Open Source Solutions for Small Business Problems

Just yesterday I was talking about calendar sharing with a potential client, and today I run across this:

IMAP shared Contacts and Calendar extension for Thunderbird. Originally started to provide Thunderbird support for the Kolab Server project, it works with an ordinary IMAP account to store contacts and calendars and access them from multiple locations. Using IMAP shared folders, you can also set up group contacts and calendars. Very cool.

I’m the token computer consultant in a local chapter of a business group, and I provide all kinds of services related to computers. Earlier this week I announced to the group that I don’t fix Windows machines. I know plenty of other computer consultants who make a fine living cleaning viruses, spyware, and fixing Windows issues.
I prefer to address business problems, come up with creative solutions that help businesses move forward, not fix what should already be working. And today I read a fine post by one of my favorite bloggers, which illustrates some of my motivation: Seth’s Blog: “No” to average.

Here’s a useful link for making Dspam clean up much more efficiently…

Optimizing DSPAM + MySQL 4.1 | HowtoForge - Linux Howtos and Tutorials

This is more business than software. One of the main target audiences for my book is the small IT consultant who wants to help businesses by providing systems to improve the business, instead of just fixing their computers. To be able to do that, you need to understand business. I didn’t start with any special knowledge–I’ve very much learned business by doing it, by being in it, not through formal education.

Here’a a great reading list to learn about business:
Josh Kaufman: Inside My Bald Head | The Personal MBA

Also see the community site: The Personal MBA