Free Software and Business/Administration

[MJ Ray]

Jan Wildeboer <jan.wildeboer at gmx.de> wrote:
> In all of my discussions I have always been asked the same questions 
> over and over again.

It's so good to knock these down...  here are my attempts.  Anyone want to
improve them?  (Mmm, Free Business?)

> 'You have no assets when you give away your sources'

Our expertise is the asset, not the performance.  The performances are for
sale if you want to buy a ticket from the band.  (After all, software is
just a branch of rock, isn't it?)

> 'You can never offer garantuee or exclusiveness'

No-one offers guarantees without a service contract anyway.  We don't want
to be exclusive: we think people prefer to buy in an open market.

> 'Free Software can never be a competitive advantage'

Free Software is a common development effort which will outstrip private
developments in the long term.

> 'Your attitude wont feed the kids'

Thanks for your concern, but let us worry about how we make money.  If you
think our prices are too low, you surely should be buying from us.  In the
worst case and we go bankrupt, you can buy replacement developers on the
open market, because of the licence.  If you really think it's too low
still, feel free to pay us more ;-)

> But whenever they see the result of our work they start to think 
> different. Whenever they take the time to think they start to 
> understand. It is a long long process for the average business guy/girl 
> to understand what risks non-free software is.  [...]

Yes, and I still don't understand this, apart from the natural business
conservatism about new (old?) ideas.

> Don't give up :-) They will all accept the free software concept :-)

All your licence are belong to us?  (Sorry.)

-- 
MJR ,----------------------------------------------------
    | Q. Do you need a net-based application developing, 
    |    or advice and training about web technology?
    | A. I suggest you try http://www.luminas.co.uk/