Have you ever found yourself with more things to do than time during the day? Are you ever pulled from one project in your WISP business to the other? You're not alone. We've interviewed CEOs, Presidents, and Owners of some of the most successful WISPs in the industry to see how they seem to "do it all."
From our many interviews, we've created a WISP Essentials Guide: 10 Keys to Success for Industry Leaders. This guide is full of little nuggets of information on how to become a successful WISP business. You can download the full guide here or keep reading for a small snippet of Key #1: Plan Out Your WISP Business for Success.
"One of the WISP CEOs we interviewed, Chris, from Ohio, offers that the first part of setting a WISP business up for success is viewing it primarily as a business, not a WISP. He also suggests that if WISPs do not have experience in business building, they should get outside help in order to have a solid business foundation. This may include:
- Accounting
- Marketing
- Sales
- Legal
For each of the areas above, will you hire an outside firm or hire internal staff? For the staff that you do hire, what training will they require for relevant software, business best practices, and ongoing professional development? Additionally, don’t rule out hiring a wireless or technical consultant when your team is expected to deploy and support a new technology.
If you’re a whiz at wireless but don’t know much about business, you may wind up without much of a business. This is true for WISPs that have been in the industry for years, and for those just starting out. Whether it’s correcting the course you’ve been on, or are starting fresh, don’t gloss over what you don’t know and simply hope for the best. Do it right."
Key #1 covers not only how to plan out your WISP business for success but also touches on the following tips:
- Take Control of Your Business
- Plan for Long Term Success
- Plan in Phases
- Phone a Friend
