[AccessD] The Business Side Of Databases

Christopher Hawkins clh at christopherhawkins.com
Mon Jun 25 10:34:31 CDT 2007


I'm another one who needs to do a better job of selling ongoing business, Kath.  It seems like a chicken-and-the-egg type of problem though - once you write (or re-write) a complete system, if you've done your job correctly the client probably won't *need* any maintenance.  So what do you sell?  It's tricky.

-C-

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From: "Kath Pelletti" <kp at sdsonline.net>
Sent: Sunday, June 24, 2007 6:55 AM
To: "Access Developers discussion and problem solving" <accessd at databaseadvisors.com>
Subject: Re: [AccessD] The Business Side Of Databases 

I only do custom systems myself and so far have never advertised - all word of mouth, and mostly work that originated from friends taking me into their workplaces and recommending me to solve problem x or y. I agree that the relationship is the thing. But I have my structure wrong and am trying to change that. At the moment I quote for all work (and charge for analysis to the point where I can quote). But once the system is in I get no ongoings and that is where I have made the mistake. After talking to otehr consultants over the last few years I am planning to approach 3 or 4 of my clients who really rely on the systems I have written and discuss maintenance contracts. 

I have one or 2 systems which I know could be on-sold but have never gone down that route. I enjoy the fact that I work across multiple industries - kills the boredom factor, though it won't make you rich......

Kath

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Christopher Hawkins 
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com 
Sent: Saturday, June 23, 2007 4:20 AM
Subject: Re: [AccessD] The Business Side Of Databases

Anyone else care to share where they get their clients from?

More to the point, has anyone managed to set up a system by which the clients manage to find you? I'm trying to automate my business and this has been a real sticking point. It seems that if I'm not out there soliciting new business, the pipeline dries right up.

-C-

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From: "Dan Waters" 
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 6:46 PM
To: "'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'" 
Subject: Re: [AccessD] The Business Side Of Databases 

Thanks Chris - that's worth more than 2 cents!

There are four different groups which I attend regularly, and being at one
of them has paid off. So, I will keep doing this!

Thanks!
Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Christopher
Hawkins
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 7:07 PM
To: accessd at databaseadvisors.com
Subject: Re: [AccessD] The Business Side Of Databases

Dan,

The process of getting clients can be tough for small operators like us.
Right now I have a subcontracted team of 3 devs and it's no easier to keep
us busy than it was when I was alone. In fact, I'm thinking about going
BACK to solo dev! But that said, the most effective means of getting
clients for me has been personal contacts. It requires high energy and a
decent time investment, but it works.

Basically, people like to do business with their friends. All things being
equal, a person will steer work to someone they like over someone they
hardly know. So you need to get yourself out to places and events where
members of the local business community tend to congreagate. Visit those
Chamber of Commerce events. Attend those trade shows. Join the downtown
revitalization committee in your town. Wherever there are influentials,
make sure you are there interacting and forging friendships with them.

See, small operators like us can't hide behind fancy marketing and company
names and institutional advertising like bigger firms can. When someone
hires your firm, they're hiring YOU, even if you have a team behind you to
do the heavy lifting. But in order to hire you, they have to be exposed to
and believe in you. By all means, make your business look a little fuller
than it is. But never forget that you are your own brand.

That's my two cents, at least. ;)

Respectfully,

Christopher Hawkins
Chief Developer
Cogeian Systems
(559) 687-7591
www.cogeian.com

----------------------------------------

From: "Dan Waters" 
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:00 AM
To: "'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'"

Subject: Re: [AccessD] The Business Side Of Databases 

Hi Reuben,

I also would be happy to sell this for $1, if I had some other source of
income!

My question is - what did you do to acquire 60 clients?

Dan

-----Original Message-----
From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
[mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com] On Behalf Of Reuben Cummings
Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:23 AM
To: Access Developers discussion and problem solving
Subject: Re: [AccessD] The Business Side Of Databases

I don't do any custom programming. We have some apps that we thought up on
our own or requested by clients or potential clients. We create apps and
sell them to local government (cities and counties).

Now were I differ from a lot of people is I don't care about the sale. I'd
be happy to sell it for $1. Actually I don't sell anything - I license it
all. I live on the service contracts for each app. We charge anywhere from
600 to 1200 per year based on which app. I have some clients paying as much
as 4000/year. The average is about 1000/year/client. Doesn't sound like
much, but with about 60 clients it's pretty decent income.

And that doesn't include the consulting part of the business which is all
done by annual contract. The key is I only assume the 60k as my income and
everything over that is a "bonus"

On our flagship app which is by far the biggest and has the most clients I
only spend about 40 hours/year in service work TOTAL - for all clients.
They don't mind the fee because support calls, on site visits, and all
future upgrades are included in the service contract.

If the client chooses not to pay for the service agreement on an app the app
gets removed. The can keep the data, but there isn't much to do with it
without an interface.

Reuben Cummings
GFC, LLC
812.523.1017

> -----Original Message-----
> From: accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com
> [mailto:accessd-bounces at databaseadvisors.com]On Behalf Of Dan Waters
> Sent: Thursday, June 21, 2007 9:15 AM
> To: 'Access Developers discussion and problem solving'
> Subject: [AccessD] The Business Side Of Databases
>
>
> To Everyone:
>
> It's always interesting to see how people who work independently (like me)
> are making money from developing databases or doing something related to
> databases.
>
> This has been my major problem - I can make a great Business Process
> Management System, but getting companies to pay for it is a real
> challenge,
> even though their return on investment is probably 2X to 8X in the first
> year!
>
> I do wonder if we could begin an ongoing discussion on the
> business side of
> what each of us does. I think we could all benefit!
>
> Does anyone have some thoughts or ideas on how we could do this?
>
> Thanks!
> Dan
>
>
>
> --
> AccessD mailing list
> AccessD at databaseadvisors.com
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> Website: http://www.databaseadvisors.com
>

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