Sankarshan (সঙ্কর্ষণ) wrote:
To begin addressing this space, it would require a jot-down of what
tasks the Small Businesses expect to achieve using this OS, what
services they currently consume and desire replaced by a FOSS stack
and what applications are available that can meet their needs.
Exactly.
When dealing with small businesses, sometimes the direct approach isn't
always the most effective.
Small business owners have a lot going on and taking time for a new
anything is a big deal. We, as business owners [1], have to be
convinced that the investment in time and/or money will be well worth
it. Because we don't buy into something simply because it might do
wonderful things.
I work with many small businesses through SCORE [2] - an organization in
the USA to counsel small business owners. From start-up to growing
pains and beyond. (Best of all, it's free advice.)
I've begun pitching Open Source applications as a triage process knowing
that for some businesses, the introduction will come in small steps and
not always with an operating system. [3]
What would it mean to your business if you went with OOo instead of a
commercial office suite? Is that money you don't have to borrow? Money
you could put to use elsewhere?
To other businesses FOSS means websites that are "close enough" that
they only need to hire a tech for the finishing touches. (Knitting
components together in an OSCommerce shopping cart or tweaking Joomla
extensions etc)
~Karlie
[1] http://webpath.net/index.php?wiki=Staff
[2] http://SCORE.org or my chapter, http://scorerochester.org
[3] Example of how I plug FOSS in business -
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=253123.0
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