At ITBusiness.ca, we often feature articles describing the merits of open source software, such as yesterday’s “Top 10 reasons open source software is great for business.”
We feature content like this to highlight ways that cash-strapped small businesses can go high-tech without breaking the bank. But sometimes it can seem like the concept of using open source software is almost hypothetical in the business world – where licenced software from a certain Redmond-based software publisher is all too popular. So we’re looking back into the vault today to show readers that it can be done – and has been.
Rightsleeve.com founder Mark Graham started his business without much in the way of funding and he wanted to avoid expensive licencing fees. So he turned to MySQL as the backend for his products database. Adopting the system wasn’t easy, as it involved re-training staff (not everyone made it) and kicking old habits.
But Graham says it has allowed them to grow the business with less manpower and cut back on paper use in the office. It goes to show that a solid Web sales approach doesn’t have to cost a lot if you’re willing to commit to good in-office communication.