IT Entrepreneurship in Pakistan UNESCO Seminar Karachi University March 2006

CONTENTS  Why become an entrepreneur?  Opportunities for You  The Enterprise in Action  How do I start?  Information Sources

Why become an entrepreneur?  Jobs pay less  Jobs are not secure any more  You can set your own pace  Sky is the limit ….. but there are Risks!

Some IT Opportunities  SW House / IT Training  Free lance Programming  Consultancy Services  Networking / Security  IT Audit  SW Quality Assurance  ISO 9000 / CMMI  ERP Selection & Implementation

Inside the enterprise  Sales  Production  Billing  Collection

Inside the enterprise SALES  Most difficult for IT professionals  Always have a written contract  A good contract = both parties win  Contracts must include: - Scope of Work - Deliverables - Client Responsibilities - Payment Terms

Inside the enterprise PRODUCTION  Follow the contract in letter and spirit  Document as much as possible BILLING  X % advance upon contract signature  N1,n2,n3 % for each Deliverable  Stay ahead of the payments made

Inside the enterprise COLLECTION  Stop work if payment is not received after repeated reminders  Negotiate the settlement  Legal notice as a last resort

How do I start?  Select the domain most suitable for you  Prepare a Strategic Plan – Long Term / Short Term Goals  Resources ( Skills, Experience, Money, Time ) NEEDED by your enterprise NEEDED by your enterprise AVAILABLE to you todayAVAILABLE to you today  How to fill the Resource Gap?

How do I start?  Prepare your Long and Short Term Action plan BUT NOTE……..  Many activities can be done in parallel e.g. Developing SW in you spare time e.g. Developing SW in you spare time  Skill building takes time e.g. Joining a good SW house for 1 year e.g. Joining a good SW house for 1 year

How do I start? Keep in mind……….  Money can be accumulated but may be difficult to keep  Good long term strategy and hard work always wins  Pray for success

Information Resources  Website - smeda.org.pk Market Studies & “How To..” Reports  Website - pasha.org.pk Successful products / services

Information Resources  Meet SW House CEO’s Potentially successful products  Student Projects can be ‘polished’ into beautiful products

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