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How to Grow Your Business with FISPA. Where VOLstate.net was. Started in 1996 as a residential ISP Basically one product Dial up access with email. We changed out of necessity Started offering ISDN and DSL service Started concentrating on business clients. 2. FISPA LIVE! 2013. By 2007.
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Where VOLstate.net was • Started in 1996 as a residential ISP • Basically one product • Dial up access with email. • We changed out of necessity • Started offering ISDN and DSL service • Started concentrating on business clients 2 FISPA LIVE! 2013
By 2007 • We were a business only, Data ISP • We sold PCs and Servers out of necessity. • We had some good clients • We lacked the products we needed • We needed a voice offering • We were paying too much for almost everything. • We were losing deals. 3 FISPA LIVE! 2013
VOLstate Joined FISPA • Thought I could get help getting into the voice business. • Tried attending a FISPA show. • Found a new vendor • Arranged cross selling across LATA with another FISPA member • Discovered I was not alone… 4 FISPA LIVE! 2013
Producers • Fispa is full of producers with diverse models. • Some are innovators • Taking Risk and driving change • Some are great competitors • Taking business from the LECs • Providing their customers a great experience 5 FISPA LIVE! 2013
Use FISPA to add Leverage • Remember the power of your association • When you negotiate with vendors that are not yet in FISPA. • Leverage that membership and widen your opportunity. • Charter relationship started in the conference room of VOLstate in a meeting with Matt Anderson • Needed an alternative to just DSL • VOLstate by itself was not a large enough opportunity. 6 FISPA LIVE! 2013
Use FISPA to help vendors. • New Vendor – You want them to be successful. • In 2008 I was introduced to a new vendor that could get me in the voice business. • It was risky – I was only the second customer. • Nonetheless, I had to get in the voice business. • I wanted them to succeed. • I asked Ipifony to Join FISPA. • They have helped FISPA by being a sponsor at every event since. 7 FISPA LIVE! 2013
Connection Options • Utilize the Swiss Army Knife of Connectivity • Larger Competitors don’t do this. • The needs of the customer are not met • You have the know how • Take what you have and make unique products. FISPA LIVE 2013
Smaller competitors can win FISPA LIVE 2013
One Example of Victory • FISPA helped us land our largest customer • That deal is worth over 850 thousand dollars. • Uses AT&T Metro Ethernet. • Uses AT&T light gate. • Users Nitel rural LDPL • Uses a now abandoned FISPA DSL aggregation • Users another FISPA service provider to add out of market circuits. • Used “Know How” I gathered from other members. 10 FISPA LIVE! 2013
CLEC “Therapy” • FISPA members taught me how to become a CLEC. • “CLEC Therapy” Not wasted. • FISPA CLEC helping “wannabes” • Expert Vendors available • Kris Twomey • Technologies Management (guest at one event) FISPA LIVE 2013
On my way to the TRA... • Here is a picture of the AT&T headquarters in Nashville, TN. 12 FISPA LIVE! 2013
AT&T’s Brand… FISPA LIVE 2013
VOLstate’s Voice Brand FISPA LIVE 2013
Pole Attachment Help • Fispa members shared 2 pole attachment agreements with me. • I now have an agreement with my city-owned utility. • We have completed the first of 7 phases of our build out. FISPA LIVE 2013
Layer 1 started FISPA LIVE 2013
The Power of Layer 1 • We recently finished negotiations with 2 anchor customers. • Renewed for 3 and 4 years. • A large, publicly traded CLEC was bidding both jobs. • Their salesman recently called me asking to work for us. FISPA LIVE 2013
Regulatory Help • Like it or not, Governments want their piece of your business. • Compliance is important • Keep the bureaucrats out of your life! • Vendor Members Kris Twomey and Mark Lamert can help you. FISPA LIVE 2013
While You are Here • Catch up with your vendors. • Reconnect with your peers. • Consider the solutions that new vendors have. • Help someone else. - FISPA LIVE 2013