Below is my suggestion when approaching any software development company.

Ask about some of their previous work and the project duration.

But more importantly create a contract and ask upfront whether they will agree to it.
The contract will contain the duration of the project, with penalties for late delivery.
Final payment will be made when the software has been delivered and tested, by you the client, and works correctly according to the initial requirement.

Example: The client pays 30% (of cost) after seeing an early draft and it matches the requirement.
Then if it is a large project there could be another 20% payment after 6 to 8 weeks after a demo, otherwise full payment after completion. The cost could decrease by 10% per month late.

Search for companies and present them with your requirement and contract.

Example: Google for your area: custom software development cape town
Or use a business directory like http://www.hotfrog.co.za and search for: Software Development Company

I am Joe you so correctly described. I’ve been looking to partner with my idea for a very, very long time but to date I’ve been unsuccessful. Searching google for such a partner brought me to this site.

As almost everyone else, I’m convinced that my idea will revolutionise and completely change the way we do Fire and Rescue Services business in SA and the rest of Africa. The problem is finding a willing partner to develop the idea into an excellent software package. I have already developed the web interface but require the backend database and other tools such as CRM, eLearning, HR modules, etc. to be proffesionally developed with all the security features etc. The interface is available for viewing at my website on http://www.virtualfirehouse.com

Thanks for a great article which has given me hope to continue with my project

providing services to Eskom, currently SITA, then it gives you the idea of the capacity of this SMME comapny. however we all know the truth, our government cannot dicide on supporting this smme that develops software because of agreement they have with big business.

We have many potential developers, which can be uplifted by governement.

Regards

Mshengu

The first point you make is 100% correct … but that was not my point. While there definately is a vast amount of literature available on how small enterprises can develop great software – my experience is that (in South Africa at least) they don’t actually do so. The same can also me said for lots of large enterprises. The challenge for those of us passionate about South African software is to somehow close the gap between theory/best practice and what actually happens on the ground.

Regarding your second point – just to make it clear that in my story “Joe” is not trying to pass himself off as a software company. Quite the opposite – he simply needed (as is the case with most modern businesses) to use software. He wanted to employ someone to write this software for him, and when he (as the customer) paid a bespoke software supplier to implement the system for him he found them incompetent.

a) There exists plenty of literature in this context (i.e. the problems of small size software enterprizes). One might start reading with the easily accessible Communications of the ACM (for example), and from there simply follow the further literature references.

b) For comparison: In the medical profession one needs to have a medical degree himself before one can start up his own small-size medical “business”, i.e. a local surgery practice to treat sick or injured people. In the software world, on the contrary, anybody with money in his pockets can be an “entrepreneur” by simply hiring an external software engineer. Isn’t this somewhat questionable? In my opinion (and it’s really only an OPINION of me), the government agencies should make sure that only a certified software engineer is allowed to open up his own software engineering business, in the same way in which only somebody with a medical certificate is allowed to open his own medical surgery practice around the corner.