NYT cites OSS as a low-cost alternative for entrepreneurs

[Sporkman]

...Open-source software can reduce or eliminate the need for consultants and tech support. When Annie Wang, 21, co-founder of HerCampus.com, wanted the articles on the site to rotate in a slide show, she didn’t hire a Web designer. She found a free online resource and spent a day teaching herself how to create the slide show....

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/12/bu...me&ref=general

[user1397]

I like these kinds of articles because they give me hope. My long-term goal is to do what the people in that article are doing: starting their own businesses and not necessarily following the age-old tradition of going to college, getting a degree, getting a job (with a boss).

I'd personally like to finish my degree all while thinking about a viable (preferably online) business, and then using that to pay off my student loans and start living the way I want to.

I've actually considered dropping out of college early to start a business, the only problem being I haven't come up with a good idea yet :/

[madjr]

open source, gives the power back to the little guy

[Sporkman]

I like these kinds of articles because they give me hope. My long-term goal is to do what the people in that article are doing: starting their own businesses and not necessarily following the age-old tradition of going to college, getting a degree, getting a job (with a boss).

I'd personally like to finish my degree all while thinking about a viable (preferably online) business, and then using that to pay off my student loans and start living the way I want to.

I think that's a great idea, best of luck to you. If you don't come up with any ideas right away, you can still work a job for a short while to buy you some time & funds.

And, your familiarity with OSS will give you a head start in keeping your costs low.

[Evil-Ernie]

I dont know why more small businesses havent cottoned on yet to OSS and its benefits. IT is an overhead in pretty much all companies now, even the one-man-band will probably have an email account and keep some kind of book-keeping on a computer system.

I work for the NHS and I've been trying to promote Linux and OSS to our IT people here, unfortunately I find they are mostly firmly in the MS camp and thats all they know. It would save our trust millions if we went to say Ubuntu but because there isnt support from the 'experts' its a uphill struggle. I cant say too much about it but it disgusts me the waste of money when essential services are going to suffer with the new financial environment we are in