Every Business Has a Telecom Bill—But Few Are Optimizing It
If you’re exploring franchise opportunities, you’re likely evaluating market demand, recurring revenue potential, and the ability to deliver genuine value to clients. For Schooley Mitchell, we started our business as a telecom consulting company, and while the telecom industry has certainly changed for us over the last two decades, the need for our expertise and value in this area has not.
Here’s a remarkable fact: every business—from a five-person startup to an enterprise organization with thousands of employees—depends on telecommunications to operate. Phones, internet, wireless devices, computers, and routers aren’t optional anymore; they’re the backbone of modern business operations. Yet despite spending thousands to hundreds of thousands annually on these services, most businesses have never had an expert review their telecom expenses.
That’s the opportunity. That’s where Schooley Mitchell comes in. And that could be where you come in.
The Pain Points: Why Businesses Need Us
The Complexity Problem
Telecommunications has become incredibly complex. Businesses today navigate a maze of options:
Voice Services can range from traditional phone lines to feature-rich VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) systems, or they might be stuck on antiquated solutions like PRI circuits that haven’t been evaluated in years. Most business owners don’t know what these technologies are, let alone which one is right for their operations—and that’s exactly the point. They need an expert.
Internet connectivity isn’t just about being “online” anymore. Options include:
- Cable internet (most common, but not always optimal)
- Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) for businesses requiring reliability and security
- DSL or satellite (slower, less reliable, but sometimes the only available option)
Each comes with different pricing structures, performance levels, and suitability for specific business needs.
Wireless Services encompass cell phones, tablets, and hotspots with various data plans—pooled, flex, or unlimited—plus talk and text features and device costs. With most companies managing dozens to hundreds of devices, the potential for inefficiency multiplies exponentially.
Fleet Tracking and ELD (Electronic Logging Devices) represent a specialized but lucrative category. Federal laws require ELD services for most commercial fleets, creating a mandatory expense that needs optimization – many of our clients rushed to telecom vendors to meet requirements for ELD and were oversold the “Cadillac” packages of these services. With increased vendor competition and our expertise, we are able to right-size our clients to both meet federal regulations and not overspend in the process. Equipment requirements, plan costs, and usage patterns all require analysis.
The Overprovisioning Epidemic
Here’s what we see constantly: businesses paying for services they don’t need. An office with 20 employees might have unlimited data plans for devices that barely use 2GB per month. A company might be paying for 500 Mbps internet when their usage peaks at 100 Mbps. Redundant services, unused features, and overprovisioned capacity bleed budgets month after month.
The Negotiation Gap
Most businesses simply don’t have the leverage, expertise, or time to negotiate effectively with telecom providers. They accept rate increases, auto-renew contracts, and miss out on special pricing programs (like non-profit discounts) because they don’t know they exist or how to access them.
The Schooley Mitchell Solution: What We Deliver
As a Schooley Mitchell franchisee, you become the expert businesses desperately need. Your value proposition is straightforward and powerful:
- Comprehensive Analysis – We audit our clients telecom services and expenses—analyzing usage patterns to identify redundancies and overprovisioning.
- Service Optimization – We identify the most cost-effective solutions tailored to each business’s actual needs, not what a sales rep convinced them to buy years ago.
- Expert Negotiation – We leverage industry relationships and expertise to negotiate discounts, secure special pricing, and optimize plan fees and contract renewals.
- Bottom Line Impact – You help businesses save money. Real, measurable savings that drop directly to their bottom line.
The Market Opportunity: Why This Works
Universal Need
Every business with a phone, internet connection, or mobile device is a potential client. That’s essentially every business in existence.
Recurring Opportunity
Telecom isn’t a one-time expense. Contracts renew, technologies evolve, and businesses grow or change. The companies you help today become long-term relationships with recurring optimization opportunities.
Vertical Flexibility
Depending on your interests and local market, you can target specific verticals. Love logistics? Focus on fleet tracking and ELD optimization for transportation companies. Prefer professional services? Target law firms and accounting practices with complex voice and data needs. Healthcare, retail, government—every sector needs these services.
Low Client Risk
Most of our clients save money while staying with their incumbent telecom provider. You’re not asking businesses to change operations or take risks by changing vendors – unless they want to make a switch. You’re helping them spend less on services they’re already buying. That’s an easy conversation to start and a compelling value proposition to close.
What This Means for You as a Franchise Candidate
You Don’t Need to Be a Tech Expert
You might be reading terms like VoIP, PRI, or DIA and thinking, “I don’t know what those mean.” That’s perfectly fine. Our telecom experts here at corporate do all the work – we train you to have the necessary conversation to communicate our value proposition to clients, and then we do the rest. Your role is building relationships and delivering value—the technical knowledge comes with the system and our team.
You’re Solving Real Problems
This isn’t a “nice to have” service. In an era of razor-thin margins and constant pressure to improve efficiency, you’re offering businesses a way to improve profitability without cutting staff, reducing quality, or changing operations. You’re the good news in their inbox.
The Value Is Measurable
Unlike many consulting services, your impact is quantifiable. You can point to specific dollar amounts saved—monthly, annually, over contract terms. That makes proving ROI straightforward and referrals natural.
You’re Entering an Established System
Schooley Mitchell has refined the model, built the relationships with providers, and created the systems that make this work. You’re not figuring it out alone—you’re stepping into a proven franchise system with a track record of success.
The Bottom Line
Consider this scenario: A mid-sized business spends $15,000 monthly on telecom services. Through your analysis, you identify overprovisioning, negotiate better rates, and optimize their plans—saving them $3,500 per month. That’s $42,000 annually you’ve added to their bottom line. They’re thrilled. They refer you to their network. The relationship continues through future renewals and business changes.
That’s one client.
Now imagine building a portfolio of clients across various industries and sizes, not only looking at telecom for them but at the rest of our cost categories. Imagine the recurring revenue from contract renewals and ongoing optimization. Imagine the satisfaction of delivering tangible value while building a scalable, profitable business.
Consulting with Schooley Mitchell isn’t about chasing trends or hoping for market timing. It’s about addressing a universal business need that isn’t going anywhere. Every business will have a telecom bill next month, next year, and ten years from now. Very few will have someone ensuring they’re getting the best value.
That someone could be you.
The opportunity is real. The need is universal. The value is measurable. The question is: are you ready to help businesses save money while building your own success?