first monthly payment. :) Just a thought. Travis Microserv Matt Liotta wrote: Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe:
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Travis, I don't make untrue statements. Please don't say that. I said we charge a $150 install fee and $30 a month, bringing the total cash flow to $150 + $30 +30 = $210. The Client side gear is $184 Quantity 1 and that leaves a small fee for my install guy who is an employee. I'm maybe 3 months to profit if you figure his costs, but who cares about a month here and there. We are talking an employees time and that is his job. It is a cost of doing business and I do not apportion it to each install. The bottom line is that I get ALL of my cash money returned on the customer's second monthly payment then after that it is profit. If we make that 4 months we are still WAY better than a Telco ROI, but you have to be an accountant to get that picky. We are quite profitable as a WISP and we can now even afford a 30 mbps fibre. The old over priced T1 days are LONG gone. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Lonnie, This is not a true statement if your CPE is costing you $150 (which seems a little low after antenna, pigtails, misc. hardware like zip ties, weatherproof, mounts, etc.) you are breaking even on the equipment. Then you still have the truck roll, insurance, gas, employee, etc. which could be $50 to $100 per install... so really you are out 3-4 months or longer... which means for a quickly growing company you are in trouble because you aren't profitable for 3-4 months. :( Travis Microserv Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. We charge a flat $150 install fee and $30 a month. We pay for the gear in 2 months and we are straight profit after that. If the Telcos had their ROI that good they would be dancing. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Equipment leasing? Every install for us is a break-even (after truck roll, installing a firewall/router/AP for free, etc.) and we start making money on every customer on their first monthly payment. :) Just a thought. Travis Microserv Matt Liotta wrote: Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe:
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. The downside is that a Bank won't share that vision, and they will provide zero value for the CPE. However, when the CPE is leased, and someone was willing to lend you money for it, and has claim to it, all a sudden the bank recognizes the value of the boorrowed money. Expecially when they can re-finance it to shave off a few points. My view is, what good is an asset if no one will lend against it? My view is... If you've made cash flow possitive,you are over the hard part. If you stay on your same path, you'll be able to finance your self with cash receivables and cash flow. Once you've reached that state their is no dire motive to have to grow and get financing. When you reach that state, traditional banks will lend you money. My advice is to be realistic on how close you are to be able to self fund on receivables. If you are no where near that, than you are one of those companies that ran out of money before you got there, and you ahve no choice but to look for financiors, sell, or wait it out without growth. At thios stage of the game, waiting it out usually means the competition passes you by. But if you are cash flow possitive, and you still have energy to keep at it, you may do better in the long run, staying away from the investors. Persuing the investment will take lots of time to document and justify, and you will loose productivty during that time. Good luck with your ventures. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: Lonnie Nunweiler [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 12:25 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. We charge a flat $150 install fee and $30 a month. We pay for the gear in 2 months and we are straight profit after that. If the Telcos had their ROI that good they would be dancing. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Equipment leasing? Every install for us is a break-even (after truck roll, installing a firewall/router/AP for free, etc.) and we start making money on every customer on their first monthly payment. :) Just a thought. Travis Microserv Matt Liotta wrote: Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs.
