Re: [9fans] General question about hosted interfaces

[Jim Choate <ravage@ssz.com>]

You're doing it wrong....

Go to your local courthouse and file a DBA (they are very inexpensive, in
Texas free). You may or may not decide to get a tax ID number for the
state or feds (depends on if you actually intend to take in money).

You take the DBA to your bank and have them note it in your file, this way
a check signed to the DBA can be cashed and if somebody does a referal to
the bank that will come back positive.

You then get business cards printed up, and if you have a 'multiple
mailbox answering machine' use it.

You want to identify your local wholesalers and distributors (eg Arrow or
Active for components, for boards and such you just ask one of the
managers at your local sales site) for the manufacturers in your area (you
can do this remotely but you'll need to make a few touchie-feelie trips
each year to stay in good stead). Make contact with one of the
salespersons and keep that contact current. Get on their mailing lists
under the DBA.

Identify the process whereby you can buy 'engineering sample size' orders
(usually this is a money limit or number of components). It's usually a
few dozen components or a couple $100 bucks. If you can involve a user
group of some sort it helps raise the cash.

Once all this is done you can usually get some access to databooks and
such much easier.

The trick is to look like a legitimate business trying to survive and not
some individual hobbyist trying to get a freebie.


On Thu, 12 Jul 2001, Chris Locke wrote:

> > So? What makes you think that someone else can?
>
> As an individual (not representing a corporation)
> I find it extremely difficult to get hold of data sheets.
>
> I have filled in countless web-forms to register
> for the ability to access the 'developer' pages
> on a manufacturers site.
>
> I have yet to gain access to a single one!
>
> This make it hard for the hobbyist to get involved in
> writing drivers.


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