In the first section: (How to Choose the Best Location), we discussed finding the perfect location as the first step in how to start a cellular store. Location is key when starting a wireless store. If you haven’t yet read the post, check it out!
To Start a Cellular Store – Deciding What Prepaid Wireless Services to Offer
Whether you are a new retailer or an existing prepaid wireless business, in order to start a cellular store, knowing the ‘fine print’ on what each prepaid wireless service provider has to offer, is important. Perhaps even more important is understanding the details of what they keep out of your income! The old adage, “It’s not how much you make, it’s what you keep,” is still true.
Our team has extensive experience in owning and operating prepaid cellular stores. The following are some general observations, of some of the prepaid cellular services, in which we have experience. These are not meant to be specific legal descriptions of any particular prepaid cellular service.
One of the common complaints we hear from many store owners is the ‘Master Agent’ not doing what they promised they would, to help the dealer in running the store. * A Master Agent receives a large percentage of your stores’ profit from the day you start a cellular store, for the life of your store!
We know from personal experiences they ‘talk a big game,’ to get you to sign the contract with their prepaid service to start a cellular store. Then they rarely (or Never) show up again! They don’t answer calls or emails. They don’t follow up with your questions. Instead, if you are lucky enough to reach them, they’ll listen to what you tell them and put you off with phrases like, “I’m going to ‘escalate’ your problem and get back to you later.” – That’s usually the last ‘help’ you will receive.
Spiffs & Commissions with many MVNO’s are nearly impossible to track. You never know if you actually get paid what you have earned. You end up waiting for weeks or even month’s (if ever) for a ‘check in the mail.’ Some MVNO’s even pay their dealer commissions in prepaid PIN Cards, that you have to hawk on eBay or elsewhere in order to collect your money!
In contrast to the existing industry standard, Best Cellular feels that when you (as the business owner) start a cellular store .
You are most interested in making your business successful.
Our business plan offers an instant 15% commission on every prepaid wireless payment processed. No waiting on ‘spiffs’ or commissions. You earn your profit immediately; the same day! * This includes any auto-pay customers you set up.
Multiple Dealer Portals & POS PIN Payment Systems:
Another very important consideration when you decide to start a cellular store is in deciding which prepaid wireless services’ offer is in making it simple! You will want to eliminate needing multiple portals to service your customers.
Other MVNO’s, each requires a separate portal that you have to train your employees to use. Then you also have to have something like a POS site to purchase the minutes. This is After you have gone into your POS site to take the payment. Then you toggle back and forth between multiple screens to purchase/activate/buy minutes/oops – go back and find the phone number on that other screen….sheesh!!
The Best Cellular portal is a one-stop shop for every phase of serving your customer. With Best Cellular’s prepaid wireless services, you can:
Sell them a phone or allow them to bring in their own handset. *Note you do not have to flash the phone!
Activate customer with the carrier service of their choosing: CDMA, PCS, GSM-A and soon GSM-T.
Let the customer choose a plan that fits their usage needs, purchase minutes and apply them instantly to their phone (no need to make them buy a PIN card and then have to figure out how to enter the information).
Prepaid wireless customers can stop in each month to pay their bill or set them up on auto-pay.
All of this is done through one portal! You can get your employees up and run very quickly, with a much shorter learning curve. Best Cellular was designed to create ease of use for you and your employees, in all aspects of serving your customer.
In Part 3 of How to Start a Cellular Store, we will discuss how to decide what the best phones and accessories to sell are for your clientele. Existing prepaid wireless dealers may have an advantage here because they know what their existing customers like and what’s popular in their community.