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| Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [25 messages per page] Walleye Fishing -> General Discussion -> Project work/reporting |
| Message Subject: Project work/reporting | |||
GNWC Rookie |
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Member Posts: 625 Location: LaCrosse, WI | I've had a few local companies ask me to do some project work for them. These projects are mostly advanced Excel documents (high end pivots, macros etc...) Access databases and some presentations. My question is, what kind of need is there for small businesses to outsource this type of work? I'm not talking your every day Excel docs, I'm talking fully automated reporting documents. You load your data in, click a command button and it updates 15-20 graphs for you. As for the Access databases, one company wants a higher end Access database for importing their online sales records, keeping track of customers, product trending, mailing lists etc... They want everything done at the click of a button (no problem there). I know there's a few tech guys on here that might have some kind of insight on what kind of demand there is, or if this is something I run into because I'm from a fairly small town. Thanks, | ||
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| PS |
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| Marshall, Lots of work out there in Access database. Take any opportunity you are offered and then ask for referrals. The biggest challenge you will find is integrating the x's and o's of your world into the customer's world. If you can help develop a solution for a particular business or industry, you can open the door to more opportunities than you can ever imagine. IMHO... there are lots of opportunities if you can solve problems through the use of Access. We do it every day and I find most businesses and companies are very loyal if you help them solve a problem that leads to a better understanding of how their business can become more efficient and keep track of what's happening every day. Good Luck!! Start building those Queries, Tables and Macros.... have to love clients that want just 1 button to push to make everything happen!! PS | |||
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| Gordy |
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Member Posts: 279 Location: Rockford MN | Can you come up with a "push one button" system for my fishing? lol I just push the button and I'm on the winning fish???? LOL | ||
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| GNWC Rookie |
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Member Posts: 625 Location: LaCrosse, WI | Thanks for the advice purple. These companies are actually referals I got from an auto dealer that I did a database for. I work in data solutions, so I have a pretty good feel for these types of projects, but didn't really know how much time I should invest in it. There's just so much industry specific software out there now, I just wonder how many companies actually want to invest the time and effort into custom data solutions for their businesses. Gordy, I should be asking you for a system like that. Let me know if you come up with something. | ||
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| Gordy |
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Member Posts: 279 Location: Rockford MN | Marshall I wish it was only that easy! I guess if anyone could come up with that "easy" button, they would be rich! lol Sounds like a good business to get into if you can get the right people with the right needs. Hope it works out for you! | ||
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| Youngster |
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| There is tons of custom report writing needed in industry. I would not anticipate much with Excel - however, being able to load a report in Excel is valuable. Being able to load a report in a 'standard' tool like Excel, that everyone knows, allows business managers to work with the data to find meaning. IMO, the report writing tools to focus on should first be web based - Intranet - or compatable with that deployment on a network. This allows reports to be shared accross company lines. We do this with business partners - an example would be large customers want to see our real time receivables at month end, so they can accrue, estimate, their payables. We have a custom web based reports, that allow them to gather this information when they want it, not when we find time to perform it for them. Each customer has a custom report, although they are similar not complete rewrites. You mentioned graphing, you are thinking right here. We use Perl - which works well in our open source network, however it is not as intuitive to learn and as widely used as Crystal Reports. Crystal is a powerful tool. I'll use accounting software report as an example - Accounting software vendors spend all sorts of time wowing CFO's and Presidents with the powerful reporting of their accounting package - reality is the accounting package has a reporting tool, and the reports they wow the brass with are custom developments, that cost a ton. We buy quite a bit of it third party. I've got 2 programming, reporting, web development vendors that I've budgeted 20 hours per week, each in 2007. For those hour committments, I do get contracted rates per hour at a lower level. These are both companies, that I do not have to worry about staffing issues, that is their problem. It's a $160,000 budget for us with these two vendors alone. 2 days a week for programmers, and 4 hours a week for planning, managing, and critical needs. What I don't like, is I would be open to working with an individual instead of a company for more of the same, to similar services. However, the individuals all believe their hourly rate is justified to be at the same level as contracting with an established company - and I do not. A company gives me continuity beyond the individual - which has a price. There's lot's of report, data mining work available. On demand work market is about $125.00 per hour for companies, significant contracted hours @ $65-70 / hour, again for companies, and IMO, @$35-40 / per hour for a non-company backed programmer. Larger projects are bid based regardless of hours to accomplish. We also work with the universities on intern programs for the same type services. For us, it's a significant decision to chose a vendor, as it takes quite a bit of time for us to teach the vendor about our business, philosophy, industry, and needs. Once they learn who we are, they get more sophisticated projects, and become very integrated into our company - to the point it is hard to tell where we stop and they start. That's when the relationship is pretty cemented in the short term. I don't write a line of code, I simply interpret the business mangers requests into programming / bid - requests, perform feasibility studies, establish priorities, install and test developments, and train users. | |||
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