Request for Consultants
davis park
wireless network develop a business plan. Thanks.
--davis.
Search for Consultants: Development of a Business and Marketing Plan for a
Community Wireless Network
(17 September 2006)
LTSC Community Development Corporation (LTSC) seeks a consultant or firm
("Consultant") to develop a sustainability and marketing plan for a
community Wi-Fi
network in the Little Tokyo District of Downtown Los Angeles. We seek
to expand wireless
broadband access to underserved/low-income residents and small
businesses in the
community supported by a business strategy to generate income from
premium wireless
subscribers and advertising. The Consultant will help us assess
current business
opportunities and design an appropriate venture model with investment
opportunities.
LTSC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in 1979 to
provide a comprehensive
array of social welfare and community development services to assist
low income and other
persons in need, contribute to community revitalization and cultural
preservation in Little
Tokyo and among the broader Japanese American community in the
Southland, and provide
such resources to neighboring Asian Pacific Islander and other
low-income communities.
LTSC is currently developing a community wireless network called
Little Tokyo Unplugged
(www.littletokyounplugged.org). We are deploying wireless mesh network
nodes and access
points to establish public wi-fi hotspots within residential buildings
and public spaces
throughout the Little Tokyo neighborhood. The wireless network
services will include a
"catch and release" portal/website that will contain local content and
information.
Scope of work
The goal of the Consultant is to produce a business and marketing plan
that will outline a
financial sustainability strategy to provide free/affordable Wi-Fi
access for local residents,
small businesses, visitors, and tourists. The plan will produce a
cost/benefit analysis of
various income-generating strategies, and will outline proposed
recommendations on the
most effective model(s) for service delivery and the highest potential
for revenue.
The Consultant will collect information through surveys, focus groups,
and community
meetings to assess the potential for income projects that will include
(but not be limited to)
revenue from premium wireless subscriptions and advertisements by
local businesses on
our portal. The plan will focus on residents and other users in the
Little Tokyo
neighborhood, and potentially the nearby Artists District.
The Consultant will also produce a plan that will target populations
identified under the
business strategy. The document will, at a minimum, outline the following:
• Product/service description
• Target population
• Pricing schedule
• Target sales numbers/projections
• Service distribution
• Promotion plan
• A timeline for plan execution
Consultant skills and qualifications
The ideal Consultant has experience in the development of ISP business
models and an
understanding of social enterprise. Specifically, LTSC seeks the
following background, skills,
and experience from the Consultant:
• Proven and demonstrated experience in market analysis and business plan
development
• Ability to effectively communicate with LTSC technology staff
• Working knowledge of current/emerging technologies
• Some familiarity with business-oriented wireless networking
• Ability to optimize the project's community and cost benefit
Timeline
LTSC will retain the Consultant's services beginning early October
until all deliverables are
completed by January 2009.
Application Process
To apply, please submit
1) A cover letter of interest
2) A resume or company profile outlining your firm's accomplishments
and experiences,
with at least two client references who have received services similar to those
outlined in this scope of work
3) A brief description of the estimated hours and budget necessary to
complete the
project
4) Name of the individual(s) you will assign to complete the Scope of Work
Please direct your applications to Davis Park at dp...@ltsc.org by no
later than 11 PM
Thursday, October 2, 2008. Questions regarding this request for consultants are
welcome.
Richard
Richard
N6GPP
"Contradictions do not exist. Whenever you think that you are facing a contradiction, check your premises. You will find that one of them is wrong."
- Ayn Rand (1905-1982)
"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories instead of theories to suit facts."
- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930), Sherlock Holmes