[NCLUG] "Professionals" (Was "local-end user support")

[Paul Hummer]

>> Actually in the last 3 years I've led a business model of 'work ourselves
>> out of a job' at the majority of my clients, which has oddly enough worked.
>> I've gone from literally needing to spend 40 hours at one clinic, down to
>> about 7 hours a month (yes, I said month) by fine tuning things to that
>> point and teaching their users to be more self-sufficient.
>> It defies logic, but since starting this approach, we've taken on 5
>> additional high-end customers and I'm guessing we're on our way to crack 2
>> million in revenue this year...  not that I see much of that personally,
>> mind you, but it's not bad for a little three person shop that doesn't
>> charge enough for our services.
>>     
>
> I've been known to define a true professional as someone who works toward
> the day when he's obsolete.  In other words, I think you're on the right
> track.
It's funny this should get brought up.  I've been doing a lot of 
freelance work recently, which consists of lots of consulting, and  
sometimes writing code.  A few times, my recommendations are not 
implemented, and another idea becomes the direction.  I have learned to 
not much care that they want to take the harder road, because it means 
more money for me.

A perfect example:  A client wants to set up a web based CRM that their 
clients can use.  However, instead of having me write one, he's opted to 
license another CRM from another company (@ 5000 startup, $350/mo), and 
have me create "front-ends"  for it.  However, the database is not 
accessible to me, so all of the data has to be retrieved and manipulated 
using xml-rpc.  So, instead of spending the time using an existing 
framework to create a full CRM, I get to (a) write my own, or (b) 
shoehorn an XML-RPC service client into another framework.  This will 
probably end up costing more than just writing one from scratch, and 
will cost more residually through support everytime the XML-RPC 
interface changes (which, from what I have seen from user forums, it 
does often). 

As long as we have stubborn people who are trying to pinch pennies the 
wrong way, I don't think I'll ever become "obsolete."  :)  Well, maybe 
obsolete like old mainframes, but the old mainframes that people still 
use because the upfront cost is too high to upgrade (even though they 
lose the money quicker in the long run).

Thanks,
Paul