Scenario
A subscription network-service provider wants to assess unit economics and portfolio impact under different contract terms and cost structures.
Assumptions for clarity:
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No discounting (time value of money ignored).
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Service cost applies in all active months, including the free period.
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Revenue is
0inmonths1–3and
40/month from month 4 onward.
Question
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Base case (per-customer and at 10,000 acquisitions/year):
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Revenue: $40/month with the first 3 months free.
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Service cost: $25/month.
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Install cost: $35 (one-time).
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Marketing and overhead: $120 per new customer (variable).
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Contract term: 15 months.
What is the net value per customer? What is the total annual net value at 10,000 acquisitions?
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Contract extended to 18 months (same costs as above):
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How does the net value per customer change versus the 15-month contract? Explain briefly.
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Contract term 21 months, with churn penalty and new marketing mix:
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10% churn incurs a $100 penalty (expected cost).
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Marketing cost changes to
20pernewcustomer(variable)plus
1,000,000 fixed overhead.
How many customers are needed to break even?
Hint: Lay out cash flows month-by-month, separate variable and fixed costs, and include churn penalties.