The past decade has seen tremendous effort put forth by the major 3D CAD platform developers. This has not only involved significant refinements in software and user interfaces, but also the manner by which these developments address genuine user needs. Complementing these aspects, we find marketing and consumer education have also been integral in establishing SolidWorks as the 3D CAD of choice among many.
Providing the numbers to confirm the growing trend in SolidWorks use, Indeed.com data indicates a notable distinction among 3D CAD job opportunities, with SolidWorks as the evident leader. Please note that this chart is directly linked and thus may show variation and trend different from the time of this article submission.
Of course, the details behind this trend are multi-faceted and beyond the scope of this article, but this data should be most reassuring. As the scene of this world continues to change and economies remain uncertain, having apprecication that SolidWorks is growing as the major 3D CAD platform of choice among employers provides added confidence in the potential toward rewarding opportunities for the SolidWorks CAD entrepreneur.
2010-07-30
2010-04-05
Simplify Your CAD Business Tax Season
For some, the least appealing aspects of managing a CAD business is with regards to bookkeeping and taxes. But as an older gentlemen who had imigrated years ago to the United States once said, 'I am very happy to pay taxes, because in my old country I could not even earn enough to have to pay them. But now I can.' So with appreciation that earnings in your CAD business also neccesitates governmental obligation, let's look at how we can simplify routine bookkeeping, and what typical small business tax deductions might apply. Of course, please do not construe the following as representative of legal advice. As always, it is recommended that one become familiar with the specific legal requirements unique to the business location, thereby determining what methods may be best for personal business needs.
Bookkeeping Basics
A very simple, yet functional spreadsheet should contain the following columns to account for business profit and loss:
You may be pleasantly surprised to know that with this simplified spreadsheet layout, one might only need to spend 3-4 minutes each week keeping records up to date! Yes, having a good routine makes updating business records that much easier. For example, if you routinely submit invoices for your work on, say... a Friday afternoon, then use that opportunity as a prompt to document the weeks activities. Also, you may choose to use this time to store any of the weeks business receipts in a designated envelope.
Maintaining these records will ensure the information is readily available with little extra effort required, when preparing periodic or annual tax forms.
Common Tax Deductions
Typical small business tax deductions are nothing new or secretive, but it can be helpful to have these items highlighted for any who simply have never needed to give thought to such. Some of these topics will be similar, if not the same as the columns we discussed earlier regarding Bookkeping, so again we can see the intrinsic value of good record keeping. For example, State and Federal laws may allow for deducting business expenses related to:
In summary therefore, we find that a little routine maintenance in bookkeeping can make for a much less complicated or harried tax season. Additionally, it affords one to hold a clean conscience in legally availing yourself of any tax advantages ascribed by law.
Bookkeeping Basics
A very simple, yet functional spreadsheet should contain the following columns to account for business profit and loss:
- Date - calendar date
- Item - brief description of the item being documented
- Income - payments received
- Advertising - business cards, promotions, etc.
- Travel (miles) - travel expended for interviewing with clients, business promotions, etc.
- Commuting (miles) - travel to and from contracted work sites
- Office expenses - computers, software, etc.
- Supplies - paper, printer ink, etc.
- Taxes & Licenses - annual business license, periodic tax payments, etc
- Travel, Meals, & Entertainment - airfare, cab, eating out of town, etc.
- Loss - any unreceived money toward invoiced accounts
You may be pleasantly surprised to know that with this simplified spreadsheet layout, one might only need to spend 3-4 minutes each week keeping records up to date! Yes, having a good routine makes updating business records that much easier. For example, if you routinely submit invoices for your work on, say... a Friday afternoon, then use that opportunity as a prompt to document the weeks activities. Also, you may choose to use this time to store any of the weeks business receipts in a designated envelope.
Maintaining these records will ensure the information is readily available with little extra effort required, when preparing periodic or annual tax forms.
