GNUBiz / experiences

[Jeremiah Foster]

Dear Anton, Henrik and others interrested in GNU Business,

Glad to hear people taking up this issue. I think this is the last 
frontier for adoption of Free Software; small business and local 
government adoption. While there seems to be considerable government 
adoption in some countries, like Brazil, there ought to be more, simply 
because a country's information is too important. Citizens should not be 
held hostage by large corporations that are undemocratic and do not have 
the interests of citizens at heart.

Small business can benefit from free software and lower its costs for IT 
in general. But it lacks competency. We ought to support small 
businesses in numbers large enough to assure small businesses that there 
is a reasonable alternative to Microsoft. This means hackers need to 
develop business models, support procedures, customer service, and 
marketing messages to reach the small business world through the 
channels they use.

This means, and market research supports this, that we need more than 
advocacy, we need a tangible alternative.

I think the idea for a cooperative is an excellent one. It would allow 
groups and individuals an opportunity to communicate and share 
experiences. And I agree that it ought not to interfere with 
consultancies or individuals who are earning their living supporting 
Free Software. Rather we ought to support these people somehow, so that 
a local entity can grow vendor independence yet have access to global 
resources, like a cooperative.

My personal goal is to develop my small company into a firm that sells 
support and hosting, gives away software, and conducts itself according 
to GNU Biz principles:

 http://mail.fsfeurope.org/pipermail/gnubiz-disc/2000-December/000014.html

As a small business owner trying to establish himself in the marketplace 
I would welcome a cooperative where I might share my approach to 
marketing free software to other entities. What works, what is needed, 
how can someone who believes in the social good created by Free Software 
contribute and earn a living? I am willing to spend time, energy and 
resources developing such a cooperative.

Best Regards,

Jeremiah Foster
http://www.devmodul.com