I assume based on much of what you post that this is some sort of trick question. But I'll play along for the fun of it.

This has nothing to do with large development firms vs. smaller ones. It almost appears from the tone of your message that you think this is a bogus question, one that shouldn't be asked. I've been involved in enough situations where small companies where left high and dry by the individual who was creating software for them to know that it wasn't fun for the small companies at all.

Especially since in a small company, the owner is spending the vast majority of his/her time keeping the business running. And has little to no time available to hunt for another software person to pick up the project. It think it's far more important for a small company to choose software written in a tool that has the most support, then for a large company. The large company can afford to invest in someone who can be trained in the low use tool.

A small company will be dead in the water if they can not find developers skilled in a particular tool. Or they can get stung by someone who claims to know the tool, but doesn't deliver on any promises.

Also, I would like to know what you mean by "since we know that larger players are moving down from the over-served large business IT arena into the small/middle-sized segment that has been enjoyed by smaller players for over a decade?"

I don't see an "over-served IT arena" at all. I have no idea what you are talking about. A scenario I never witnessed ever in my Foxpro career, is that every dotnet event I've ever attended has some form of sponsership offered by a recruiting firm if not several firms. There is a definite shortage of qualified dotnet people. I would assume, based on many reporting that there appears to be more Java jobs posted then dotnet, that the hiring environment is similar for Java.




>The pool of available (and qualified) VFP programmers is extremely small today and getting even smaller.
>
>How could you justify to management investing in software that will be the lifeblood of you company knowing that?
>
>That's the sort of question that large development firms ask when they're competing with smaller ones. "How do you know this small Limited Liability Company will still be around in 2 years? What if their best developer gets run over by a bus?"
>
>What do you think is the best way for small businesses and sole-traders to plan for this, since we know that larger players are moving down from the over-served large business IT arena into the small/middle-sized segment that has been enjoyed by smaller players for over a decade?