Starbucks charges a pretty penny for wireless access and they are doing the competition an enormous favor. If you are not up to paying starbucks a $30 monthly fee for wireless access, you can expect to cough up $6.95 per day to check your email. (cough! cough!)This makes it easy for other coffee shops and small restaurants to attract customers by offering free wireless access. Offering free wireless access can be the determining factor in staying competitive in a saturated market.
Any business that needs more customers should consider what would happen to sales if they offered free wireless access. They don’t always need to provide tables, all that is necessary are places to sit down or places to stand with a shelf to support a laptop.
Bookstores, museums, libraries, snack bars, and some retail stores might well profit from the extra traffic that free wireless internet access can bring. How about bowling alleys, barbershops, cocktail lounges, singles bars and pubs? This puts a new twist on old business models.
Ted on January 30th, 2005 at 5:56 pm
I have a friend that runs a computer and networking company. He lets the local cops know that he was free WiFi at his location. When they’re not busy at night, the cops sit in his parking lot and surf the net (he closes at 5:00 pm). He figures it’s the cheapest security he can buy.