8 www.homebusinessnetwork.co.uk Issue 2July 2009
Need to kNow :: SoFtwARe PRoFILe :: MIddLetoN
the benefits of free software
By Roy Sharp of specific clients who want a bespoke
Keep talking...
Sharp Software Services
version. Consultants who know how
So you’ve got all this free software,
to install and configure the systems
now what? Well don’t just install it
From the Home Business Forums:
become useful to potential users.
on the first PC you think of. Get a
www.homebusinessnetwork.co.uk/forum
But there is no reason why the
coffee and consider the future. You
technically-savvy cannot become
get the system up and running and it
Open Source software is free but
their company’s expert too.
becomes key to your business. How
that doesn’t mean it is rubbish—many
Everyone can benefit.
are you going to protect it? Who will
systems are enterprise-strength.
The range of software available as
Open Source is huge, from an Open
Office suite which does most of the
things Microsoft Office does, to MySql
the much-used database for websites,
when one door shuts, another
CRM and many other systems.
Open Source software is coming opens for home search boss
of age and it can help you improve
efficiency and reduce costs in
By Philip Smith
your business without spending a
fortune or even a penny. Many large
EACH morning Mark Parkinson (above) closes the
businesses are already tapping into
front door at his Henley-on-Thames home and
this deep well of software resource.
walks four paces to the front door of his converted
integral garage.
“I think it’s important to have two separate
Why is it free?
entrances,” says Mark, one of the co-founders of
One of the original reasons was
property search company Middleton Advisors.
that the software was produced
“The business is actually based in a converted
by educational establishments
barn in Newbury. That’s a proper office where we
collaborating across the globe or was
have our secretaries and where we meet. I go there
donated by large corporates such as
IBM or Sun because it didn’t fit into
once or twice a week. It’s important for the office
their product range for resale.
banter and camaraderie.”
The resultant software was
But the bulk of Mark’s work is done in his garage
published on the web which meant
or on the road. It cost Mark about £5,000 to
that it was run and tested by a
convert the garage. “You can do it under permitted
large number of people but more
Fact not fiction
manage it and configure it? Is it worth
development rights,” he says.
importantly an equally large number
That’s enough theory, how about a
keeping the skills in-house or would it
“The rhythm of the working day is much more
helped fix the bugs and donated new
real life example. Let’s take a CRM
be cheaper to call in expert help?
natural now,” he says. “When the kids jump in the
functionality. An early system which
system. A popular one is SugarCRM.
car to go on the school run I just walk next door. It
evolved in this way is Linux (the
This runs on Windows or Linux, it
Virtual what?
is very efficient to have that hour at the beginning
operating system used on Apple Macs
needs a database, and a couple of
A great use for Virtual PCs is to
of the day to get yourself straight and make sure
instead of Windows).
techie bits — PHP and a web server.
try out new software or software you know what you are doing.
Free can often mean better tested,
(PHP is the language used by
upgrades without having any effect “I am out and about a lot during the day but if I
more users, more functionality.
many websites and the web server
on the day-to-day running of your am at home I always leave at six to have an hour and
manages sending the right pages to
business. They are also portable, half with the kids and if there are things to finish
the right people!).
Be cynical!
easily restored when things go wrong,
off go back for half an hour. I probably work more
All of this software is free and, if you
OK so who makes money out of it?
and you can make a copy to try out
want to be really smart, you can install
hours now but I also work a lot smarter without the
The experts basically. People who
new ideas so that you don’t trash
it on a virtual machine (also free).
distractions. The beauty is that if you do have sports
are familiar with the programming
your business-critical system.
Free! free! free! Oh, apart from the
day or something, you have that flexibility.”
can extend and tailor the system for
actual PC of course.
www.roysharp.com
❝
It cost Mark about £5,000 to
convert the garage. You can do it under
permitted development rights.
❞
Middleton Advisors was established in March
2008. “Apart from the contacts, all you need is a
car, computer and a printer and off you go. Barriers
to entry are very low. You don’t have to have a
shop front or employ a lot of capital to set yourself
up. My essential bit of kit is the printer/ copier/
scanner/ fax. I can send out very professional
reports from my home office.”
The company find homes in excess of £2m for
high net worth house hunters. “80% of what we
find for clients isn’t on the market,” he adds. “For
10 years, Tom [Hudson] and I were directors of
Properly Vision, a big property buying agency.
Setting up on our own was something we had
spoken about for a long time.”
It’s going well but even though the firm operates
at the top end of the property ladder, the recession
is biting. “There’s about half the volume of
properties on the market compared to this time last
year. There is very little available. But that’s good
news for property finders in terms of taking on
clients. It’s difficult to find the houses, though, and
everything takes longer. What took three weeks two
years ago now takes three months.”
“Be willing to ditch your cherished ideas in favour
of those that make money.”
TOP TIP
kevin Galtrey, Peony Accessories
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