September is a good period for offering trainings to clients. In September, people have a more favourable attitude to education in general and most of the training courses start in September.

You may find convenient partnering with a University; some of the courses may not have been started yet, and facilities more easily available. You may host the training in student computer rooms.

To all the attendees a three months trial license should be offered. There is a chance that some of the free licences, would convert to annual subscriptions late in December, as Christmas gift.

In theory, the level of competition is proportional to market size and market size is proportional to competition.

Anyone can be tempted by entering a market with an intense competition. A common business plan statement is: “market size is estimated at $100 Millions, we assume conservatively to get $1 Million”.

Never conservative enough, I think. Top players have marketing budgets matching their size, and newcomers-business will be hardly profitable.

Niche markets are hot.

Apart from the top five (Dassault, Ansys, MSC, Siemens PLM and LMS), Computer Aided Engineering company average size is as small as $5 Millions. Because big players don’t pursue such small markets before they eventually grow, niche software live a limited competitive pressure, i.e. bigger profits and growth.

Quoting Seth Godin “because everyone in Hollywood is trying to be George Clooney, there are a lot more opportunities for the few Danny DeVito willing to show up.” My advice then is to invest (your time) in niche software companies.

Seth Godin listed 36(!) things we should consider before emailing a colleague.

Here are my add-ons:

1. In case your email is more than 500 words long, give him/her a call
2. In case you’re replying to more than three colleagues, you better set a meeting

And the last, If you had to pay 50 cents to send the email, would you?

Traditions are practices taught by one generation to the next. Karl E. Weick, says that traditions span over three generations, on average.

In corporate life, due to acquisitions and turnover, most of the employees hold the position of first – generation members.

I’ve been thinking about companies pursuing longevity.

Companies are not around forever, though a common view is that permanence is good. That’s why companies build huge headquarter buildings. The reality is that the average life expectancy of all firms is only 12 years. Some [Link to Arie De Geus] attribute mortality to managers focus on the bottom line, rather than human factors.

Greatness is fleeting, friends: places with the highest growth rates have the highest rate of corporate mortality. My company? It’s the exception that proves the rule.

In our interlinked economy, countries are no more relevant units of analysis. Multinational companies no longer think in terms nation states. Other units of analysis like -language, age, climate, lifestyle are much more relevant.

Why should I have a subsidiary in Finland and one in Sweden? Why should I have a Nordic Office at all, instead of having a sales agent for -truck drivers- or for -gardeners- wherever they may be?

At the cash register, we’re all brother in arms.

Trying to highlight my company technical competences, I’m wondering whether we do have competencies or just competent people. Turning competent people knowledge into core competences is a critical and expensive task.

Re (and) co-location of competent people does not come cheaply. The reality is that it’s hard to diffuse people skills and help the organization make profits from them.

Do you think competences cost? Try incompetence, then.

Naming a company is important when starting a business.

A company name should sound different. Claris, Claritin, Claria, etc. are similar, although belong to different businesses. A Company name should also sound logical e.g. Fluent Inc. -fluid flow simulation company. Fluent’s competitor is Scryu, a Japanese company. Because the brand is what the company stands for, and Scryu definitely does not sound well in English, I’m afraid it might be not as effective as Fluent outside Japan. Another example is that of Toyota MR2, which is known by a different name in France. Rather than the MR2, it is called “Coupe MR,” because “MR2″ in French sounds like “merdeux,” which means “shitty.”

When naming a company, check what the name sounds like in the most widespread languages.