GROWTH PILLAR: Cybersecurity & IT
WHO THIS IS FOR: SMB owners / Solopreneurs / Rural operators / Leaders building systems
WHAT THEY'LL GAIN: Practical Wi-Fi planning knowledge, rural ISP selection guidance, and a clearer picture of what reliable business internet actually looks like.
Most people set up their internet and hope for the best. Birket Foster knows exactly where that goes wrong.
Birket is the founder of Storm Internet, a rural ISP that has been connecting Lanark County and the surrounding region since 1996. Thirty years in, Storm is still building — nine towers, 48 kilometres of fiber through Clayton, and a brand new fiber-powered wireless network now serving over 230 users across the Perth area. Birket recently led the full infrastructure upgrade at Ottawa Titans Stadium, wiring it for a 10-gig pipe, five HD cameras, and stadium-wide Wi-Fi that handles thousands of simultaneous connections. That project is now being picked up by Sportsnet.
In this episode, Bernie and Birket cover what most homeowners and business owners get wrong about Wi-Fi from the start, why the number on the box rarely matches real-world performance, how to plan your network for the devices you have now and the ones coming in two years, what fiber-powered wireless actually means and why it matters for rural areas, how Storm's SLA tiers work — from residential to commercial four-hour response, the portable 110-foot tower Storm deploys for emergency and temporary connectivity, and why rural internet access is quietly expanding what small businesses can sell and who they can reach.
Birket recommends three books for business owners: Traction by Gino Wickman, Good to Great by Jim Collins, and Positioning by Ries and Trout.
Connect with Birket at storm.ca or on LinkedIn. Follow Storm Internet on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
If you are in Lanark County and want fiber-powered wireless, visit storm.ca/fpw for a limited TIME, free installation offer.
Sponsors:
Sterling Grace Technologies — Josh Lamb and his team handle cybersecurity and IT support for small businesses that don't have a tech department of their own. If a breach would hurt your business, this is who to call. This is who I use for my platform!
Canada Growth Network — A business community where SMBs and solopreneurs get real connections and access to GoHighLevel CRM for $1 CAD the first month, then $47 CAD/month. No lock-in.
@Hive — Where Bernie goes to build real business relationships, in person and online. Built for freelancers and growing teams who want more than a LinkedIn connection.
Have a question or want to connect? Reach us at info@kreativinsight.com
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Disclaimer: Everything you heard today is for educational purposes only. It's not professional advice. Before you act on anything — talk to a certified expert in your area. Your accountant. Your lawyer. Someone who knows your situation.
We share perspectives. You make the decisions.
Want more? Head over to blog.knack4business.com — packed with practical episodes on AI, marketing, leadership, and growth. No fluff. Just the good stuff. Subscribe while you're there.
Until next time; keep building.
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