November 22, 2005 10:59 AM

I have my own software company started 2004 (consulting, outsourcing and projects).

How can I get the projects, who can continuously provide the projects to my company from different clients or how can I get a client for a long term project.

First, I think you need to clarify in your own mind what you are. You are NOT a software company. You are, by what you describe, a SERVICES company. Very different approaches to building a company e.g business models.

A software company is driven by a product.

A services company is driven by inherent knowledge and ability to either transfer that knowledge, or execute based on that knowledge. Your TIME is basically what you are selling, not a product.

To grow a "service" business, particularly in a place like India, which seems to have an over abundance of companies similar to yours, you will need to be very cunning from a marketing perspective. Because your biggest obstacle is becoming a commodity, indeed, you probably are a commodity in a crowded market.

Differentiate yourself, build contacts far and wide. A service business is based on relationships. Grow your relationships with whom you can potentially do business with. Build credibility. Demonstrate a track record. Offer something which the hundreds of other companies claiming to do the same as you, don't do. Look for opportunities. Promote yourself.

I am sure you are aware of all of this, and I hope I understood your question correctly. But it seems, your problem has little to do with software per se, but how to sell your services.

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Robert Dubicki

November 23, 2005 8:19 AM

Krishna,
I have two other points to add to the good advice already provided:
o Don't Build A CRM/ERP Software Product - Starting from ground zero--which sounds like where you are--in building a product for the ERP or CRM markets is a Herculean task. The traditional providers of software for ERP/CRM, those who sell licenses, are in a saturated slow-growth markets. So you don't want to do that.

The growth lies with software companies providing software in a different way: as on-demand services companies like Salesforce.com, Netsuite and Rightnow Technologies or as Open Source services companies like SugarCRM. I suspect that right now you don't have experience in building either of these type of software businessess. So this doesn't look an attractive path.

As others have pointed out, if you indeed want to build a software product company, which as Dubicki points out is very different than a software services company, you would need to identify some unmet need in the market place and seek to fill it.

o Gain Business Experience First By Joining A Successful IT Services Company - If you do want to build a leading institution in the IT Industry, I would suggest an alternate different path that may allow you to reach your dream faster than the path you are on.

Join a successsful Indian IT services company and rise to the level of what we would call a partner; someone who has responsibility for some specific area of expertise and runs that part of the consulting business. You will learn much about how to run a successful services company and you will gain an expertise in some needed area of IT services.

Then go off and build you own firm with the knowledge you gained.

Good luck

Brian

Brian Turchin CEO/Founder Cape Horn Strategies, Inc. Helping CEOs Increase The Value Of Their Businesses [url]www.capehornstrategies.com[/url]