Topic: SME Installation - good career move?

[AndyCocker]

Hi,

I'm due to be made redundant at the end of March from my job as IT Admin at a community adult learning organisation due to lack of funding. I have succesfully installed and maintained an SME 6.01 server (as Server Only) hosting our website (Mambo) and email, and I have been extremely pleased with it, and with the support I've found here at contribs.org.

I wanted to ask if there are any of you here in the UK that are making a living from installing SME servers into small businesses and home offices, as it's one of the options I'm considering as future employment. I would have thought that a licence-free open-source server solution would be appealing to the above groups.

Would you consider it to be a good path to follow, or would you advise me to steer away from it. I have no burning desire to run my own business, but it may be a good option.

Any advice or comments would be much appreciated.

All the best,

Andy Cocker

[Ness]

Andy

I just spent a good while responding to your posting. Sadly, as it took a long time to type it in, when I wanted to preview it, I had to log in again and lost the bloody lot .

 

Any way, since I can't private message you (PM is disbled on this board), I'd be happy to chat. Email me first...

Drop me an email to : chris at tapicohre dot co dot uk.

Cheers

Chris

[AndyCocker]

I just spent a good while responding to your posting. Sadly, as it took a long time to type it in, when I wanted to preview it, I had to log in again and lost the bloody lot .

Ouch!! That's happened to me too. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

Drop me an email to : chris at tapicohre dot co dot uk.

I take it that should be 'tapiochre'. Email on it's way.

Thanks again,

Andy Cocker

[pfloor]

I have no burning desire to run my own business, but it may be a good option.

Andy, a word of advise from someone that has been self employed for almost 30 years.

You MUST have a burning desire to run your own business before you even try it.  It is hard work with long hours and if you are not commited, it will most likely not work.

Another word of advise... DEVERSIFY!  If you are able to provide IT services, then provide them all.  You will run into brick wall trying to sell only one product.  You will have the perfect client that is not willing to try SME because of Microsoft brainwashing.  You will at times have to lower your standards and install Windows 2003 SBS but make sure to provide all the necessary warnings IN WRITING and signed by the client.

I have industry specific applications that will only run on Windows so I am forced to us MS workstations but my server is SME.  The software states that it will not work with a Linux server but I have discovered differently through 3 of their versions and never had one problem.

It works so good, reliable and fast that I now install the same setup for others in my industry and save them thousands and make a few bucks myself.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Paul

[Janm]

Hi to you Andy
I'm the same situation as you i have worked for danish reed cross,
for a cupple of years now but i stopped by myself, lack of fonds from
the head office and have tried to be self employed but with no luck
i am 56 years old and thats the real prob i think so now i also try to
find the best way ahead.

Good Luck with your try hope you succeed

Jan Mortensen
Denmark
 

[AndyCocker]

Paul and Jan,

Thank you both for your comments and for wishing me luck.

Paul, I am sure you are absolutely correct when you talk about the desire to want to be self-employed. I think on that basis alone it might not be the correct path for me. I know also that I've still so much to learn. I'm self-taught, and have not been able to use Win server beyond NT4 with workgroups, so have no hands-on AD experience, and the 'diversify' idea, though I know you are quite correct, is somewhat daunting.

However, hopefully I can persuade prospective employers of the benefits of moving over to SME server and the savings involved, and they'll snap me up.

Thanks for responding.

All the best,

Andy Cocker

[Janm]

Thanks Andy
By the way i am using 6.0.1 for the moment
have tried all other but needed some extra rpms
see the wether now in denmark link



Best off luck

Jan Mortensen denmark

[pfloor]

Paul, I am sure you are absolutely correct when you talk about the desire to want to be self-employed. I think on that basis alone it might not be the correct path for me.

Andy, there are days that I just don't want to go to the office (like today with 8 inches of snow on my driveway this morning).  Responsibilities, payroll, problems, etc.  But then I remember "I AM THE BOSS" and it makes it all worth it.  No one tells me what and when to do anything, I just know what needs to be done.  If I don't do it, my business might fail, that is what keeps me going.

In late 2003, I decided I had enough and went to work for someone else.  That lasted 11 months and I am now on my own again with a new appreciation of being "The Boss" and 2005 was by far my best year ever.  I just needed a reminder of what "having a job" was like again.

I didn't post my previous remarks to discourage you, they were meant as a sort of warning.  As they say here in the US, "Being self employed is not all its cracked up to be".  This statement is very true and when the janitor is out and I find myself cleaning the toilets, it really hits home.  These small things (and some big ones) all come with the privilege of not having a boss.  I personally will NEVER go back and work for someone else unless I absolutly have to!!!

I know also that I've still so much to learn. I'm self-taught, and have not been able to use Win server beyond NT4 with workgroups, so have no hands-on AD experience, and the 'diversify' idea, though I know you are quite correct, is somewhat daunting.

However, hopefully I can persuade prospective employers of the benefits of moving over to SME server and the savings involved, and they'll snap me up.

Thanks for responding.

All the best,

Andy Cocker

Some more food for thought:
If you have some money saved away and can get along with limited income, then you can start with what you know and then expand.  If not, you may want to get another job for a while and get updated in other areas on your spare time.  Then in a year or so you can go on your own, you will be able to offer more services and actually make a living.

Good luck,

Paul