The Wireless Way
Capitalizing on a trend so big you can't really call it a trend
At 23, John Phillips didn't know what he wanted to do with
his life. And, with two jobs taking up the bulk of his time, it
didn't seem like he would ever be able to figure it out. On the
manic evenings he spent selling electronics for Sears and the
backbreaking pre-dawn hours he spent loading UPS trucks, he never
imagined he was about to get an offer he couldn't refuse.
Phillips was only a year away from being promoted to a UPS driver
when a friend, Ken Goich, asked him to manage all three of the
@Wireless locations he was planning to open.
"I knew I had to make a decision," says Phillips.
"I was either going to drive a truck my whole life, or take a
chance with something else."
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After managing the wireless phone/satellite TV/high-tech toy
stores for a few years, Phillips was able to purchase two of
Goich's @Wireless locations, using UPS stock he had as
collateral to secure business loans. Now 28, Phillips projects his
@Wireless franchises will pull down a combined $160,000 in
2002.
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"Right now, the bulk of our business comes from cellular
phones and plan upgrades," says Phillips, who benefits from
the franchise's partnerships with wireless giants such as
AT&T, Cingular, MCI, Sprint and Verizon. @Wireless is poised to
capitalize on emerging demand as well-its stores already stock
high-tech products such as high-speed Internet solutions and
wireless GPS navigation systems. When other markets for wireless
products enter hypergrowth, Phillips and @Wireless will be ready to
take on the rush.