Selling source code

C

Chris_H

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Hey guys,

I've developed an ERP system for technical businesses in Delphi and SQL over the last 4-5 years and is successfully being used by my customers. I am tempted to sell the source code and all rights to it as I don't have the time to develop, market and support the software any further than the customers I already have.The software was initially developed for security installation companies but has grown to include numerous other technical companies that provide installations, maintenance and repairs/services to there clients/customers.

The software is modular and can do the following:
  • Manage projects, contracts and other work.
  • Create quotations.
  • Manages stores / inventory,
  • Manage assets, tools and stationary,
  • The sales module follows you through the sale from the lead stage to being secured and doing revenue projections vs company targets.
  • Generates invoices
  • Captures staff's time worked and applies costing to projects, contracts and other work.
  • It has a file repository where you upload all your files to the server via the software so customers won't have an unorganized network folder containing all their files.

The invoicing modules needs to be expanded to a full blown accounting module. I am currently also busy working on a POS module that is 50% complete.

Does anyone know who I can approach to sell the source code with clients and what would be a reasonable selling price based on the features? The client side alone has over 200 forms and units so this is not a small system.
 
Why not make it open source - that way you can entice developers, enhance the system and still keep the support revenue...

Just a thought.
 
Yes, even though open source is nice and everyone wants everything free I have worked hard on this software for 4 years and knowing the potential that it has to become a top product in its industry I will not just be giving it away. The software also uses a component suite that I purchased which might be too expensive for open source developers but is nothing for a software house or company.
 
Chris_H said:
Yes, even though open source is nice and everyone wants everything free I have worked hard on this software for 4 years and knowing the potential that it has to become a top product in its industry I will not just be giving it away. The software also uses a component suite that I purchased which might be too expensive for open source developers but is nothing for a software house or company.
Click to expand...

:D I didn't say for free, I said Open Source. Anyhow, I can see the complications. Have you tried say, Canonical? You never know, if it's a good system...
 
I'd suggest hiring a sales person to market and sell the software for you on a commission basis. You'd then be able to focus on any support issues and can continue developing the software.

Why give up something you worked hard on for 4 years when the only issue is you don't have the time to do the whole marketing/sales/support/developer hat so many of us wear each day (which I admit is tiresome)? You can even contract out a company with technical resources to do the installation of the software for you at the client, which means you're only job would be "2nd level" support and developing the software. The company with the technical resources would then gain that client on a support basis (yes, they'll get the money for the support they give on your software, thus training up their own staff on it to be able to do so) but you receive the benefit on whatever licensing fee's are at stake.

Some companies who do 'hire out' technical resources like that even goes as far as actually getting their own sales staff involved, so a commission would be paid for them based on the license fee and so you can grow without needing vasts sums of time or money to actually make this viable...
 
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