This is the network services flyer I use as a starting point when I walk into a local business. You’re free to download it and make it your own: swap in your logo, your services and your contact info.
Download the network services flyer (PDF)
The flyer is the easy part. The video above walks through how I used one to land network clients when I was starting out as an independent consultant, and the steps are below.
Get in front of business owners
Before YouTube, I tried Google ads, Craigslist and newspaper ads. None of them worked for me. What landed me the most customers was walking into a business, introducing myself and handing over a card.
It’s awkward at first. Set yourself a goal, like five cards a day, and the nerves wear off. Locally owned businesses are the best place to start: the barbecue place on the corner or the dentist’s office, where you can talk directly to the person who makes the decisions. Chains like Walmart or Starbucks have central IT departments you’ll never get past.
When a conversation does start, listen. Don’t jump into a sales pitch. Make a mental note of what frustrates the owner about their internet or WiFi, because those are the problems your proposal needs to solve.
Offer something free that proves you know your stuff
The flyer gives them a reason to call you back. Mine offers a free onsite wireless survey, and in my opinion that’s the best free offer you can make. A quick security checkup or a network overview also works.
A survey takes about 30 minutes of walking the office, store or restaurant with a laptop. NetSpot Pro is an affordable way to start, and Hamina Onsite with an Oscium Nomad is a big step up. You’ll almost always find something: dead spots in the back, or far too many access points fighting each other. Either way, you now have something specific to put in an estimate.
Follow up and send a short proposal
Send a recap email within 24 hours: thanks for your time, here’s what we talked about, here’s how to reach me. The next time their WiFi acts up, you’re the person they think of.
If they ask for a proposal, send it fast. Keep it short:
- Their top problems, in their own words if you can
- Your recommended fixes
- A simple network diagram so they can picture it (I use Lucid, and draw.io is free)
Leave out the deep technical detail. The proposal should show that you understand the problem and can fix it without them having to think about the tech. Give away too much and they may just do it themselves.
Standardize on one hardware platform
Proposals go much faster when you already know the gear inside and out. Using one vendor for every client also means you can keep spares on hand, swap a failed switch the same day, and support everyone the same way.
TP-Link sponsored the video, so my example uses their Omada line. For a medium-sized restaurant I designed in Hamina Planner, the Wi-Fi 7 build looked like this:
| Role | Model | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gateway | ER707-M2 | Two 2.5 Gbps ports plus five gigabit ports, for dual WAN |
| PoE switch | SG3428XPP-M2 | 24 ports of 2.5 Gbps PoE, 500 W budget |
| Indoor access points | 2x EAP772 | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Patio access point | EAP772-Outdoor | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Controller | OC220 or Omada Cloud |
I’d split it into a secure LAN for staff computers, printers and network gear, a separate VLAN for the point-of-sale system, and a guest network for customers. The cameras go on their own VLAN or on the secure LAN.
When I made the video in October 2025, that hardware came to about $1,520 at MSRP. At Omada’s top partner tier (20% off), your cost is about $1,216, so you make about $300 on hardware before you charge for design, labor or ongoing management. A budget version with Wi-Fi 6 and gigabit Ethernet (ER605, SG2428LP, EAP653 inside and EAP610-Outdoor on the patio, cloud-managed) came to about $640, with about $125 of margin. Check current pricing before you quote, because these numbers change.
The same rule applies whichever vendor you choose: if you aren’t making margin on the hardware, you’re leaving money on the table. Partner programs, deal registration on bigger bids, and a vendor with real support people you can call all make the job easier.
If you’d rather have the network designed and built for you, that’s what we do at Crosstalk Solutions. See our network design and business WiFi services.
