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From Service Provider to Software Vendor Rachel Andrew Reading Geek Night, October 2012

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Rachel Andrew http://edgeofmyseat.com http://grabaperch.com http://rachelandrew.co.uk @rachelandrew

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Time is a finite resource

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/ell-r-brown/4039347263/

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Do what you know

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Build something that you need.

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We need “a really little CMS”

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... other people might need this too

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Bootstrapping is easy if you can do most of the work yourself.

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Use evenings, weekends, downtime in your business to work on your product.

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For us, the code came free.

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What can you do that only costs your time and not money?

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Pay for things that matter most

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We paid for User Interface design work.

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We paid a solicitor to create a software license.

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We paid for top quality hosting for the marketing site.

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Balance the “Minimum Viable Product” with the fact that first impressions count

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Perch was making a profit after 24 hours

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Your brand is incredibly important in a crowded market.

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People remember we are the CMS with the bird.

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Great support is free marketing.

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We offer unlimited, free support.

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When deciding product pricing, take support time into account.

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Listen to your customers

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Ask their opinion and act on it quickly.

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What will make the most difference to the most people?

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Be open to change but don’t forget who you are

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Put your customers first

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“A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” - Henry Ford -

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thank you.