You started with a tower, some CPEs, and a vision. Now you have 100 customers. Revenue is good. Life is... busy.
But here's the trap: 100 to 500 is where most WISPs either break or breakthrough. The systems that worked at 100 customers don't work at 300. The processes that were fine for 2 technicians fail with 10.
This guide shows you how to scale past the chaos - and build an ISP that grows profitably.
The Scaling Challenge
What Changes at 100 Customers?
| Before 100 | After 100 |
|---|---|
| You do everything | You need help |
| Memory works | You need systems |
| Quick fixes work | You need processes |
| Growth is linear | Complexity explodes |
The Crunch Point
At 100-300 customers:
- Support tickets overwhelm you
- Billing takes days
- Technicians work 60-hour weeks
- You can't keep up with network growth
- Quality drops
- Customers start leaving
This is the make-or-break point.
The Scaling Framework
Phase 1: Stabilize (100-200 customers)
Goal: Get consistent before growing more.
Key Actions:
- Document everything
- Automate billing
- Set up monitoring
- Hire first dedicated tech
- Create standard processes
Metrics to hit:
- Support response <4 hours
- Billing automated
- Network uptime >99%
Phase 2: Systematize (200-500 customers)
Goal: Build processes that scale.
Key Actions:
- Hire more techs
- Implement work orders
- Build inventory system
- Create SOPs
- Install network monitoring
Metrics to hit:
- 4+ jobs per tech per day
- First-visit fix rate >80%
- NPS >40
Phase 3: Scale (500-1000 customers)
Goal: Grow without chaos.
Key Actions:
- Hire operations manager
- Build team leads
- Implement CRM
- Geographic expansion
- Diversify services
Metrics to hit:
- <3% monthly churn
- 500+ customers per technician
- Profit margin >20%
Critical Systems to Build
1. Billing Automation
Before: You create invoices manually. After: Invoices generate automatically.
| Task | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Generate 200 invoices | 6 hours | 5 minutes |
| Send invoices | 3 hours | 0 minutes |
| Track payments | 2 hours | 10 minutes |
| Monthly billing time | 11 hours | 15 minutes |
Invest in: ISPBox billing automation, Stripe integration, autopay
2. Support Ticketing
Before: Phone calls, lost requests, no tracking. After: Systematic ticket management.
Must-haves:
- Ticket submission (phone, email, portal)
- Status tracking (Open → In Progress → Resolved)
- Assignment and escalation
- Response time tracking
- Client history
Invest in: ISPBox ticketing, or dedicated system if needed
3. Network Monitoring
Before: Customers tell you when down. After: You know before they do.
Critical devices to monitor:
- Internet gateway
- Core infrastructure
- Each tower backhaul
- Key access points
Invest in: ISPBox monitoring, LibreNMS, or UptimeRobot
4. Inventory Management
Before: "I think we have some routers..." After: Exact counts, tracked assignments.
Track:
- What you have
- Where it is
- Who has it
- What's needed
Invest in: ISPBox inventory, barcode system
5. Field Management
Before: Techs figure it out. After: Organized jobs, efficient routes.
Implement:
- Daily job assignment
- Zone-based routing
- Mobile access
- Status updates
Invest in: ISPBox work orders, routing software
Team Building
Hire Sequence
| Phase | Hire | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| 100 customers | 1 technician | First |
| 150 customers | Support person | Critical |
| 250 customers | 2nd technician | High |
| 350 customers | Ops manager | Critical |
| 500 customers | 2 more techs | High |
| 750+ | Team leads | High |
Roles to Build
Technician (first hire):
- Installations
- Service calls
- Basic troubleshooting
Support (second hire):
- Handle tickets
- Phone/email
- Tier 1 troubleshooting
Operations Manager (at 300+):
- Coordinate techs
- Handle escalations
- Process improvement
- Quality control
Team Leads (at 500+):
- Manage technicians
- Training
- Day-to-day operations
Common Scaling Mistakes
Mistake #1: Growing Too Fast
You add 50 customers/month but can't support them.
Fix: Growth limited by your capacity. Add 10-20% per month MAX.
Mistake #2: No Processes
You grow, but everything is still "figure it out."
Fix: Document SOPs. Write things down. Automate decisions.
Mistake #3: Cheap Out
You hire the cheapest people, skip tools, avoid systems.
Fix: Cheap decisions are expensive long-term. Invest in the basics.
Mistake #4: You Do Everything
You can't delegate. You must approve everything.
Fix: Hire and trust. Let go of operational details.
Mistake #5: Ignoring Churn
You add 20 customers, lose 10.
Fix: Churn compounds. Fix before scaling.
The Numbers That Matter
| Metric | 100 Customers | 500 Customers | 1000 Customers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $5K/mo | $25K/mo | $50K/mo |
| Technicians | 1-2 | 4-6 | 8-12 |
| Support | You | 1-2 | 3-4 |
| Profit margin | 20% | 25% | 30% |
| Churn | <5% | <3% | <2% |
Key insight: Profit margin should INCREASE as you scale. If it's decreasing, something is wrong.
Automation Priorities
What to automate first (by ROI):
| Priority | Automation | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ | Billing/invoicing | Hours/week saved |
| 2️⃣ | Payment processing | Cash flow |
| 3️⃣ | Monitoring | Reduced downtime |
| 4️⃣ | Ticketing | Support efficiency |
| 5️⃣ | Inventory | Reduced waste |
Getting Started: 90-Day Plan
Month 1: Stabilize
- Audit current processes
- Automate billing
- Set up monitoring
- Hire first technician
Month 2: Systematize
- Implement ticketing
- Create work orders
- Build inventory system
- Document SOPs
Month 3: Scale
- Hire support
- Optimize routes
- Track metrics
- Plan next phase
The Bottom Line
Scaling from 100 to 1000 isn't about working harder. It's about building systems that work without you.
The ISPs that make it:
- Automate billing early
- Monitor their network
- Hire systematically
- Document everything
- Focus on quality over quantity
You don't have to figure this out alone. Tools like ISPBox exist to handle the complexity - so you can focus on growth.
Ready to scale? ISPBox helps you grow from 100 to 1000+ customers with integrated billing, monitoring, inventory, and support.
Check our Blog for more ISP growth guides.