Remove minimum license quantity for business edition

Use this forum to discuss desired new features for TimeTrex
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pifiu
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 10:32 pm

Remove minimum license quantity for business edition

Post by pifiu »

I have been using TimeTrex for the past year or so and it has been working great. I really would love to use some of the Business edition features, but have held back on upgrading due to the license minimum.

I think I am not alone when I say the majority of small businesses are probably in the 1-10 employee range, and even then I would think a great majority of those are really in the 1-5 employee range.

As a small business owner with so many expenses, adding a minimum that would not be used, would really go to waste.

It would be great if the minimum license requirement was removed, so I could just purchase what I need (5). I realize you potentially sell the 15 license minimum in order to make sure the support you offer will also be justified. But as a suggestion, is it possible to create a new license model, where perhaps the more advanced features are available and you can choose whether you want the support or not while dropping the minimum license requirement? The majority of my questions have always been resolved through the community, albeit the majority by your staff on the forums.

From my standpoint it seems the majority of these small businesses that would use the software would probably already know how to support the software for the most part themselves, but in the case they don't they can always just fall back on a license model that offers support.

It is just a suggestion of course, but one that I think would drive user growth up as well as enable us "micro-small businesses" to use all the advantages we can as we get going.
shaunw
Posts: 7839
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:22 pm

Re: Remove minimum license quantity for business edition

Post by shaunw »

I have passed your concerns onto management for consideration.
pifiu
Posts: 48
Joined: Fri Feb 04, 2011 10:32 pm

Re: Remove minimum license quantity for business edition

Post by pifiu »

Thanks Shaun.

If I may take it one step further, although I realize I am bound to receive a lot of criticism and possibly upfront denial.

I would suggest removing all of the different editions, and solely providing one true community edition for free. Yes, free. While the TimeTrex team may find the product reasonably affordable, which is subjective to everyone, I really believe your market penetration and adoption can expand exponentially based on the following suggestive points.

1. Focus TimeTrex's efforts on creating the World's Best Open Source Payroll & Time Management Software and keeping it that way. Beware of forks and clones due to strict limitations.
2. Provide all of the current Business & Pro functionality in the one Community Edition. Allowing customers to use all of the features without having to spend a cent is essential when selling software. If they like it, and they grow, perhaps they will purchase support or customization from you.
3. Allow integration of standardized hardware. This is such basic and fundamental functionality if you are using TimeTrex to pay hourly employees. (Again refers back to my original point of most small businesses being really micro-small businesses with few employees and limited resources to really perhaps pay salaried employees).

Again I understand you are in the business of providing software and adding value by up-selling the additional features and hardware, but I really think you may be limiting yourselves by holding back these features and splitting them into all sorts of editions. Offering all off the business functionality and opening it to standardized hardware (that the community can expand support on if they wish), in my opinion would significantly increase your adoption rate.

To be frank, holding back features you can easily provide seems like a dated way of selling software. Focus on what you're good at and make sure the community appreciates it; don't potentially stir the pot by allowing competition to arise and copy your software and undercut you. TimeTrex should be the one undercutting and providing a well rounded software being the small dog in the fight compared to other paid solutions, take advantage of that, after all can someone really undercut free?

While I may not have the facts and numbers of your customer base, I would venture to potentially say most small businesses can't afford the support, customization, implementation and other services you offer when they start-up. Once they get going and business grows, I am sure then they can spend some money on these services. Why not allow them to have the product for free, let it grow in their organization and allow them to let them grow with you?

It is my opinion that focusing your efforts on selling implementation, hosting, service support, etc services, even selling non-proprietary/standardized hardware to those customers that want it is key. The customers that outgrow the ability to manage their own TimeTrex installs and support, will more than likely come to you because you designed it and support it, these are the customers you want.
shaunw
Posts: 7839
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2006 2:22 pm

Re: Remove minimum license quantity for business edition

Post by shaunw »

A support only model conflicts with our goal to create the easiest and most flexible software possible. In fact we are actively working towards the opposite goal, to minimize support requirements for our customers as much as we can.

In addition to that, TimeTrex is already priced extremely affordable, our On-Demand packages start at just $29.90/month including support. In North America at least, this is less than it costs for a telephone line and about half of what the average monthly cell phone bill costs. There really isn't any room to go much lower than that without having administrative and financial costs eating up whats left of the already minimal profit margin. We bank on the fact that the average customer stays with us for many years, so over a long period of time it can pay off. Our fees are also lower than the vast majority of our competitors who offer only a tiny fraction of the overall feature set that we do.
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