Subscription-based software is a great model if you can find a way to make it work. Autoresponder services are a great example of subscriptionbased software.

Every single month you have to pay to use their service. Many people rely on an autoresponder and are willing to pay for this service for as long as their online business lives.

Some software also chooses to use advertising as a monetization model. This can work well if you have a large audience, and can be distributed
through many of the free software networks.

Also known as adware, software that uses this monetization method will display some form of advertising either when it starts, when it’s closed down or in the interface while it is being used. Ads may be privately sold to customers, or provided by an ad distribution network.

If you have a really good idea for a software product, but do not have any experience, consider partnering with someone who has. It will help save a hard learning curve, and will likely save you a lot of time and money. (Plus your project is much more likely to succeed and actually make money.)

One idea though for small businesses is have some small, simple but useful software written for you as a free giveaway. This could be used to acquire leads, and/or thank current customers.

Examples include: a mortgage calculator for a mortgage broker; software to help calculate renovation costs for builders, real estate agents or property investors. In the example of a weight-loss specialist it could be software to help track your weight loss, calculate your BMI and/or estimate calories for different meals.

Be sure to brand it with your company logo. Also contain a link to your website to maximize credibility, and help spread the message should people share the software with their friends.