Building a Small IT Consulting Business Based on Linux (Video)

When you call your business Penguin Computer & Telephone Solutions, it's obvious that Linux is your favorite operating system. Company owner Frank Sflanga, Jr. happily works on Windows, Mac and whatever else you want or have around, but he is a Linux person at heart; in fact, he's a founder and leading member of The Southwest Florida GNU/Linux Users Group. But the point of this interview, which some will want to label an ad (although it's not), is to show how Frank started his one-man consulting business and made it successful so that other Slashdot readers can follow in his footsteps and become self-employed -- if they are so inclined. You might want to note that most of Frank's clients were not familiar with Linux when he first started working with them, and most are not particularly interested in software licensing matters as long as Frank keeps their stuff working. You might also want to note that Ft. Myers, FL, where Frank is located, is not exactly famous as a hotbed of leading-edge technology, which means that even if you live someplace similar, where business owners ask "What's a Linux?" you might be able to make a decent living running a Linux-based IT consulting business.

Comments

ugh, 30 second commercial & 17 minute video

[schneidafunk]

Forget it, back to work.

Everything he mentions could happen on Linux

[alphad0g]

"no one calls to say they misplaced their printer icon"; No adobe update notifications, don't need to defrag or update, etc..... Why not? Linux doesn't do away with any of this. Package updates break things on Linux as often as they do on any other platform. Adobe needs updates on Linux too. The difference is that the users are scared to touch anything, so they don't. Instead of users buying software and doing their own work, they hire him to administer free software - I am OK with that, but I hate the myth that Linux "just works". There is a reason, that even with all the free software that exists, the software companies are still in business.

Re:This is a losing proposition.

[GameboyRMH]

Unless that business is in hosting, supercomputing, science, robotics, software development, or some other little cottage industry.

Re:This is a losing proposition.

[dskoll]

I run a very profitable company that started out as a Linux consulting shop.

I started my company back in 1999 when Linux really wasn't on business's radar. The keys to success were:

• Promote Linux where it makes sense. I set up plenty of firewalls, file servers, mail servers, web servers, etc. for my small business clients.
• But don't be religious. I certainly didn't waste my breath trying to convert them away from Windows on the desktop.
• But on the third had, do have some religion. There's no way I would have installed a Windows server for anyone. I would have politely declined their business, stating that my specialty is Linux. No-one ever actually asked me to do that... I made it clear up front I was a Linux guy willing to coexist with Windows machines, but not actually work on them.
• Keep your ears open and figure out what your clients want. Back in 2000, one of my clients wanted mail filtering, from which was born MIMEDefang and eventually my commercial anti-spam company that has a dozen or so employees (and, btw, that runs completely on Linux, including servers, desktops, phone system, and even my Nokia N900.)

For me, it has been a terrific 14 year ride with a great future ahead. Not a losing proposition by a long shot.

Re: This is a losing proposition.

[munwin99]

$50k for "just some files and a website" - WTF?
Where and how do you spend $50,000 on a file server and web server?
Lets me guess, Windows + SharePoint + SQL Server....