Advice/Opinions on selling software 
Author Message
 Advice/Opinions on selling software

I'd like to hear what people have to say about selling VB software, in
particular:
    distributing: shareware, retailers, distributors
    creating packaging, cd's; costs involved
    legal and business issues-copyrights, trademarks, etc.
    are there any legal issues with using GIF's?

 I have a multimedia program I'm thinking about selling.

--



Tue, 19 Mar 2002 03:00:00 GMT  
 Advice/Opinions on selling software
I programmed a multimedia application in VB before and sold it quite
successfully,

You have to be carfull about those copyright issues yes. make sure you have
some sort of Legal statements and Copyright comments.. see how other
products do them.. and try to fabricate one for you. I did that..its not as
easy as it sounds though. becase then you cant just copy what ever is in
another products statements unless you fully understand them.. but its
possible.

Regarding costs.. Well I Mass produced mine (2000 CDs)..

it all came up to around 1 per CD, which is about $1.6 per CD, This gives
you a complete CD with 2 onbody colours, Full colour inlay booklet and
back... CD is packed in duel cases and even wraped (just as you see in Music
CDs)..

2000 CDs costed me 2003 and thats inc. V.A.T and Delivery to me (live 400
miles away from the firm). The turnaround time was around a 3 weeks..

I sold the CDs for 10 each..and managed to sell a lot...

so as you can see the profit margine is good.

But remember, you need to make sure FULLY that the CD can work okay in at
least 90% of computers.. I tested mine in about 30 computers... each having
different specs etc... I got generarly good results.. althgouh thats after
fixing so many things... after finding out errors and learning the problems
you get when you setup the software in other computers etc..

trademarks? well, when you use other companies names to describe an issue
etc.. then you should include some small print footnote stating that
companies such and such are a trademark of such and such..

for e.g. If you were describing an issue and you said something like

 "you can use Microsoft Windows to install ...."

 always try and put it like

"you can use Microsoft (r) Windows (tm) to install...."

and also maybe if your doing a long thing include some small print in the
foot note or at the back or below text etc.. of something like..

"Windows is a trademark of the Microsoft coparation" etc... you get the idea
I guess.

What else? umm lets see.. oh distributors.. well dont contact them yet.. and
dont what ever you do send them a sample of yoru rough work!.. When you want
to send them a sample of the product.. make sure you send them the final and
make sure its not a home made one.. but the accually produced one (after you
mass produce).. out of my experence.. this REALLY matters.. as it gives
better results.. becase when you supply them with the mass produced CD out
of the printing service then thats the CD which is the one they will sell
and its of cource at an industrial level...

What do you do then? well okay.. first of all you have to assess exactly
what your software will cater.. what market will it be targeted in??

next.. the price.. how much will I sell it for? (the RRP I mean).. then the
price you will sell to disturbutors.. I gave mine an RRP price of $19.99
(9.99).  When you sell it to disturutors you have to of cource give them it
at a lower price..

so how low????? well my advice really is to give them it 50% lower!! and
nothing other.. If you sell them it for $15 and you expect them to sell it
for $20.. then thats no good!.. coz the profit margine for them is not that
good for them.

It will cost you $1.5 each CD.. so if you were to sell for say $19.99 RRP
then set yourself about $6 profit per CD. Then also have the delivery charge
on you.. so that there is no overheads etc.. just gives a better impression
with companies.. so say for 100 CDs, postage will cost $120, and you want $6
profit per CD, and also ofcource the basic costs of the CD which is $1.6
thus $160 for a hundred, which totals to around $900. (keep an extra $100
for any additial unexpected costs to come up).. thus you get a total of
$1000. Now you sell the disurbutor 100 Cds for $1000 and they go out and
sell it for $20 each..and get their profit..

your profit was $600.. and although in theory they will get a $1000 profit,
you wil gain more...

remember, selling it to the customer needs resorces.. and you cant do that
your self.. so you sell it to disturboutors..

they may get more profit than you.. but thats just the only thing they will
make.. BUt you can always sell more and more CDs to more disturbutors.. as
its yours.. thus at the end.. you get good profits..

okay.. so how do I go out and get potential disturbutors.. well.. look into
computer magazines and check the adverts..see what products are being sold
in warhouses etc.. and see if any of those sell products which are similar
properties as yours.. then simply contact the companies and warehouses and
ask them if they would be interested.. and you will be impressed by the
positive responses you get. They will most defenetly tell you to send in a
sample CD. You of cource do that and wait their reply on this. Dont thing
this is somethign new.. as they do this everytime.. they want to get new
products in to keep thier bossiness going, so they will welcome anything you
send them.

But dont just go send any firm your product.... select a few from a list you
make .. and see them.. pick the onces where you think are most likely to
accept your product.

but as I said before DONT send in anything if you dont have the final
product yet. Dont send in anything other than the final proffesinal industry
standard product, (which is the mass priduced out of the printing house one
you will sell) NOT before that... I did that a few times.. and found little
success.. What I did was I went fast on sending my software to companies..
before it was out from print.. thus.. I sent homemade copied with a CD-R
copier.. and fo cource the layout and presination would be poor.. this
affects the overall quality and turns off companies.. EVEN if you tell them
that this is just a demo thing and the final product will of cource be
industry standard thing.. becase it does not always work.. they just are
interested in what they have in their hand..and not whay you tell them of
the future etc..

I hope I am clear in this.. and I wish you every bit of success in what ever
you do.

yours,
Abdul

Quote:

>I'd like to hear what people have to say about selling VB software, in
>particular:
>    distributing: shareware, retailers, distributors
>    creating packaging, cd's; costs involved
>    legal and business issues-copyrights, trademarks, etc.
>    are there any legal issues with using GIF's?

> I have a multimedia program I'm thinking about selling.

>--




Tue, 19 Mar 2002 03:00:00 GMT  
 Advice/Opinions on selling software
Abdul,

Your answer was interesting and informative.  Thank you for
taking the time to go into the details and analysis.

I'm not going to include Abdul's message in this reply, for
obvious reasons.



Tue, 19 Mar 2002 03:00:00 GMT  
 Advice/Opinions on selling software
your welcome,

It took some time to learn all this and accually get something usefull,

I thought that maybe others would want to know from people who have been
into all this. As I remember when I was trying to start of, and how I was
virtually searching everywhere trying to find answers and information on how
to start and what to do etc..

am greatful and I hope it helps some people in what ever they will do.

Abdul

Quote:

>Abdul,

>Your answer was interesting and informative.  Thank you for
>taking the time to go into the details and analysis.

>I'm not going to include Abdul's message in this reply, for
>obvious reasons.



Wed, 20 Mar 2002 03:00:00 GMT  
 
 [ 4 post ] 

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