Common Tax Deductions
Typical small business tax deductions are nothing new or secretive, but it can be helpful to have these items highlighted for any who simply have never needed to give thought to such. Some of these topics will be similar, if not the same as the columns we discussed earlier regarding Bookkeping, so again we can see the intrinsic value of good record keeping. For example, State and Federal laws may allow for deducting business expenses related to:
- Vehicle
- Commuting mileage
- Home office
- Office supplies
- Computer / Software
- Telephone / Internet
- Education / Training
- Travel / Meals / Entertainment
- Advertising / Promotions
In summary therefore, we find that a little routine maintenance in bookkeeping can make for a much less complicated or harried tax season. Additionally, it affords one to hold a clean conscience in legally availing yourself of any tax advantages ascribed by law.
2010-01-12
CAD Contracting... the growing trend
It is apparent that many larger companies recognize the value of hiring contractors for a multitude of services. Bringing both monetary and intrinsic benefits to an employer, hiring contractors is an increasingly appealing option across the spectrum for what companies are looking for. Without delving into the macro or micro-economics involved, the trend toward hiring contractors is evident in the numbers.
If you are already positioned to provide contracted CAD services, then you have a unique option for remaining active in the ever changing landscape of employment opportunities. If you are one who is contemplating whether creating a CAD business is worth the time and effort, then it might be shrewd to listen to those who are paid to study economic trends.
If you are already positioned to provide contracted CAD services, then you have a unique option for remaining active in the ever changing landscape of employment opportunities. If you are one who is contemplating whether creating a CAD business is worth the time and effort, then it might be shrewd to listen to those who are paid to study economic trends.
- CNNMoney.com reports in an article entitled The Rise of Freelance Nation, "Don't wait for the company to push you. Start thinking like an entrepreneur now". In addition to identifying that independent contractors will increase from the present 30% of the U.S. job market in 2009 to 40% in 2019, the article adds that 'the trend is expected to spread to professions such as accounting, engineering, health care, law, and sales'.
- MSN Money also stated in a December 2009 report of CEOs interviewed for PricewaterhouseCoopers' Private Company Trendsetter Barometer survey, that "among the 35 percent of leading private companies that believe they will have to fill in some skills gaps... 22 percent plan to use contractors as means to fill skills gaps at their companies."
2009-10-26
Starting a CAD Business... suprisingly easy!
Although one can readily see that small businesses are virtually everywhere, the understanding of what legal steps are required to start as a CAD entrepreneur might seem a bit daunting. Like many in technical professions, you may have invested a large portion of your life to developing your CAD and engineering skills and abilities, and probably never gave much thought about the details of a small business until, well... now.
Whether driven to an entrepreneur spirit by circumstance or desire, fortunately it is not complicated to get a small business legally registered. Some measure of apprehension is normal, and that actually indicates one appreciates the seriousness of such an endeavor, which is commendable. But there really is no mystery or insurmountable legal hurdle to overcome. As we will see, there are essentially three basic steps involved. Before discussing these, however, it would be be good to consider a few aspects that will make those legal steps that much easier, along with bringing added benefits once you've 'thrown your hat in the entrepreneur ring', so to speak.
Bringing Your Ideas to the Table
Taking the Steps
There are three basic steps to becoming legally registered. For the intent of this article, we will use the example of CAD Graphics, LLC, located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
Whether driven to an entrepreneur spirit by circumstance or desire, fortunately it is not complicated to get a small business legally registered. Some measure of apprehension is normal, and that actually indicates one appreciates the seriousness of such an endeavor, which is commendable. But there really is no mystery or insurmountable legal hurdle to overcome. As we will see, there are essentially three basic steps involved. Before discussing these, however, it would be be good to consider a few aspects that will make those legal steps that much easier, along with bringing added benefits once you've 'thrown your hat in the entrepreneur ring', so to speak.
Bringing Your Ideas to the Table
- Give thought to a business name that tells people something about your services. That doesn’t mean it can’t be catchy, but it should inspire people to look to you for more information and promote confidence in your professional skills. You probably should avoid being too vague, but keep in mind the services you provide might expand in the future, therefore you shouldn’t be too narrow in the scope of the name either.
- Familiarize yourself with web services. A suggestion in this regard might be to avail yourself of free web site hosting (i.e.: Google, etc) and free advertising opportunities (i.e.: Yellow Pages, Google / Yahoo business listings, Craig’s list, etc.). Such services obviously minimize the initial expenditures of a business start up. However, if your CAD business plan warrants a paid web domain name, then by all means pursue that avenue. It really comes down to a personal choice and the scope that you foresee your business taking.