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
An asset is something that you own. I consider anything that is not paid for to be a liability. An asset that you own can be enjoyed and can make money for you. If it is paid for in a mere two to three months is this not a worthy investment, especially if it can provide a profit for years to come? Lonnie On 2/20/07, Tom DeReggi [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. SNIP My view is, what good is an asset if no one will lend against it? SNIP Good luck with your ventures. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Lonnie, I do not controdict your comment. I have chosen your same path. I have zero financing, and own in full a half million dollars worth of hardware that is installed. I was just pointing out the compromise. I now have a $10,000 a year property tax bill. The bank laughs at me, when I try and use the installed equipment as colladeral for future funding. The only value that the installed gear has to me, is it enables me to serve clients and generate revenue. Meaning its better for me to own my company, and continue to receive my revenue that I have enabled to have come in. But I truly believe a company will appraise for more, if the gear is leased instead of owned. The truth is a leased radio generates the same amount of cash as an owned one. But just like a car, the second it is driven off the lot it loses half its value on day one. Nobody ever puts fair value on used gear, they don't look at it as a revenue enabler. However, when you lease, you have acheived finance and capitol, which is hard to come by, freeing up the buyer's capitol and borrowing capabilty. And showing a business model that is cash flow friendly optimizing survival. So if you are building to sell, lease the gear. If you are building to own, pay cash, and save every point you can. Because if you plan to stay owner, why do you have to justify anything to anyone at your expense? Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: Lonnie Nunweiler [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 6:01 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... An asset is something that you own. I consider anything that is not paid for to be a liability. An asset that you own can be enjoyed and can make money for you. If it is paid for in a mere two to three months is this not a worthy investment, especially if it can provide a profit for years to come? Lonnie On 2/20/07, Tom DeReggi [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. SNIP My view is, what good is an asset if no one will lend against it? SNIP Good luck with your ventures. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
An asset is something that you own. Maybe in accounting terms, but in real world, anything that makes you more money than it costs you is an asset, even if its not paid off. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
actually, I've been told the opposite. Buyers of your company want as close to zero liability as possible. Especially when they will probably come in and replace your gear with theirs. If the two seem to match, you only win bigger... Loans / Leases / Credit Lines are BAD in the eyes of a potential buyer. And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. We're building to sell. Major network - owning all pieces. Banks have allowed us up to 50% face value of the equipment to borrow against for 18 months on a relatively higher rate of interest (9 or ), but collateral nonetheless... -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tom DeReggi Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 6:34 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Lonnie, I do not controdict your comment. I have chosen your same path. I have zero financing, and own in full a half million dollars worth of hardware that is installed. I was just pointing out the compromise. I now have a $10,000 a year property tax bill. The bank laughs at me, when I try and use the installed equipment as colladeral for future funding. The only value that the installed gear has to me, is it enables me to serve clients and generate revenue. Meaning its better for me to own my company, and continue to receive my revenue that I have enabled to have come in. But I truly believe a company will appraise for more, if the gear is leased instead of owned. The truth is a leased radio generates the same amount of cash as an owned one. But just like a car, the second it is driven off the lot it loses half its value on day one. Nobody ever puts fair value on used gear, they don't look at it as a revenue enabler. However, when you lease, you have acheived finance and capitol, which is hard to come by, freeing up the buyer's capitol and borrowing capabilty. And showing a business model that is cash flow friendly optimizing survival. So if you are building to sell, lease the gear. If you are building to own, pay cash, and save every point you can. Because if you plan to stay owner, why do you have to justify anything to anyone at your expense? Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: Lonnie Nunweiler [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 6:01 PM Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... An asset is something that you own. I consider anything that is not paid for to be a liability. An asset that you own can be enjoyed and can make money for you. If it is paid for in a mere two to three months is this not a worthy investment, especially if it can provide a profit for years to come? Lonnie On 2/20/07, Tom DeReggi [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. SNIP My view is, what good is an asset if no one will lend against it? SNIP Good luck with your ventures. