I was talking to a master plumber recently. He runs a lean company with a small team and takes most of his calls himself, which means when he's on a job, calls get missed. And most people won't leave a voicemail, they just call the next guy on Google. At least that's my experience in big cities, especially if I am a brand new customer with no allegiance or prior history of having used their service.

So I'm thinking of building something simple: you miss a call, the caller instantly gets a text from your number with a link to book a quick 10 min call when you're free. Just that one thing, standalone - not bundled into huge packages that can be expensive.

Is this a real problem for you? Would you pay $100/month for it or is that nuts?

I’m trying to build a portfolio for my IT software development shop. I’m hoping to find something useful to build for our portfolio while also giving anyone who wants to start a business ASAP an opportunity to get simple websites or custom software built. Depending on the complexity of what you need, we may be able to build it for free and keep it that way for up to 6 months. If it’s something more complex, we can build it at cost and host it for free for 3 to 6 months.

If you’re wondering what happens after 6 months, the answer is simple. You can stay with us at a discounted rate if you like the service, or you can shut the website/software down, or we’ll give you the entire codebase so you can host it wherever you want. No catch. We’ll even put in writing that we’ll provide the full code to you. Also, we will not use your data in any way whatsoever.

The same goes for any custom software. If you have an idea and want something built, depending on the complexity, we can build it at cost or even free depending on what you are asking for. The only catch is that we will use your website or the web application (i.e., custom software) as a reference when potential clients ask for proof of our work.

So if technology has been your only hurdle to getting your business started, we’ll get you past that. Let me know if you’re interested. The sooner you want to start, the better. Thanks!

I’m a local from the Gaithersburg area trying to build a portfolio for my IT software development shop. I’m hoping to find something useful to build for our portfolio while also giving anyone who wants to start a business ASAP an opportunity to get simple websites or custom software built. Depending on the complexity of what you need, we may be able to build it for free and keep it that way for up to 6 months. If it’s something more complex, we can build it at cost and host it for free for 3 to 6 months.

If you’re wondering what happens after 6 months, the answer is simple. You can stay with us at a discounted rate if you like the service, or you can shut the website/software down, or we’ll give you the entire codebase so you can host it wherever you want. No catch. We’ll even put in writing that we’ll provide the full code to you. Also, we will not use your data in any way whatsoever.

The same goes for any custom software. If you have an idea and want something built, depending on the complexity, we can build it at cost or even free depending on what you are asking for. The only catch is that we will use your website or the web application (i.e. custom software) as a reference when potential clients ask for proof of our work.

So if technology has been your only hurdle to getting your business started, we’ll get you past that. Let me know if you’re interested. The sooner you want to start, the better. Thanks!

We’re starting a business technology company that will offer everything from custom websites to complex software applications for small businesses. Our goal right now is simply to generate revenue while we figure out which direction makes the most sense for us—whether that ends up being B2B services, government contracting, or building our own product.

One of the easier ways to start generating revenue seems to be networking with local businesses, and BNI keeps coming up as a potential referral source. Since BNI chapters tend to be made up mostly of tradespeople, accountants, insurance agents, mortgage brokers, and real estate agents, I’m trying to figure out whether joining would make sense for a business technology solutions company like ours.

I’ve read that the experience depends heavily on the chapter, and I understand that. Assuming the chapter is a good one, I’m curious: what has your experience been with BNI as someone running a business technology solutions company?