So I guess you're turning your comments off. LOL ************************************************* 1/20/2013 Eviction Notice
http://www.cafepress.com/rightwingmike/6169336 --- On Sun, 3/1/09, Bill Arnold <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Bill Arnold <[email protected]> > Subject: Marketing (was VFP User Groups in NY...) > To: [email protected] > Date: Sunday, March 1, 2009, 7:20 PM > Mike, > > Sorry for the long delay in responding. Been totally > pre-occupied with > business related activities other then dev. Not over the > hump yet, but > things are looking better then before. > > I had wasted way too much time going in circles on OT. > I've solved that > problem by switching venues to a blog where I can't be > shouted down by goons > (http://wjarnold.blogspot.com) > > > > Basically small business (LAN centric) database > solutions, the current > > incarnation is tailored for the lawn sprinkler > service. I've tried very > hard > > to keep the basic model adaptable for other apps as > well, now considering > > landscapers, for example. Originally the app was > written for the > > 'lettershop' industry, but the Postal Service > upped the costs for > > certification until it was out of my reach (I'm > sure Pitney Bowes et al > > loved that way of eliminating competition from little > guys), so I switched > > to another industry. Turned out for the best because > it reinforced the > > notion of keeping the basic design as generic as > possible. There's a > price > > to be paid for 'generic', but I think (hope) > I've hit a happy medium. > > So sorry to hear that investment was seemingly largely > wasted. At least > you've started on a new (hopefully profitable) path. > Good luck on that! > > -------------------------------- > It wasn't a loss. Since I had passed the certification > tests a few times, > the process itself is functional, it's just not useful > for claiming postage > discounts. But for address standardization, duplicate > detection, mapping, > adding ZIP4 codes, the (CASS) process is very useful and I > cite it as an > important feature. When resources permit, I'll get back > into certifying it. > --------------------------------- > > > I still very much see small business applications as > VFP-claimable > territory > > into the foreseeable future. In the trade show I > attended last week, only > 1 > > business operator (of maybe 20 demos given) asked > about the language the > > product was written in, and I have no idea why he > asked, but there are > many > > ways he could have been burned in the past. > > So was he understanding when you said VFP/Foxpro? > > ----------------------------- > Haven't heard back yet. But this is a big decision for > prospects, so I don't > expect immediate answers. > ----------------------------- > > > Nonetheless, the incident did bring out the VFP > arguments again, > > And was he receptive to your POV? > > ------------------------------- > I answered his question without the pitch. If he inquires > further, I'll give > him my rap. On VFP's future, I've reached my > conclusions that (1) VFP9 > remains a truly great product development system, despite > all it's quirks, > (2) it will remain viable for the foreseeable future, (3) > VM will keep VFP > applications alive no matter what MS does, and (4) when > change finally is > forced, there will be more and better choices then there > are today. > > The rap to prospective customers is that our long term > commitment is to > provide them with database functionality represented in the > product, and in > this context the choice of languages is incidental. If/when > the time comes > to re-write, we'll handle it in due course. > > Mind you (all of us): VFP has no real competition today. > Show me someone who > has left VFP and now has something better for small > business operators with > a single computer or small LAN. I know, "better" > is a subjective word, so > I'll qualify it with saying "a sufficiently > developed VFP application" can't > be beat by any other language/dev system on the market > today. > > Times being tight, small business operators are feeling the > pinch even more > then working people. But I see them as a sea of > opportunity. > > I've reduced this enterprise to one remaining problem: > selling. I say > 'selling' and not 'marketing' because > marketing is the planning/direction > part, and that's done. Selling is a slice of marketing, > where the rubber > meets the road, but not the whole story. > > The business/marketing plan I've been following all > along is basically: > > - identify a specific type of small business (e.g. SIC > code) (done) > - team up with a model such business, create product to > their specs, > thoroughly test (done) > - collect information about prospects into a prospects > database (done) > - write telemarketing scripts, prices, procedures, etc. > (done) > - systematically contact each prospect, keeping records of > the results, > following up (in motion) > - downloadable demo version of the product (ready) > - online demo script (ready) > - internet based remote support and maintenance system > (ready) > > > > How is your product doing? > > It's still going forward. My main income now is Sylvan > Learning, not > MBSS. I'm still needing MBSS to pick up some though as > I really need an > extra $1500/month. > > ------------------------------------------------- > > I'll post again when I have something useful to say. > > > > Bill > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Post Messages to: [email protected] > Subscription Maintenance: > http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox > OT-free version of this list: > http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech > Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox > This message: > http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[email protected] > ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are > the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or > medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for > those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious. _______________________________________________ Post Messages to: [email protected] Subscription Maintenance: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profox OT-free version of this list: http://leafe.com/mailman/listinfo/profoxtech Searchable Archive: http://leafe.com/archives/search/profox This message: http://leafe.com/archives/byMID/profox/[email protected] ** All postings, unless explicitly stated otherwise, are the opinions of the author, and do not constitute legal or medical advice. This statement is added to the messages for those lawyers who are too stupid to see the obvious.
