Selling Projects

[N36fSL3A]

Hello, I want to write software to sell to small companies/organizations to make some side cash. I'm wondering on how I am supposed too get a companies' attention with my product. Should I wait until they post a request, or should I just write software that I think will be useful and then present it to a company?

[giblit]

A company is probably going to look for someone 18+ with a degree. You can probably find odd jobs/freelance in the jobs section or on a freelancing website.

[N36fSL3A]

I'm obviously not looking for a full time job or anything, but I want to develop software (like by myself), without getting an actual job with the company, and when I finish it, sell it.

[htirwin]

What kind of software are you thinking of?

Maybe you could make mobile apps or set up websites?

[N36fSL3A]

Things for start-ups who are looking for cheap programs to get their business going.

I plan on writing software such as license-number generators and cashier software for small shops. Maybe even a few development tools for proprietary file formats or something.

[BHX]

Maybe the license-number generator would work, but any cashier software may be out of the question depending on the kind of delicate information you would be interacting with. I think most, if not all, states require a specialized certification to be able to work on that type of program due to the sensitivity of the data it may be working on.

Freelancing jobs at a freelancing site, like giblit mentioned, may be your only form of income.

You will have to ask a store manager or someone in the store you want to do the cashier software for to find out for sure if there is a certification you need to have. If not, then have fun and get to working on it.

[Little Bobby Tables]

I think most, if not all, states require a specialized certification to be able to work on that type of program due to the sensitivity of the data it may be working on.

i dont think so, although its not easy to make. for example, if i wanted to, i could write one for the company i work for (im a cashier at a pizza place) since its all... err... for lack of a better term, modulized. the most sensitive info we deal with (when it comes to the actual cashier program) is phone numbers, addresses, and drivers license numbers

[BHX]

Little Bobby Tables wrote:

i dont think so, although its not easy to make. for example, if i wanted to, i could write one for the company i work for (im a cashier at a pizza place) since its all... err... for lack of a better term, modulized. the most sensitive info we deal with (when it comes to the actual cashier program) is phone numbers, addresses, and drivers license numbers

Those three things are what I mean. Depending on the person, phone and address are nonpublic personal information and drivers license number are definitely nonpublic personal information which, depending on the state, may have several privacy acts in place.

While no generally applicable law exists, some federal laws govern privacy policies in specific circumstances. Examples of such policies would be Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLB), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

All I'm saying is, if you do programs like that, make sure you know what requirements fall on you because you don't want it to come back and bite you in the end.

[N36fSL3A]

How do I start a business at my age?

[BHX]

Unfortunately, without your parent's help, you don't. All papers for starting a business usually require you to be 18+ (at least in my state, as I've looked into starting my own indie game dev company a few years back).

Wanted to add, that doesn't mean you can't start a small team, but you will have to work extremely hard to be taken serious (not due to your age, but rather due to all the companies you would be competing with that have a long reputation compared to an unknown upstart).