JonathanLIVE

My life story (to 1997)

Posted on January 1st, 2007 by JonathanLIVE.
Categories: Stories.

My name is Jonathan Tranter. I live in Oshawa, Ontario. I spend most of my time working at my company, Millennium Generations Inc. When I am not doing everything in the computer business, I am usually doing something with the Baha’i community. Which btw leads me to pronounce to you that I am a Baha’i.My mother and grandmother live with me. Everyone in my family helps take care of each other. I have lived in Oshawa since late 1993. Before which I lived in Bedford, Nova Scotia for three years, and before that in Ottawa for about nine years. Before that I lived in Weland, Ontario for one year, and before that, the place of my birth, Mississauga, Ontario, for three years.Growing up, as a child was hard. At a very early age I had to deal with many issues that faced my family. I was always considered a “good” boy, but at the same time, other parents pointed to me as a good example of a bad example. Though, there was no justification for this, since it was usually their kids that got me in trouble. They do the deed and I get the blame. Nonetheless, I have no regrets of my past, since it has helped me to become the person I am today.

When I was 16 years old, I had something of what some call a spiritual awakening. I suddenly felt very strongly about helping others, at that time, I became a Baha’i. The message of Baha’u'llah and His teachings were so beautiful, and made so much sense, that I could not help but take action, and put them into action in my life. One year later, I took off over seas to teach the Faith, something called Travel Teaching. I quit one year of high school and saved up every cent I made at my job at a convenience store. I travelled to Poland, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Israel, Macau, Hong Kong, and China in the course of nine months. It was by far, the BEST experience of my life! I would have stayed longer had I not gotten the news that we were moving from Nova Scotia to Ontario in a month and I had to start making my way back home.

When I moved to Oshawa, Ontario, I finished my last year High School at Donevan. After that I started full time at my job at Pizza Hut (PIZZA BOY!!!) That was going ok for a while, then I started to get ambitious. I started thinking of starting my own business. With my dreams of glory being bigger then my wallet, I went head first into my very first business, a delivery service. It was short lived, and took a huge chunk of cash with it when it went down. It provided me with some very valuable lessons about business however.

Not to long after that I got terminated at Pizza Hut as a manager. Going to UI, they had to investigate to see if it was with cause or without, to determine if I should receive Unemployment Benefits at that time. After looking into everything, they determined that I was terminated WITHOUT cause. Now, at that time, I could have sued the for the severance pay that I should of had coming to me (working there for 2 years, that adds up to about $1800). At the time I was working on my plans for an Internet Cafe, my business consultant at the time gave me some perspective on the whole thing, and I agreed with him, and just let it go. A little later that same General Manager that terminated me, had a nervous break down, or so it is said, and lost her job there as well. I have heard different versions of exactly what happened to her. When she did leave, everyone was very happy though :). But.. I digress.

I worked on my business plan to make an Internet Cafe. I thought this was a FANTASTIC idea. I loved every part of it, and I believed it could be a BIG success in Oshawa. I got myself a business consultant, and started a computer business with my cousin called HomeBase Computers. We sold computer systems and parts and serviced computers. We actually did really well considering we did no advertising what so ever and ran out of the basement of my house. I went back to high school to take a Multi-Media Presentation course that they were offering. I liked it a lot.. and did well in the course. Both my cousin and I took it together. I think we got most of our sales from that class. There was practically nobody in that class that didn’t buy something from us.

As summer approached, we saw an opportunity to start a multi-line BBS. A BBS/ISP in the area called Cyber-con-x-ions had gone down and out of business. We knew of MANY people that were looking for some other place to go. My cousin and I saw this opportunity and decided to take advantage of it. We got 6 lines, and bought all the equipment.. and in a very short time, we put up Durham Regions most popular BBS, Lolly-Pop Land BBS. I know.. funny name, I came up with it very sarcastically, but it made us both laugh, and we couldn’t think of anything better :).

Well.. the launch of Lolly-Pop Land was a BIG success, users poored in by the hundreds and were purchasing accounts within the 1st week of operation. It was a lot of fun to see everyone meeting again, and gettting to know new people. All you netizens out there can understand the kind of bonds that form with the people you chat with. With the whole thing being in the Region.. we had a series of what were called GTs (get togethers). There everyone from online could meet in person. They were a lot of fun. I felt somewhat out of place though. I was 21 at the time, and most of our users were teenagers between the ages of 13 to 16. Being the Sysop also made people hesitant about saying certain things around me.. but nonetheless.. I became close friends just the same with some of them.

Not to long after this the computer end of things were starting to get sour. I was getting tired of the work that was involved with so little profit. So I offered the business to my partner. He refused to take the business, so we ened up selling it to another computer company. Homebase Computers ended sometime in August of that year I believe. My main focus now was to take off the new business idea I had been working on for several months prior, the Internet Cafe.

Ever since the whole concept was introduced to me, I have been enamoured with the idea of opening one right here in Oshawa. It has never been done before, and all my research at the time showed that it would do well. I worked so hard on it, I read every book on how to may a business plan, about getting financing, about cafes, about the Internet, about becoming and Internet Provider. I was so focused, even on my leasure nights out with friends I would be going for walks by the place where I wanted to locate.. they would hear me ramble on.. “Can’t you just SEE IT!! It’s RIGHT THERE!!” If there was anything I did not lack, it was vision :).. Everyone believed I would do it as well, simply because they could see my conviction in making it happen. Any questions anybody asked about it, I would have an answer.. I learned EVERYTHING there was to know about Internet Cafes, what makes them work, and what doesn’t. I was ready to roll, and I had a team of people lined up in my plan to help make it happen too. All I needed now, was the money.

This can be a whole book in itself, about all the ways I tried to make the money to make it happen. You name it, I did it. Everything legitimate at least :).. Finally the whole thing just didn’t seem to be happening.. and I needed to move on with my current business, which was Lolly-Pop Land which was still going strong, but needed upgrades, and we didn’t have the money to do it. So we did all kinds of things to try and raise the money. We started holding a series of GTs at my place. They were the BEST GTs in the history of GTs, everyone will agree with that. Our 1st one numbered over 60 people. If you go check out the other pics area and see a picture of my house, you will understand just how crowded the place got. It was fun though. We held a total of six of these kind of fundraising GTs. They did help contribute towards more upgrades, but not enough.

I worked part time jobs here and there to help suppliment things, money was getting tight. Finally in May of 1997 I got into the SE program (Self-Employment). It’s a program that has been met with great success that is put on by the government. What it does it put you through a Small Business Administration program for one month. After that, you are paid either what you were receiving in Unemployment Insurance, or $1200 a month to help give you a personal income while your business grows, so that you can keep the money in the business to help make it grow. I went through this program with my Internet Cafe idea.. I submitted my business plan at the end of the course and it was approved. However, I had to find funding for it now. They gave me 3 months to find the funding, or turn in a new proposal for a business. I worked my butt off again, this time, armed with a new and improved business plan. I came up with a few new creative ways to try and raise the money, but once again got no where.

Finally, I bared down and came up with a new plan. To take Lolly-Pop Land and upgrade it to an Internet Service Provider, and sell computers… again.. yesh ;).. So I presented the plan.. and with some help from different sources, had the money to make it happen. The money needed to start this was 1/4 of what I needed for the Internet Cafe. It was at this time.. Millennium Generations Inc. was formed. I found a store location, I purchased the equipment, and away I went into the great unknown!

So I started my own Internet Service Provider company.. wow was I excited.

That is as far as I can go for now, when I have more time.. I will add more

Share This