How To Make Money From SharePoint

I start the year having quit my job, and so figuring out how I can make money from the knowledge and skills that I have is something close to my heart right now. 

Here’s how I think it is possible to start to make money and build a business around SharePoint:

  • Contracting, pure and simple. Despite the economic downturn, there is still a shortage of skilled SharePoint staff.  This is the easiest option to generate cash quickly.
  • Consultancy services.  Different from contracting, in that you pitch for a project or part of a project.  Likely to be fixed price delivery. Some revenues from selling product licences too.
  • Training for developers, administrators or end-users.  SharePoint devs and admins are pretty well served for training options, but customers always ask me about end-user training.  To date I am yet to see any stand-out options here.  There is a gap I think for good quality end-user training.
  • Build a product to fill a gap in the platform. The traditional Microsoft partner business model.  These could be developer or administrator tools, or end-user focussed components or web parts.
  • Build a product on top of the platform. Likely to involve tailoring the platform for a specific vertical market and problem area.
  • Shake up a stale industry. Use SharePoint as a tool, not an end.  Take an existing industry, likely something information heavy, filled with small players using traditional methods to deliver their product and service, then use knowledge of SharePoint and related collaboration and UC tools to deliver the service at a lower cost and/or with better customer service.

Is there anything else I have missed?

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