[CLUE-Talk] interesting home business article - from slashdot

[Evan Widger]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "G. Richard Raab" <rraab at plusten.com>
To: <clue-talk at clue.denver.co.us>
Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2003 12:59 AM
Subject: Re: [CLUE-Talk] interesting home business article - from slashdot
> CLUE TIME:
> Just a couple of days ago, a thread was complaining about jobs
disappearing.
> At that time, I responded back by saying that you should forget about the
> high paying "employment" jobs, and start your own company using your tech
> skills.

now that you mention it, i do remember it but i think it didn't hit me
because your interpretation of 'start-up' sounded more like a small business
than freelance work

> But in the mean time, I am continueing working on 2
> other start-ups. The 1'st of these should make ~ 100K- 150K next week in
> revenue.

sounds great, want to hire me? (i'm not joking, well partially cause i'm
sure i know the answer, but i really do need a job)


> 1) keep your excellent customer support. It will pay. just charge for it.
If
> you screw up then do not charge, but if customers mistake, charge for it.
>
> 2) Make sure that you have a marketing/sales person on board. In fact
several
> will go further. If you are not capable of doing it, then do not pretend
that
> you can. Simply partner up with somebody who can. My start-up has
basically 3
> marketing/sales (2 whom either regard them selves as technical or are
> learning) and 1 real tech (me). Do not partner up with somebody who does
not
> want to do sales, but will do it for the moment. They (and you) will fail,
> miserably.
>
> 3) Build at least a mini buisness plan. Target someplace and stick with
for
> the most part. If you find an interesting twist that will not take you
too
> far off course, then you can try it. We were doing wireless for
restaurants
> and found a very interesting market. One that is totally begging for
low-cost
> equipment and support. We 1/3 of what our rivals charge  for support. the
> difference is that they have MS systems in place where we push diskless
> Linux.  We get no calls on the Linux side at all for help. The MS side is
> costing us big. In fact, I am thinking of chargeing the same price as our
> rivals for MS support just to encourage everybody to switch.
>

good advice, i'll take it to heart. i know (relatively) good customer
service is what has kept Gateway going for so long in the face of giants
like HP and Dell, and that's why i enjoyed working for them. now i need to
find a marketing/sales person and make a plan. i never was good at planning.
oh well.


 - Evan Widger
   PsychoI3oy at linkline.com


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