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

[G. Richard Raab]

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On Monday 28 July 2003 03:20 pm, G. Richard Raab wrote:
> On Monday 28 July 2003 02:41 pm, Matt Gushee wrote:


> Well, training is not really dead. What is wrong is that the top places are
> still trying to charge top dollars and can not do so. Typical prices are
> 1500-2000/student/5 day course. Even with discounting, many are still
> trying to charge > 1200/student for 12 students with an on-site.
> So, yeah, they are failing.
>
> BTW, since it has been ~ 2.5 years with the downturn, there will need to be
> training soon. Techies always need re-tooling. and there will be a number
> of needs soon (Linux, Perl6, Python, Gnome, KDE, Qt, embedded Linux, Linux
> Kernel, Linux Security, Apache 2.0, etc).
> Another advantage that you have is that the top players have been moving to
> where they thought that money was ; MS Windows and .nyet.
>  That is now a crowded space. Horribly crowded with little development.
>  The Unix market is slow to dieing for training and trying to compete
> against the establish ones is hard.
> But the established ones will normally miss the opportunities that are
> coming down the path for Linux. Their ppl will be Unix or MS and it will
> reflect during the class.
>  Ask a good question not in the book, and you will get the answer of
> 1) well that is a good question and I will get back to you
> 2) that is a very complicated question and lets take it off-line.
> etc.
> (or worse, if will be wrong)
> A couple is not a big deal. A number of them will kill you.


Oh, for determing who to market to, simply look on mailing lists. If several 
employees from a company are active on a list, it indicates that most likely 
they are moving into Linux. If you check their employement site, see what 
they are hiring for. Likewise, check out the perl and Linux jobs sites. This 
will clue you into who is headed where.

Finally, you can do what I saw sales ppl doing at several companies that I 
worked for; check the competitor's sites for client lists. But to be honest, 
that is a hard thing to go in and compete. If you do it, I would suggest 
looking at companies that train in non-unix areas (too close to Linux). Find 
out who is doing MS, Vax, HP-3000, and MVS type training. The companies that 
they have as clients are going to need move to Linux (or move offshore, or 
both) to lower their costs.

Keep in mind, that the longer that this economy stays down, the easier it is 
to sell Linux. BTW, if you look at the stock market, most companies are still 
having hard times in spite of 2 and 1/2 years of cheer leading by the admin.


- -- 
cheers
g.r.r.
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