The app would tie into real data points and show how my cash flow is breaking down and comparing to estimates.
It would then allow us to role play a few scenarios to predict which numbers are important for us to change. I have even considered putting an agent in there and doing Genetic Algorithms on creating a good agent.
Its a lofty thought, but I was thinking that if I started small and just did the cash flow modeling well, the other parts could be added over time.
Most of the problems are probably in customer perception, but because you're dealing with small businesses, perception is really hard to overcome. They presumably don't have IT people to talk sense into them.
Doesn't matter what I think. Only matters what they think. I am building a business in response to a tremendous demand.
There seems to be a low level theme running here that the <enterprise><small business><IE using><anyone over x years of age><you name it> crowd is missing the <Web2.0><social networking><everything cool> boat. Don't you believe it! They're not all PHBs. (Most of the smartest people I know run small businesses.) They see what's happening. And they don't understand why there's so much going on these days and they're still stuck with garbage business software that costs a fortune, is hard to use, and doesn't serve their needs.
So who to they complain to? Me! "Give me something that does business the way we do, make it simple, price it right, and put it on the web so I can stop paying XYZ Systems a small forture to never be available!" Every demo I give ends the same way, "Finish that and I'll buy it in a minute!" (Needless to say, I do know the difference between a promise and a check, so we'll see...)
Hopefully it won't be too long before I post one of those "How Do You Like My App" posts.
Please make awesome small business software!
An interesting thought is what kinds of standards you can hook into. Perhaps stuff for tax file exporting, calendaring, sales /product channels, etc. The standard formats might be easy to provide and could increase the value of your pitch.