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Rick Smith wrote: actually, I've been told the opposite. Buyers of your company want as close to zero liability as possible. Especially when they will probably come in and replace your gear with theirs. If the two seem to match, you only win bigger... Loans / Leases / Credit Lines are BAD in the eyes of a potential buyer. And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. We're building to sell. Major network - owning all pieces. Banks have allowed us up to 50% face value of the equipment to borrow against for 18 months on a relatively higher rate of interest (9 or ), but collateral nonetheless... Rick, you've been around the block, your a smart guy, don't think there is a whole lot your missing. The only advice I would give you, is if you do another partnership, clearly define your partners exit in agreeable terms before you enter into an agreement. Like you will be the owner and he will be leaving and here is what he is getting and how he is going to get it. Also watch that you don't make the next guy the major stakeholder if he decides to drag you into bankruptcy. George -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Plus, one really should count the payback on NET per customer revenue not gross. That customer does have a bandwidth cost, tech support cost, billing cost, tower capacity cost etc. marlon - Original Message - From: Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 9:35 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Lonnie, This is not a true statement if your CPE is costing you $150 (which seems a little low after antenna, pigtails, misc. hardware like zip ties, weatherproof, mounts, etc.) you are breaking even on the equipment. Then you still have the truck roll, insurance, gas, employee, etc. which could be $50 to $100 per install... so really you are out 3-4 months or longer... which means for a quickly growing company you are in trouble because you aren't profitable for 3-4 months. :( Travis Microserv Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: We own the CPE gear so we consider it an investment. We charge a flat $150 install fee and $30 a month. We pay for the gear in 2 months and we are straight profit after that. If the Telcos had their ROI that good they would be dancing. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Travis Johnson [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Equipment leasing? Every install for us is a break-even (after truck roll, installing a firewall/router/AP for free, etc.) and we start making money on every customer on their first monthly payment. :) Just a thought. Travis Microserv Matt Liotta wrote: Most service providers never make it much past break even because of the high fixed costs in this business. Fill up one T1 with customers and the second one is the same price as the first. You have to be able to support large volumes just to change cost ratios. Then you have things like CALEA that come along at change the cost equation. I've heard from a number of people who's business plans can't support CALEA. I am rambling a bit, but my point is that fresh capital could be just the thing a break even business needs. How else do you punch through to the next level? -Matt Lonnie Nunweiler wrote: If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List:
RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. I'm curious about why you think this, Rick... Mark Koskenmaki Neofast, Inc Broadband for the Walla Walla Valley and Blue Mountains 541-969-8200 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Telcos. They're going to get what they want @ the FCC, which is to put the little guys out of business. It'll just be a matter of time and money, and we don't have much of either. Of course, wasn't it Marlon that said that that's what people said about us 5 yrs ago and here we are, still, today ? Look at it this way. If you're building to sell, you're building fast and furious right now, just to put yourself in the way of the next one that comes along. At some point you're going to amass enough users to make it more attractive to the Verizons and the SBC's of the world to just buy you out instead of marketing to all your customers, who are really happy campers and don't WANT to switch. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wispa Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:53 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. I'm curious about why you think this, Rick... -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Oh, I've been in the partnership thing, got screwed, and was lucky enough to figure out how to negotiate for 100% ownership of the company that I built and my deadbeat partner didn't help with. So, now here I stand, smarter for the experience, but also looking at a pool of vultures ready to hand me money but wanting 75% equity. lol. yah. Came out of meetings today with a whole bunch better group of people, and my stance is to never own less than 51%. At least this group respected that. Thanks -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of George Rogato Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 7:06 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Rick Smith wrote: actually, I've been told the opposite. Buyers of your company want as close to zero liability as possible. Especially when they will probably come in and replace your gear with theirs. If the two seem to match, you only win bigger... Loans / Leases / Credit Lines are BAD in the eyes of a potential buyer. And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. We're building to sell. Major network - owning all pieces. Banks have allowed us up to 50% face value of the equipment to borrow against for 18 months on a relatively higher rate of interest (9 or ), but collateral nonetheless... Rick, you've been around the block, your a smart guy, don't think there is a whole lot your missing. The only advice I would give you, is if you do another partnership, clearly define your partners exit in agreeable terms before you enter into an agreement. Like you will be the owner and he will be leaving and here is what he is getting and how he is going to get it. Also watch that you don't make the next guy the major stakeholder if he decides to drag you into bankruptcy. George -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
