This paper surveys Linux's suitability for use by owners of very small businesses and the self-employed. It was written by Howard Fosdick, a self-employed database consultant who finds Linux fairly well-suited to his needs, and reckons it has saved him thousands of dollars in recent years.

How many are self-employed in the United States? No one knows for sure, but estimates range around twenty million. Add to this millions of small businesses, and you have a huge pool of workers who run their businesses on personal computers. Dentists, handymen, shop owners, yoga instructors, lawyers... all require reliable, easy-to-use computers for their work.

Should they use Linux?

Here's my take as someone who has run his one-person business on Linux for several years. I'll be objective. This is not a promotional piece. Let's state up front that I have an advantage over many business Linux users because I'm an IT professional. Yet we all depend on business Linux.

What We Want

What do the self-employed require of their computers? The list varies by the person and the kind of work they do. Here are the essentials:

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