Last week I had the opportunity to speak with a few dozen business owners and principals from Boston’s Innovation District. Thanks to Danielle Pillion, Executive Director of Friends of Fort Point Channel for inviting netBlazr to their monthly business meeting and to Steven Leaf of Colonnade Properties for hosting us. It’s always exciting to discuss netBlazr with small and medium business owners in a vibrant, active community like Fort Point.
We launched a new community promotion ten days ago, in which we asked for help spreading the word about netBlazr. We committed to activate service throughout Fort Point once we get 60 companies to sign our online “petition” to bring FREE broadband to the neighborhood. We aren’t asking for any commitment beyond simply validating that we have an exciting value proposition for local businesses – an augmentation, or speed & reliability boost, to existing office networks. I was pleased that virtually everyone at the meeting wants to bring netBlazr to the Innovation District. We already have 25 companies interested – see who is on our map!
As you know, we’re applying a radical business model to a relatively stagnant broadband market. To offer free basic broadband (and higher speeds at 90% less than the big telcos), we need to find creative, low-cost ways to promote netBlazr within the business community. We won’t be sending direct mail to everyone weekly. Nor will we be running TV ads during Red Sox games. No, we will continue to wow our Members and ask them to tell their friends and colleagues. Our network grows in coverage and performs better with each new Member joining.
We haven’t figured all this out just yet, so if you have any suggestions, please drop me a note: jim at netBlazr dot com. Thanks.