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Re: [school-discuss] Consulting opportunities in OSS / free ?
Hmm. This is what I do. Want to join me?
http://iteachnet.org
David
----- Message from sregdoreel@xxxxxxxxx ---------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 16:39:07 -0700 (PDT)
From: lee <sregdoreel@xxxxxxxxx>
Reply-To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [school-discuss] Consulting opportunities in OSS / free ?
To: schoolforge-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Hi all,
I've been having a perennial discussion with the betterhalf, and
that is: How to turn OSS & free systems into a working, thriving
business.
Business plan one: Small school boiler plate drop-ins.
My first inclination was to direct-market to small schools, offering
to drop-in working boilerplate systems, replete with all the
goodies... a mix of dual-boot Win/Lin boxen w/ a Karoshi core
(online classroom, content filter). Maybe w/ LTSP as an option.
Well, my wife hates this idea. She thinks there'll be so much T&E
prone to high overhead (or nickle&diming) that'll be hard to work
with smaller schools w/ small budget constraints. I counter her
objections with the idea that my loss-leader (lower net) would be
the boiler-plate install (server core+10 seats, additional seats
pro-rated), and the gravy would come from reviewing existing
systems, doing license inventory/conformance consulting, scrubbing
viruses, setting up printers, migrating user profiles &
fixing/installing the underlying network (I'd outsource the
wire-pulling). She's right that too many low-net schools could
easily drive me out of business.
Business plan two: Large schools / small school districts.
Same as above, but my question is how to market to larger schools
with either entrenched IT mgm't and/or other political barriers to
entry. That, and running a business to work with larger institutions
without having my lunch eaten for a different set of reasons.
Suffice it to say, I'm not seriously entertaining this plan, since
the other-half hates it even more.
Business plan three: Write a "How-To" Book
Write the step-by-step School Networking for Dummies book. Maybe 2
or 3 books, detailing installation/deployment, operations & maybe
(not) curricula. Use the book to market the actual boiler-plate CD's
& DVD training videos. Have a related website that helps drive the
book. The wife likes this idea. She thinks web
advertising/click-thru's could gen alot of income (I suspect however
that goldrush sucks tin).
Business plan four: Consulting & training.
Walk into schools & write recommendations. Not just glossy paper
stock with groovy graphics or "Powerpoint" dog & pony shows, sell
manuals & DVD training along with the consulting & onsite training.
The CD of free stuff are free, but the boiler-plate disks aren't.
Maybe partner w/ a body-shop service (subcontract all of it... ;-),
training the installers & the end-users, per site... but... Power
users in education: Do they exist? FWIW, I haven't met (m)any.
I'm curious what everyone thinks and what your experiences have
been.... To me, schools represent a neglected market that could
offer a modest or decent income stream while doing good things,
offering a competitive edge b/c of the cost savings, ameliorating
the license worries, etc.
But I worry that the market might be weak, not because of lack of
need, but because of institutional or budgetary obstacles. WRT to
Business Plan #1, can a good chap get his foot in the door, or is
free/OSS the kind of change that is limited to internal mgm't reform
efforts, consultants need not apply?
Best regards,
/Lee
======
/lee
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