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WiFi Kiosks Business Plan
Executive Summary
Stroll Net will provide a unique forum for communication and entertainment through the medium of public Internet access. In the first year, we will set up 16 Internet-enabled pay-kiosks in public spaces throughout Tech City, in locations frequented by business travelers and students, but with no nearby internet cafes or other similar competition. Our flagship location will be next to the downtown bus and train station, where, for less than a dollar, travelers can check email, locate phone numbers, and look up directions on any of the multiple online-mapping sites. They can also simply surf the net, as their time and budget allows. By accepting both real money (coins and dollar bills) and credit cards, we can catch both the casual browser and the traveler with money to burn.
Stroll Net is the answer to an increasing demand. Americans want access to the methods of communication and volumes of information now available on the Internet, at a cost they can afford, and in such a way that they aren’t confined to a bedroom or office desk. Stroll Net’s goal is to provide the community with a convenient and affordable way to access the Internet away from home and the office. This business plan is prepared to obtain financing in the amount of $299,671. The supplemental financing is required to begin the purchase of public Internet terminals, the purchase of an office warehouse, office equipment and supplies and company vehicles, and to cover expenses in the first year of operations. Additional financing has already been secured in the form of $10,500 of personal savings from owners Cam Piotr and Bob Green, and a long-term loan of $100,000.
Stroll Net will be incorporated as a Limited Liability Corporation. This will shield the owners, Cam Piotr and Bob Green, from issues of personal liability and double taxation. The investors will be treated as shareholders and therefore will not be liable for more than their individual personal investment of $5,250 each. The financing, in addition to the capital contributions from the owners, will allow Stroll Net to successfully open and maintain operations through year one. The large initial capital investment will allow Stroll Net to provide its clients and customers with the most innovative public Internet terminal available. A unique and innovative product is required to provide the customers with a service that is insurmountable by any competition. Successful operation in year one will provide Stroll Net a customer base that will allow it to be self-sufficient in year two.
For an investment of $299,671, we project dividends of $100,000 in year two, and $200,000 in year three, depending on cash flows. These projections are based on actual business revenues from similar start-up customers of our internet kiosk supplier in other states. In the first year, with a break-even point of $42,599 per month, we expect revenues of $727,072 and net profit of 18.5%, or $134,305. By year three, revenues will increase to $1,136,067, and the net worth of Stroll Net will increase to $610,320. Dividends thereafter will depend on cash flows; in year five, investors will have the option of being bought out by the company owners.
1.1 Mission
As the popularity of the Internet continues to grow at an exponential rate, easy and affordable access is quickly becoming a necessity of life. Stroll Net will provide internet users and business travelers alike the ability to access the Internet, via our public Internet terminals or a wireless WiFi connection away from home and the office. For a minimal fee, internet users, young and old, will be able to access the internet while they stay in hotels, wait at airports, shop in shopping malls and so on.
We look to be the leader in introducing an innovative and quality public Internet terminal to our current market. We will add value to our community by maintaining a quality product and providing a valuable service. Our terminals will utilize the most advance technologies and our staff will possess the utmost in customer service experience.
1.2 Keys to Success
As a start-up company, new to the industry, we must be focused and work hard to create an acceptance for ourselves and our products and services within the marketplace. The keys to our success are:
- The placement of an innovative product and quality service that is able to both expand existing markets and create new ones.
- A steady, disciplined pattern of growth.
- The development of a good relationship with clients and customers.
1.3 Objectives
Stroll Net’s objectives for the first year of operation include:
- The introduction of an innovative product that offers an affordable and convenient way for Internet users to access the Internet away from home.
- The creation of a unique environment that allows traveling business people access to their own files and programs.
- The placement of 100 public Internet terminals operating throughout the North MyState area.
For the following two years our growth objectives includes:
- A growth in public Internet terminals placed by 20% each year.
- A growth in revenues by 25% per year.
1.4 Risks
The risks involved with starting Stroll Net are:
- Will there be a demand for the services offered by Stroll Net in Tech City?
- Will the popularity of the Internet continue to grow, or is the Internet a fad?
- Will individuals be willing to pay for the service Stroll Net offers?
- Will the cost of accessing the Internet from home drop so significantly that there will not be a market for public Internet terminals?
Company Summary
Stroll Net, soon to be located on the south side of Tech City, MyState, will offer the community convenient and affordable way to access the Internet away from home and the office. Stroll Net’s public Internet terminals will provide full access to email, video email, the Web and other applications, such as a prepaid storefront. Stroll Net will provide clients and customers with a unique and innovative product and service. Stroll Net’s public Internet terminals will appeal to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. The ease-of-use and instructional menu will appeal to the audience that does not associate themselves with the computer age. Great locations, such as hotel lobbies and coffee shops, will provide business people with a convenient way to access the Internet and office files away from the office.
2.1 Company Ownership
Stroll Net is a privately-held Limited Liability Corporation. Cam Piotr and Bob Green, co-founders of Stroll Net, hold equal stock positions of 26% each as majority owners. Investors will receive one share of Stroll Net stock for every $6,244 of investment, up to 48%.
2.2 Start-up Summary
Stroll Net’s start-up costs will cover the purchase of public Internet terminals (our long-term assets), the purchase of an office warehouse, office equipment and supplies, company vehicles, capital to cover losses in the first year, and capital to cover any and all expenses required to operate business on a daily basis for the first year.
Products and Services
Stroll Net’s public Internet terminals will provide customers full access to email, video email, WWW and other applications such as a prepaid storefront. Stroll Net will provide clients and customers with a unique and innovative product and service.
