| Across the country, the hottest new selling point | | | | with new clients. |
| that determines the quality of a coffee shop is | | | | |
| wireless internet access. In fact, in any and every | | | | The Franchise Opportunity |
| kind of urban or suburban establishment, wireless | | | | When the business began, it was nothing more |
| internet is the trend. Cafés, schools, | | | | than five locations and some equipment installed |
| libraries, churches, homes, and even some busses | | | | on area grain elevators. Since then, the operation |
| can all be found to have wireless internet routers; | | | | has expanded to 40 towers serving 4,000 clients, |
| a person can virtually sit down with their laptop | | | | and every month 100 more clients are added to |
| anywhere in town and pick up someone's internet | | | | that number. With the success that this franchise |
| signal. Notice the caveat there, however: | | | | business has already seen in its home state of |
| anywhere in town. | | | | Michigan, it has expanded its vision and opened up |
| Try taking that laptop out into a rural community | | | | for franchising in 31 states. |
| somewhere in the grassy plains of Kansas, and | | | | Hopeful franchisees need to answer only three |
| you may not find yourself quite as readily linked | | | | primary questions before taking the plunge. One, |
| into the worldwide web. In fact, in today's world, | | | | do you know the target market that you're |
| try as you may to connect from a farm virtually | | | | planning to open in, and are there any competitors |
| anywhere, you're not going to get anything but a | | | | there? Two, do you have the financial resources |
| dead battery from leaving your computer on. All | | | | to cover the minimum $178,000 price tag? And |
| that is about to change, however, thanks to Air | | | | three, are you passionate about bringing internet |
| Advantage. | | | | access to people who don't yet have it? If you |
| Say hello to Air Advantage, the first company to | | | | can answer all three of those questions |
| make it their sole purpose to bring wireless | | | | affirmatively, then Air Advantage is the home |
| connectivity to rural America. Since 2002, this | | | | based business for you, and you are the |
| Michigan-based business has been working | | | | franchisee for them. |
| tirelessly to perfect every aspect of their | | | | When franchisees do step up to opening their |
| operation from essential technology to optimal | | | | own franchises, Air Advantage staff is present |
| marketing systems so that farmers, ranchers, | | | | throughout the whole process, teaching them how |
| loggers, and everyone else just outside city limits | | | | to find the right tower location, helping establish a |
| can have equal opportunity to access the web. | | | | demographic study of the area, and developing an |
| And so far, they've succeeded. In fact, in 2006, | | | | RF map of the area. As well, franchisees are |
| their product and service earned the Blue Ribbon | | | | trained in all areas of the business at the |
| from the US Chamber of Commerce, and then | | | | company's central headquarters, preparing them |
| earned it again in 2007. | | | | for everything they may encounter in a day's |
| | | | work. Furthermore, each franchisee is taken out |
| What Makes Their System Work | | | | into the field to visit a working tower and be |
| The keys to their success are effective | | | | taught about all the equipment they will inevitably |
| technology and maintenance practices suited | | | | come across in the lifespan of their franchise. |
| specifically for clients who aren't near the city. | | | | Upon opening the new franchise, staff members |
| Their towers connect to in-home routers using | | | | from the central headquarters come to the new |
| 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 5.3 GHz, and 5.7 GHz | | | | site to help with first installations of towers and |
| spectrums, running on both very common and | | | | customer equipment, ensuring that the franchisee |
| more uncommon wavelengths, depending on the | | | | gets their home business off on the right foot. |
| need of the client. | | | | But whenever something may go slightly awry in |
| But what really makes this a plausible business is | | | | the course of business, there is always helpdesk |
| their maintenance plan. First, because of the | | | | support for franchisee and clients to fall back on, |
| design of the equipment, there is no need for the | | | | and the central facility provides billing, scheduling, |
| installer to know or use the network I/P scheme | | | | other administrative services, network monitoring, |
| or customer specific I/P address. This means that | | | | and maintenance so that everything about your |
| the possibility of having an outside hacker infiltrate | | | | work at home business is always at peak |
| the system is virtually nil. Second, the connection | | | | performance. After all, your growth means their |
| process is all software-based, installed directly to | | | | growth, and your profit means their profit. |
| the client's computer and accessible through | | | | |
| user-friendly menus and drop-down boxes that | | | | A Business With A Future |
| make everything far less painful, even for the | | | | The internet isn't going anywhere anytime soon, |
| inexperienced user. And third, because the | | | | so any business opportunities that get you into |
| system software is menu-driven, there is no need | | | | the market in a capacity with little current |
| for the franchisee to send employees on-site to | | | | competition is one to be seriously considered, and |
| troubleshoot; all the client has to do is call the 24 | | | | there isn't anyone better than Air Advantage. The |
| 7 helpdesk. All of this together means that rural | | | | longer you wait, however, the greater risk you |
| customers are given access to wireless service | | | | run of watching this currently untapped market |
| 10-times faster than dial-up, they don't have to | | | | be infiltrated by other service brands and other |
| trouble themselves with the headache of having | | | | Air Advantage work from home franchisees. In |
| technicians come out to help them, and the | | | | the technology industry, there is never time to |
| franchise owner doesn't have spend the money | | | | waste, so don't put this opportunity off if it's the |
| and energy to send those technicians. Instead, | | | | one for you. |
| techs can be busy establishing new connections | | | | |