How to Choose the Right Developer

Your Custom Software Project

1. Ask for Referrals From People You Know

● Finding a software developer has some similarities to finding providers of other types of specialty services

● People who have either invested in custom applications themselves

● People who know of someone who provides this type of service

● Someone who builds software as their main expertise, not someone who is just "good with computers" or can build you something "on the side".

● Someone who can help with all the nuances of designing, building and launching a custom-built software app.

● Your developer should be able to add a feature that you request while helping you think through all the edge cases that might come up.

2. Choose Someone Who Builds Software Professionally

3. Choose a Developer Who Can Work Within Your BudgetWhere does your budget should be based from?

● Expected Return On Investment● Additional Revenue● Decreased costs or other

tangible benefits the software will bring

● Can vary quite a bit from one provider to the next. ● You can easily find a low-cost provider on one of

the many freelance websites available online.● There are many high-end, boutique development

companies that charge hundreds of dollars per hour, with projects pushing into the 6- and 7-figure ranges being common.

● You can also find a range of providers in the middle that strike a balance between the quality of work delivered, the timeframe required for a typical project, and the overall cost of the project.

The Price

Smaller, more focused development team vs. larger software company● A smaller company will have lower overhead and will likely be more

flexible in terms of price and timeframe, among other benefits your project needs to produce a certain return on investment for it to make sense for your business.

● Setting and sticking to budget.● Finding a developer that can work within that are the best ways to

ensure your custom software produces those results.

4. Choose Someone That Is Focused on Your Business Needs, Not the Latest Technology

● Find a developer who is able to avoid falling so in love with the "latest, greatest technology" that they lose sight of what's the best way to meet your business goals .

● Newer technical tools might be better suited for what your business currently needs, for example, taking your existing custom desktop software and turning it into a web-based software application.

4. Choose Someone That Is Focused on Your Business Needs, Not the Latest Technology

● Your business goals should be the main driver for your project, not the technology.

● You and your developer remained focused on what's needed to meet the needs of your business and can then find the right tools to help get you there.

Building business-focused software requires good communication skills and the ability for clients and developers to collaborate.

5. Choose a Developer With Good Communication Skills

● Who not only has the technical ability to build the software you need, but who also brings the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to make your project run smoothly from start to finish

● You should expect to receive frequent updates, discussions and questions from your development partner throughout the course of your project being built.

Things You Should Consider on Choosing A Developer

1. Managing one or more business processes using Microsoft Excel or Microsoft Access and have outgrown this setup.

2. Using a variety of software tools that don’t “talk” to each other.3. Staff is unable to do higher level work because they’re stuck doing

tasks manually which could be automated, especially tasks that involve entering the same information in multiple places or using multiple software tools.

4. One or more of their current business processes take too long, are too tedious or are otherwise “painful” to deal with, yet have to be done frequently.

Our Best Custom Software Clients are Business Owners Experiencing at Least 3 of the Following Problems:

5. Unable to find off-the-shelf software that fits how they do business.6. Looking for ways to streamline their business to give them a

competitive advantage and/or to make their business more valuable for an eventual sale.

7. Frustrated with their current software because its too hard to use or lacks critical features.

8. Want to systemize and streamline how they do business, making delivering services to their customers more predictable and consistent.

9. Looking to launch a startup web application and need technical help to take their concept from idea to working code.

Our Best Custom Software Clients are Business Owners Experiencing at Least 3 of the Following Problems:

✓ Sells complex products or services.✓ Has numerous or complex processes necessary for delivering

products or services to your customers.✓ Has at least $1M/year in revenue or the potential to reach this

level in the near-term.✓ Is looking for a way to differentiate themselves from competitors.✓ Has a budget to invest in a custom software solution.✓ Believes a custom software solution could solve key problems in

their business...or at least wants to consider this as an option.

We Can Help If Your Company...