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Efficient Tools & Techniques for Software Company Management

Learn about the essential tools and techniques for efficiently running a software company or managing a software team. Presented by Kevin Grossnicklaus, this session covers everything from naming and incorporation to banking, legal, accounting, and more.

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Efficient Tools & Techniques for Software Company Management

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Presentation Transcript

  1. Tools and Techniques for Efficiently Running a Software Company or Managing a Software Team Presenter: Kevin Grossnicklaus

  2. Contact Information Kevin Grossnicklaus Email: kvgros@architectnow.net Website: www.architectnow.net Twitter: @kvgros / @architectnow Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvgros

  3. One Simple Request • Share • Tweet • Facebook • LinkedIn • Whatever

  4. Expectations

  5. Expectations Why am I here? How deep are we going to get? Will this pertain to my exact business? What types of businesses might this information be most pertinent to?

  6. ArchitectNow Story

  7. Getting Started

  8. First Steps • Naming • Incorporation • State Incorporation • FEIN (IRS Form SS-4) • Bank Account • Securing: • Domain Name • Twitter Handle • Initial Web Presence

  9. Identifying Partners • Banking • Legal • Accounting • Health Insurance • Liability Insurance • Mentors • Partners

  10. Banking • Local vs. National Bankers • Advantages of staying local as a small business • Financing Needs? • Debt financing (loans) • Equity financing (investors) • Simple Checking Account • FEIN required • Apps/Technology

  11. Legal • Identify local small business attorneys and meet with a number of them • Why is legal necessary? • Contracts • Protection • Biggest Legal Needs • Employee and Contractor Agreements • Trademark (and Patent?) Help • Partnership Documents • Master Agreements • Work Orders

  12. Accounting • Identify local small business accounting firms and meet with a number of them • Why is accounting necessary? • Questions • Ongoing Accounting Help • QB Support • Corporate Taxes • Help in securing financing • TAXES!

  13. Health Insurance • Insurance options differ greatly between a company with one employee vs a company with multiple • Find a good insurance broker willing explain your options • Be prepared to pay

  14. Liability Insurance • Health insurance brokers and liability insurance brokers are two different people, companies, etc. • You WILL need liability insurance • E&O insurance

  15. Mentors • Identify people in your peer group you look up to that have had success in similar businesses or just businesses in general • Reach out to them via a lunch or happy hour and ask questions, get advice, and start to build a relationship to get further guidance

  16. Partners • Partners are companies for whom you rely on for business or to achieve the goals of your business.

  17. Marketing • Brand and Logo • Don’t be afraid to invest in your identity • Initial Website • Community Events • Speak and sponsor • Make your presence felt in the market • Networking Events • SEO • Social media • Relationships

  18. Crowdsourcing • www.CrowdSpring.com • www.99Designs.com

  19. Sales • Contracts • Billing • Receivables • Reporting

  20. Location • Home Office • Physical Office • Onsite at Clients

  21. Tools and technologies

  22. Tools Overview • Email • Phones • Website • Computers • Collaboration • Development Tools • Accounting • Misc: • ALM • Time Entry

  23. Email • Hosted Exchange: SherWeb • Secure access to full Exchange • OWA • Direct Outlook access • Mobile access via mobile devices • Other Options: • Office365 • Google

  24. Phones • RingCentral • Custom 800 numbers • Fax System (Virtual: Send PDF’s as faxes, receive faxes as PDF’s) • Automated attendant • Custom voice mail and extensions for all employees • IP Phones, soft phones, mobile apps (iPhone, Android, and Blackberry) • Voicemail to WAV file via email • Highly configurable

  25. Website • DNS management • CMS Systems • WordPress • DotNetNuke • Orchard • SiteFinity • Others • Templates • TemplateMonster • ThemeForest • Others

  26. Computers • Big box vs Custom vs. Mainstream (i.e. Dell) • ArchitectNow = 100% Apple • Parallels • AppleCare or other Insurance • Considerations • Backups: JustCloud • Support: Dell, AppleCare • Security Patches: Microsoft • Antivirus: GFI Cloud Antivirus

  27. Collaboration • SLACK! • www.slack.com

  28. Development Tools • Microsoft BizSpark Program • ALM • Hosted TFS via Visual Studio Online • SVN via Assembla • Git via GitHub or BitBucket • Other Dev Tools: • Balsamiq • InvisionApp • BrowserStack • AdobeOnline (CS) • RayGun.io • Jira/Confluence

  29. Accounting • Quickbooks Online • Xero • Considerations: • Accountant Access • Taxes • Integration

  30. Misc Tools • Harvest Time Entry • Time entry and Invoicing • MailChimp or ConstantContact • Email campaigns • Insightly • Full CRM and sales tracking • VistaPrint • Printing services

  31. Budgeting, The Cloud, Final Thoughts • Azure, Azure, Azure • Spin up/down servers as needed for projects • Pay for what we use • 0 Servers in our Office • No concern of theft • Downtime is minimal with reliable internet • All laptops with external monitors • Printer • Planned cost per new employee • 10 minute setup in 4-5 systems • Easily securable • Each core service has a “per user” cost • Only big expense (beyond payroll and benefits) is hardware based • New MacBook, External Monitor, IP phone, minor additional things

  32. Growing a business

  33. Single Employee to Employer • Payroll • Outsource • Tax implications • Group Health Insurance • High cost and strict rules • 401k • Strict rules for owner • Safe Harbour • Legal • Employee Agreements • Subcontractor Agreements • Misc • Vacations • Ethics • Expenses • HR

  34. Marketing and Sales • Internal or External? • Message and professionalism • Commissions?

  35. Office Space • Office Space • Furniture • Lease • Utilities • Location • CraigsList • DiscountCoffee.com

  36. Final Thoughts

  37. Contact Information Kevin Grossnicklaus Email: kvgros@architectnow.net Website: www.architectnow.net Twitter: @kvgros / @architectnow Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kvgros

  38. One Final Request • Share • Tweet • Facebook • LinkedIn • Whatever

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