Grin Tim, you are RIGHT on the money here.
It's cheap to get this business started today. Don't sign long term contracts until you are sure you'll make it. Don't install customers that aren't easy. Don't sell too cheap. No automated phone systems!!!! Service your customers. Work HARD on the personal relationship with them. They will be more loyal and will tell you things that the average customer won't. Provide your own email. It's the glue that holds the customers to you. Ask questions. It's only stupid when we're asked the 15th time :-). Don't worry about who else MIGHT service the area. Usually any talk about servicing an area that they aren't already in is just to help keep competitors out. I've found that some of my best customers are low income. They don't vacation, volunteer or any of the things that everyone else does so they tend to be pretty addicted to their internet. I've had people get into job trouble and pay the internet bill before the cable bill. Look at the cars parked in front. If they have nice cars, 4x4's, 4wheelers, dirt bikes etc. they may be low income but they also like their toys. Internet is still *mostly* a toy..... laters, marlon ----- Original Message ----- From: "tim wolfe" <two...@wavecrazy.net> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Wednesday, May 05, 2010 7:23 AM Subject: Re: [WISPA] Found a spot >I read a lot and rarely post these days, but after reading this, I just >felt > I had to add my $.02 I have been in the WISP business for 9 years. I > deployed into areas that had no options other than myself. Every time I > deployed, cable or DSL followed me within weeks of turning up an AP. They > offered higher speeds and lower prices. I initially thought I was doomed. > As > it turned out, it didn't matter and in some respects, it helped as people > became more aware of high speed. > > No matter where you deploy, people will never change in the respect that > they all hate the big CO's. They will almost always pick a local CO over > some big Corp that doesn't care about anything other than the $$. As > mentioned before, make yourself stand out somehow, some way. It could be > as > simple as same day installs, on time appointments, whatever? > > Don't let the fact that other forms of broadband exist in the areas you > want > to work in stop you. There is plenty of room for everyone. Just take your > time, properly engineer your network, make it reliable and DO NOT cut > corners when buying your gear. > > Another DO NOT is installing customers with marginal signal levels or > installing radios in places where something could make them stop working > over time (Like doing an install in the Winter, forgetting that trees > bloom > in Spring, DUH!) > > When I first started, I mistakenly thought that I MUST install and put > online, every person that called. I cut down trees, erected 50ft masts at > no > extra cost and just did a lot of stupid things that wasted both money and > time. > > Eventually, I learned that you need to pick and choose your customers > wisely. Whenever I get to a home and I am doing a site survey, I > immediately > can not get a signal if it is full of teenagers or adults that are asking > me > what programs they need to install so they can get all that "FREE music > and > movies that are on the internet". Some may say this is harsh, but hey, it > is > my business and I run it as I see fit. I have also banned any peer to peer > use on my network and the customer knows this BEFORE I install them by > signing my TOS. I am not the moral police and this is probably another > subject for another thread, but it is what I have chosen to do. > > Run your business like you would want a CO to treat you if you were buying > something. While I am not a terribly religious man, there is a quote that > sticks out from the Bible and it applies here: "Do unto others as you > would > have them do unto you". Follow this little parable and things will work on > their own. Try and cheat, swindle or just plain old rip people off and it > will come back to bite you in the a........ > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Jeremie Chism" <jchi...@gmail.com> > To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> > Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2010 6:21 PM > Subject: Re: [WISPA] Found a spot > > >> If they don't gave the money to spend, there is no wy to overcome >> that. I woul make sure there are enough people with disposable income >> to make it worth your time. And it will take more time than you >> think..... >> >> Sent from my iPhone >> >> On May 4, 2010, at 4:59 PM, "Liam Cummings" >> <lcummi...@datacomspecialists.com >> > wrote: >> >>> Also I'm still researching but appears to be a low income area. Any >>> thoughts on that? >>> Sent from my Datacom Specialists black berry >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: wireless-boun...@wispa.org <wireless-boun...@wispa.org> >>> To: WISPA General List <wireless@wispa.org> >>> Sent: Tue May 04 18:14:59 2010 >>> Subject: Re: [WISPA] Found a spot >>> >>> I service an area with multiple isp's wisps as well as Comcast and >>> AT&T. The key is to differentiate yourself. It could be service or >>> faster upload speeds or just a local business. Don't fear competition. >>> >>> Sent from my iPhone >>> >>> On May 4, 2010, at 4:55 PM, "Liam Cummings" >>> <lcummi...@datacomspecialists.com >>>> wrote: >>> >>>> Ok I think I found a location to start providing services. Should I >>>> be concerned that a large isp is close by and could be in this area >>>> with in a couple of years? >>>> >>>> >>>> Sent from my Datacom Specialists black berry >>>> >>>> >>>> --- >>>> --- >>>> --- >>>> --- >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >>>> http://signup.wispa.org/ >>>> --- >>>> --- >>>> --- >>>> --- >>>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> >>>> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >>>> >>>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >>>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >>>> >>>> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >>> >>> >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >>> http://signup.wispa.org/ >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >>> >>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >>> >>> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >>> >>> >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >>> http://signup.wispa.org/ >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> --- >>> -------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> >>> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >>> >>> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >>> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >>> >>> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ >> >> >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> WISPA Wants You! Join today! >> http://signup.wispa.org/ >> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- >> >> WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org >> >> Subscribe/Unsubscribe: >> http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless >> >> Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! 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