I agree, if I had the capital to keep going. :( NEED to bring in financing, and I've done all that work by myself. Need people to help grow it faster / further, and that all takes $$$ too. R -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lonnie Nunweiler Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:19 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Caveat (before the explanation...how do you like that): I am deploying Tranzeo CPEs, and these guys are a Tranzeo reseller. Look at RidgeviewTel at http://www.dboss-online.com/. I'm in a growing mood right now, but I don't want someone else to own my network for a long time. Their system will do your billing, and if you send your billing through them (which will allow them to take their CPE lease payments off the top), they will keep sending CPEs to you. You have to give up some control, and let them make some money on the arrangement, but it works for a growing phase when you can't backroll it yourself. I'm leasing CPE (making payments, really) for 12 months then I own it. At one point, when I want to slow things down, I'll go back to purchasing the CPEs then 12 months later I don't owe anything for the CPEs. I've currently got their billing in place. I've also signed up for their WISP services (being implemented now), which will give me 1st level telephone tech support (reboot your router, [EMAIL PROTECTED], help with e-mail client, etc), as well as 24-hour NOC monitoring, provisioning (bandwidth management), billing integration (auto-shut-off of non-payinig account), installer scheduling, and a slew of little details. I'm hoping this, along with a local support backup dude, will finally give me that fishing vacation without my cell phone. Mark Nash Network Engineer UnwiredOnline.Net 350 Holly Street Junction City, OR 97448 http://www.uwol.net 541-998- 541-998-5599 fax - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 9:55 PM Subject: RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I agree, if I had the capital to keep going. :( NEED to bring in financing, and I've done all that work by myself. Need people to help grow it faster / further, and that all takes $$$ too. R -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Lonnie Nunweiler Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:19 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... If you broke even but had a partner who did not help very much, then my feeling is you should just stay on the course you have and the profit will happen. If you bring in new money and new people my feeling is you stand a chance you'll just end up with more of the same. Trying to meet too many expectations is not a good thing and ruins your focus. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: yep, rural NJ. Northern. ALL hills, ALL trees. Doin ok so far, about break even on 300k over 4 yrs, but need a payoff, and now I'm lookin at some private investors who are interested. I need to get a feel on realistic projections. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Joe Laura Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 1:10 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... I wish we would have had funding. Just hard work, 7 days a week, 14 hour days until things started rolling. Eventually made ends meet and then actually started seeing some profits at some point. Advertising is a mystery. Its like certain wireless gear. It might work in some areas but not others. Are you in a rural area? Superior Wireless New Orleans,La. www.superior1.com - Original Message - From: Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: 'WISPA General List' wireless@wispa.org; 'Principal WISPA Member List' [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Monday, February 19, 2007 11:51 PM Subject: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives:
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Yeah I disagree. If I shut down its because I get tired, not because I get run out. There becomes a point, when the only big cost is roof space, and a big company tends to pay more for roof rights. When I'm debt free, not sure how someone can run me out. I can just give it away, and still survive. Maybe not yet, but in a couple more years, thats where I'll be. I'm already on my Gigabit backbone plans, fiber isn't necessarily a killer either. I agree that Wireless was meant to be a transition product, but once its in place, not sure it will get wiped out. Even for a redundancy play it has a life of another 10-20 years. And anyway you slice it the big boys will never be able to offer personal service. I could stay in this business for quite awhile if I want to. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: wispa [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:53 PM Subject: RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. I'm curious about why you think this, Rick... Mark Koskenmaki Neofast, Inc Broadband for the Walla Walla Valley and Blue Mountains 541-969-8200 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Same direction I'm headed, but the big catch is debt free -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Tom DeReggi Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2007 1:35 AM To: WISPA General List Subject: Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... Yeah I disagree. If I shut down its because I get tired, not because I get run out. There becomes a point, when the only big cost is roof space, and a big company tends to pay more for roof rights. When I'm debt free, not sure how someone can run me out. I can just give it away, and still survive. Maybe not yet, but in a couple more years, thats where I'll be. I'm already on my Gigabit backbone plans, fiber isn't necessarily a killer either. I agree that Wireless was meant to be a transition product, but once its in place, not sure it will get wiped out. Even for a redundancy play it has a life of another 10-20 years. And anyway you slice it the big boys will never be able to offer personal service. I could stay in this business for quite awhile if I want to. Tom DeReggi RapidDSL Wireless, Inc IntAirNet- Fixed Wireless Broadband - Original Message - From: wispa [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: WISPA General List wireless@wispa.org Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:53 PM Subject: RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. I'm curious about why you think this, Rick... Mark Koskenmaki Neofast, Inc Broadband for the Walla Walla Valley and Blue Mountains 541-969-8200 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
