I’m in my third decade of selling software.  What’s amazing to me is how much easier it is today to market and sell software over the Web, versus back in the “old days” when we had to mess with disk duplication and mailing, snail mail correspondence, cashing checks and postal orders by hand, and providing support through dialup electronic bulletin boards.

Perhaps the greatest change is how relatively easy it is today to launch an effective global marketing campaign on a limited budget.  If you’re selling software that provides true value at a reasonable price, you don’t need a Microsoft-sized budget to reach your potential customers.

So here are a few suggestions for an inexpensive marketing campaign.

Article at DevTopics

(NAPSI) - While many people know that small-business entrepreneurs are helping to raise our country out of recession, you might be surprised to learn that the faces of new business have been changing.

A recent study found that early-stage entrepreneurs are more likely to be non-white, of immigrant status and from a lower level of household income than established business owners.  The study, called the Babson Entrepreneurship Monitor, was conducted by Babson College in Massachusetts, a school specializing in entrepreneurship education.  The study findings can help states across the country employ some of the same strategies that have helped make Massachusetts the "top state in the nation for entrepreneurial activity."  Study findings include:

• The rate of entrepreneurial activity in Massachusetts is much higher than in the rest of the U.S. — 23 percent compared to 14 percent.
• New businesses tend to be started by individuals who are already working full time.
• Half of the businesses reported equal focus on profit and social goals.
• Early-stage businesses tend to be relatively innovative in terms of the products and services they bring to market and the technologies they use within the business.

IBM has created a new program called Project Match to help workers laid off from its U.S. sites obtain a visa and find jobs at IBM sites in other countries.  Most openings are located in developing countries like India, China and Brazil.  IBM is promoting these jobs by noting the climate is warm, the food is exotic, and the cost of living is very low.  Of course, wages are also very low, typically pennies-on-the-dollar compared to U.S. salaries.

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A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a government to an inventor for a fixed period of time in exchange for disclosure of an invention.  The patent enables the inventor to exclude others from making, using, selling or importing the invention.

Read more at DevTopics

Several patent reform organizations have joined forces to abolish software patents.  The End Software Patents (ESP) coalition aims to eliminate patents that do not specify a physically innovative step, which would likely include many of the software patents granted today.  The coalition was founded by the Free Software Foundation, Public Patent Foundation, and Software Freedom Law Center. 

The ESP coalition will fight software patents on two fronts:

1. Assist companies that challenge software patents in the courts and at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
2. Educate the public about the severe problems with software patents, with the ultimate goal of eliminating many software patents.

Read more at DevTopics

How much time and money should a software company invest to ensure that its products do not infringe on registered software patents?

The question comes to mind after Microsoft accused the open-source industry of violating 235 Microsoft patents.  Microsoft released the total but did not specify the infringed-upon patents.  Some accuse Microsoft of using this strong-arm tactic to force open source companies to negotiate an intellectual property agreement similar to the Microsoft/Novell Linux agreement in 2006.

Read more at DevTopics

You’ve spent thousands of hours developing a new software program. Now how do you ensure that your competitors don’t copy your program and steal your market? The sad truth is you can’t, as Apple discovered when Microsoft “borrowed” its graphical user interface to build Windows and corner the PC operating system market. But there are steps you can take to give you an edge over your competition and make it more difficult for others to copy or steal your work. You can protect your software with patents, copyrights and trademarks.

Read more at DevTopics

In a ruling that’s likely to send shock waves throughout the technology industry, the California Supreme Court upheld a 136-year-old state law against non-compete clauses in employment contracts.  The ruling says that employers cannot restrict employees from working for a competitor or soliciting former clients once they leave the company.

Read more at DevTopics

No surprise given the sluggish economy, but venture capital (VC) funding for U.S. startup companies remained flat in the second quarter.  According to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), venture capitalists invested $7.4 billion in 990 deals.

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During my 25 years as a software entrepreneur, I’ve had the pleasure and challenge of selling PC software to three major markets: large enterprises, general consumers, and software developers. 

Of course, each target market has its own advantages and disadvantages, which I summarize below.  Note this list is from the perspective of a small software company (2-50 employees) with limited funds.  Microsoft and Google may hold a different view.

Read more at DevTopics