3.1 Product and Service Description
- Walk-up Internet Access: Customers pay with either cash or credit card and receive a specific amount of time on the terminal in exchange for their payment. Customers can surf the Internet, check email and send video email.
- Wireless Internet Access: Away from the home, WiFi users can access the Internet through our Wireless Hotspots.
- Prepaid Storefront: An application that allows customers to purchase products such as Prepaid Calling Cards, Prepaid Wireless Top-up, and Prepaid Mobile Content (games, graphics, ring tones, etc.).
- Multimedia Advertising: Local, regional, or national companies can advertise using multimedia on-screen advertisements. Advertisements consist of full motion video “commercials,” picture files, or twelve advertising buttons.
Technical Specifications
- Wheelchair Accessible
- Front access for easy service and maintenance
- 15.1 inch touch screen LCD monitor
- Industrial spill and vandal proof keyboard
- Web Camera with integrated microphone
- Bill Acceptor and Credit Card Reader
- Stereo Speakers
- Wireless Router
- Surfnet Premier
PC Specifications
- 2.4GHz Celeron Processor
- 40GB hard Drive
- 256MB DDR-RAM
- 52X CD-ROM
- Floppy Drive
- Windows XP Professional
- 3-Year Hotswap
3.2 Competitive Comparison
Stroll Net will be first to place public Internet Terminals in Tech City. Stroll Net will differentiate itself from other ISPs in Tech City by providing its customers with the ability to access the Internet even when they are away from their own computer. We do not expect to replace standard internet access options (home, school, and work-based computers), but to supplement them; similar ventures, such as Internet cafes, have seen great success.
3.3 Fulfillment
Stroll Net will obtain its public Internet terminals from Supplier One, Inc. located in Vancouver, BC. Supplier One, Inc. will provide the locating service and the hardware required to run Stroll Net. Internet access and networking will be provided through Supplier Two.
3.4 Technology
Stroll Net will invest in terminals with high-speed computers to provide its customers with a fast and efficient connection to the Internet. The computers will be reliable and fun to work with. Stroll Net will continue to upgrade and modify the systems to stay current with communications technology. One of the main attractions associated with public Internet terminals is the state of the art equipment available for use. Not everyone has a Pentium PC in their home or office.
3.5 Future Products and Services
To enhance our initial product line, we will look at a newer model of Supplier One terminal that offers a greater variety of technologies. As we increase our presence in the public Internet access business, we will continue to seek out applications that will allow us to offer a greater variety of services. A key component of this will be customer feedback.
Market Analysis Summary
Stroll Net is faced with the exciting opportunity of being the first-mover in the Tech City public Internet market. The attractiveness of convenience, combined with the growing interest in the Internet, has been proven to be a winning concept in other markets and will produce the same results in Tech City.
The explosion of the Internet has been well documented. The International Data Corporation predicts that by 2004 there will be 210 million Internet users in the U.S. alone. Our increasingly mobile society manes that a large percentage of these users will access the Internet through public Internet terminals. Research has confirmed that the demand for public Internet terminals is growing exponentially and that the number of terminals in operation worldwide will reach 434,000 by 2006. By 2007 the number of wireless Hotspots in the U.S. is expected to grow to 41,000 and generate in excess of $3 billion in revenue.
4.1 Market Segmentation
Stroll Net’s clients can be described as individual business owners and medium to large companies that provide a services to tourist and business travelers alike as well as students and everyday Internet users. Such clients include, but are not limited to; airports, hotels, truck stops and coffee shops. Our customers can be divided into two groups. The first group is familiar with the Internet and desires a convenient and affordable way to access the Internet away from home and their offices. The second group is not familiar with the Internet, yet, and is just waiting for the right opportunity to enter the online community. Stroll Net’s target market includes people between the ages of 18 and 65. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, Tech County has roughly 490,693 residents between the ages of 18 and 65. Of these, many are already internet-savvy.
Within this group, we will target two groups in particular:
- Students
- Traveling Business People
4.2 Service Business Analysis
The explosion of the Internet has been well documented. Our increasingly mobile society means that a large percentage of these users will access the Internet through public Internet terminals. To be proactive and remain competitive it is imperative for business travelers to have reliable high-speed access to e-mail, the Internet and corporate networks. As such, it is becoming a standard for business travelers to stay only at hotels with high-speed Internet access and public Internet terminals.
Internet terminals with integrated Wi-Fi hotspots allow users to jump onto the Internet as easily as they would use an ATM. Our Internet terminals allow the public to experience rich multimedia content, that cannot be viewed on PDAs. Internet kiosks will very quickly become a standard feature of all hotels. The growth of Internet kiosks has very closely paralleled that of ATMs and payphones. The fact that there are no public Internet terminals operating in Tech City, presents Stroll Net with a chance to seize this window of opportunity and enter into a profitable niche.
4.2.1 Competition and Buying Patterns
The main competitors in the public Internet terminal segment are ATT and BellSouth. However, these businesses have yet to establish a presence in Tech City and the immediate surrounding areas. Competition from online service providers comes from locally-owned businesses as well as national firms. Due to the nature of the Internet, there are no geographical boundaries restricting competition. However, none of these online service providers have public Internet terminals available for placement.
4.3 Target Market Segment Strategy
Stroll Net’s public Internet terminals will be a magnet for local and traveling professionals who desire to work or check their email messages away from the office. These professionals will either use Stroll Net’s terminals, or connect their notebooks to our wireless WiFi Internet connection. Stroll Net’s target market covers a wide range of ages: from members of Generation X who grew up surrounded by computers, to Baby Boomers who have come to the realization that people today cannot afford to ignore computers.