Re: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Telcos cannot cover the sort of area we as a WISP can cover. Sure they can take the low hanging fruit, but I see it is similar to the gold rush days. The first guys cashed out big, and the well financed guys bought the best fields and made a mint. A LOT of gold was recovered by very ambitious and patient people who went over the grounds that were too barren or difficult for the big guys. We are those patient guys. We work harder and the rewards are not as large as the early days, but we are doing just fine. To put it in perspective, I know a lot of people who work harder and make less money. In that respect we are doing OK. I provide high speed Internet to people who cannot even get a phone line from the Telco. Sure they rode into town with ADSL and denied me faster than a T1 for 2 years while they converted about 2/3 of our dialup users to ADSL, but we have a higher potential for the people the Telco simply CANNOT service. We now have a 35 mbps fibre and the world looks bright. The silver lining to losing the dial up customers is that without the Telco coming in we would still have a T1. The other thing we all have going for us is that we can embrace new technology right away and not wait 10 years for it to become a commodity item. If you are willing to take advantage of new technology you will succeed. The market is there. You just have to go after it. Lonnie On 2/20/07, Rick Smith [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Telcos. They're going to get what they want @ the FCC, which is to put the little guys out of business. It'll just be a matter of time and money, and we don't have much of either. Of course, wasn't it Marlon that said that that's what people said about us 5 yrs ago and here we are, still, today ? Look at it this way. If you're building to sell, you're building fast and furious right now, just to put yourself in the way of the next one that comes along. At some point you're going to amass enough users to make it more attractive to the Verizons and the SBC's of the world to just buy you out instead of marketing to all your customers, who are really happy campers and don't WANT to switch. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of wispa Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2007 10:53 PM To: WISPA General List Subject: RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year... And, who ISN'T building to sell right now ? The ones building to own / operate are going to get run out in the next 3 yrs. I'm curious about why you think this, Rick... -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -- Lonnie Nunweiler Valemount Networks Corporation http://www.star-os.com/ -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
RE: [WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
On Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:49:32 -0500, Rick Smith wrote Telcos. They're going to get what they want @ the FCC, which is to put the little guys out of business. It'll just be a matter of time and money, and we don't have much of either. I'd agree with you, if you take the first impression too. Problem is, I don't really know this. Nor do I think it strongly either. Several reasons: 1. We're far enough down the food chain that the telco / cableco wars are going to result in a lot of blood on the ground and it won't much be our blood. 2. Three years is really an eternity when it comes to how rapid change has been will be and lots of perspectives have been adjusting. Of course, wasn't it Marlon that said that that's what people said about us 5 yrs ago and here we are, still, today? Well, I said 2 years ago that I am willing and able to take on ANYONE and can find a way to get myself enough market share to survive against ANYONE...except the government. They're the only people we can't survive. Look at it this way. If you're building to sell, you're building fast and furious right now, just to put yourself in the way of the next one that comes along. At some point you're going to amass enough users to make it more attractive to the Verizons and the SBC's of the world to just buy you out instead of marketing to all your customers, who are really happy campers and don't WANT to switch. If I had 1000 customers today, and was asked to take a half million dollars and walk away... I don't believe I would. I know that seems a bit crazy, but at this point in my life, going to work for someone else... is about as attractive as eating cow pies. However, I think ALL of us should be diligently looking for ways to get beyond just that 'net connection. Video, tv, ( we're all aware of VOIP, of course ), and ... well, what else? We should be building our networks with the idea that there's a future beyond surfing. We can be competitive, especially if we team up in numbers. / Mark Koskenmaki Neofast, Inc Broadband for the Walla Walla Valley and Blue Mountains 541-969-8200 -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
[WISPA] For those in business just about a year...
Couple questions for you: 1) How did you get funding ? 2) How many customers are you up to so far ? 3) How many installations per month / week / day ? 4) How did they find you ? Advertising methods... I'm in the middle of rebuilding my company from the disaster it's been in because of a deadbeat partner, and these questions (and more) came up at a meeting of the minds tonight. I figured no better place to get the answer than existing WISPs. Offlist, if need be. This will be private for me only, just for information. thanks R -- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
