Between you and me….I have been back and forth on this project a number of times.

From:

Super potential and disruptive at both disaster related government and insurance services. We just have to figure out a way to get this company going.

To:

I am out of my mind - no one is going to give us their information.

Just yesterday, I had an online meeting with an outfit called “Gitcha.” They have created a digital startup to help buyers get the word out on what they are looking for. A couple of years ago, we started using an app called WatchDuty. It was started by a silicon valley app developer who got the idea of working a range of volunteers connected with wildfires. They have a network of folks who listen to scanners, work as volunteer firefighters, emergency service workers, etcl, who are providing information to WatchDuty realtime and it is growing exponentially. The service is doing way better than anything the government can offer or likely ever will offer. Course that doesn’t stop some governmental agencies to actually tell people not to use the service. My goodness!

What do these companies have in common that DisasterTrack doesn’t? Initial funding that allows the program to grow.

Today, I believe absolutely that given the changes in SBA operations; the current political situations; the fully expected and predicted wildfire disasters throughout the western states and the extremely likely effects of the super El Nino this fall/winter/early months of 2027 on all of the western states that DisasterTrack has a unique opportunity to go from zero to tens of thousands of clients in less than a year. Very possibly hundreds of thousands.

Then we can expect the La Nina to conditions to return and any number of severe hurricane’s to impact the east and southeast.

There are technical and scaling challenges - no question - but even without those can I alone make this business happen?

Can I get the company going, while doing everything myself and make it to a point where the revenue at least equals the costs?

Is DisasterTrack a truly good idea - in the first place - and if it is disaster survivors appreciate it?

Unless there is something that you know that I don’t know and you feel there is something that can be done to address the funding bind. Pretty sure I need to recognize reality and shut down DisasterTrack.

As you know, this concept was created as a result disaster survivor frustration and my frustration with a system that I believe works first to allow certain people remain employed and in control. That is THIER priority and THEY are the federal government.

MAJOR POINT (that I myself keep straying away from):

The most critical component of our service is helping our client to create a baseline and verifying them/their property.

The map system; providing representation services; providing online chat services for real time disaster communications (for the record/family/insurance) and the other services that we have discussed are all secondary.

Creating that baseline, being able to receive and retain report & image updates from clients when disaster strikes is our primary and defining role. They can quickly get information to us, that we would make available to local, state & federal disaster responders.

Can we figure a way to do at least the baseline and verification service….?

Operations right now:

Website charge Annual $276 (actual cost)

Website design & structure $5,000 One time $5000 (If contracted)

Website ongoing support and updates $1000 month Annual $12,000 (If contracted and assuming very low level of support and modifications)

Squarespace billing services 3% Paid on all transactions assume base of $4.99 - .15 = $4.84

Online chat - LiveHelpNow $25 month Annual $300 (actual cost)

Follow Up Boss (CRM) $75 month Annual $900 (actual cost)

AI Gemini $20 month Annual $240 (actual cost)

Computer equipment (MacBook pro M1, MacMini M4) $3500 (donated to the cause)

Monitors, lighting, camera’s, printers, etc. $5,000 (donated to the cause)

Software (word processing, spreadsheets,

Income would be incremental and hopefully increasing at:

0 to 10,000 subscribers $48,400 gross annual income (figured at $4.84). Time required approximately 5 minutes per client spread out over the chat process to maximize efficiency during operational hours.

DisasterTrack mapping system:

Steve’s or another persons time (at least) to develop and update the system. Requirements increase/decrease based on number of verified clients and actual disasters.

Software development and support system is $25 to $200 a month depending on the services required and amount of traffic on the site. If we suddenly had tens of thousands of visitors that would likely overwhelm the mapping system.

Special Notes:

Challenged by our success? Squarespace, Google Earth are the primary systems we are relying on to deliver information to our audience. If they can’t handle the number of potential visitors no one can. That said:

Should DisasterTrack reach levels up to hundreds of thousands of clients on our website and using our map and payments systems. We need to be prepared to upscale.

Will need:

Business office for management/ops

Utilities estimate

Expected Required Personnel assuming moderate level of adoption:

Manager

Online Chat Supervisor

Online Chat Operator

Government Liaison - Federal - Steve and Charlene

Government Liaison - State and Local - initially Steve and Charlene - once programs are started then we can have other liaisons

National Sales -

Nice to have:

Online text - LiveHelpNow based on usage estimate Annual $10,000 - this is not required as a primary part of our service - but it might be useful

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Business Structure:

Costs of setting up the busine

Business Checking Account