- Also, give consideration to a marketing plan(s), including a networking approach (i.e.: your LinkedIn account), to professionally promote your services to others.
Taking the Steps
There are three basic steps to becoming legally registered. For the intent of this article, we will use the example of CAD Graphics, LLC, located in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.
- Create a Corporation or Limited Liability Company (LLC): This step involves contacting and registering your business with your respective state. For Wisconsin, one would contact the Department of Financial Institutions and follow the instructions provided. Determining your business type, whether a Corporation or a Limited Liability Company, is of course a personal decision dependent upon the CAD business model you are developing. There is an initial filing fee required, and a yearly renewal fee of moderate amount.
- Request an Employer Identification Number (EIN): This is simply an Internal Revenue Service identification number for your business that you will use for any monetary or tax related identification, and is available without charge.
- Create an Operating Agreement: This is a written operating agreement that you would keep in your business records file. It may or may not be legally required, dependant upon location and state. It also may not be necessary if one is a single proprietor. It's purpose is to identify managerial rights and duties, and examples are readily available on-line.
2009-08-30
File Management... it's not just for CAD anymore
When it comes to electronic business file management, taking some time for forethought can go a long way in preventing wasted time in sorting, managing, and finding files later. It might seem like an elementary topic, but for the SolidWorks CAD entrepreneur there is an acute awareness that (1) each client has unique needs and (2) SolidWorks has inherent dynamics for CAD file references. The later often being both a blessing and a curse.
Obviously, a diverse array of file management structures can exist, limited only by imagination. So it really comes down to efficiency. As such, let's look at some basics that promote efficient file structure methods.
Clients
It is highly recommended that a unique folder be created specific for each client you are working with. Many professions mange their record keeping in this format, whether with physical folders or electronically. And it makes logical sense. When needed, one would first find the folder pertaining specific to the client, looking deeper for more information, as needed.
Client sub-folders
Now is where some forethought will prove beneficial. There are some common files that will exist for each of your clients. These may include business files such as Contracts and Invoices, as well as informational and reference data provided by the client or those you may glean from the Internet. Ask yourself how you anticipate working with this client, not only currently but into the future as well. After giving consideration, you most likely will be able to use one of two methods:
Herein lies probably the largest opportunity to benefit from considering how you will be working with your clients. As noted above, because SolidWorks uses file references, there are some serious aspects to consider. The basic goals should be to have your data easily available, easy to revision and create drawings, all without having to re-create files or losing previous revisions.
A CAD file structure that works well and provides great flexibility is that of three folders, within each project folder. These may be labeled as Archived, Released, and Working.
Because most CAD business owners operate without a PDM system, using the system of naming CAD files with a reference to Revision level is also extremely helpful, if not essential with the folder structure noted above. This file naming convention allows for easy understanding of each part, assembly, and drawing revision level simply by viewing its name.
In summary, it will be to great advantage to plan ahead for the file structure which will be most applicable to the clients you serve, and these can easily be based upon the two basic structures we have discussed, as shown above.
Obviously, a diverse array of file management structures can exist, limited only by imagination. So it really comes down to efficiency. As such, let's look at some basics that promote efficient file structure methods.
Clients
It is highly recommended that a unique folder be created specific for each client you are working with. Many professions mange their record keeping in this format, whether with physical folders or electronically. And it makes logical sense. When needed, one would first find the folder pertaining specific to the client, looking deeper for more information, as needed.
Client sub-folders
Now is where some forethought will prove beneficial. There are some common files that will exist for each of your clients. These may include business files such as Contracts and Invoices, as well as informational and reference data provided by the client or those you may glean from the Internet. Ask yourself how you anticipate working with this client, not only currently but into the future as well. After giving consideration, you most likely will be able to use one of two methods:
- Long-term Basis: If you can foresee working with a client on a long-term basis, then it may be best to start with having a sub-folder specific to business related documents. Then use project folders at this same level for data specific to each project.
- Project Basis: If you anticipate working only on a project basis, perhaps having a sub-folder identified by the project name would prove to be useful. Subsequent project folders can then be added as you provide further services to the client. Each project folder could then have within it a sub-folder to contain all your business files associated with the corresponding project.
Herein lies probably the largest opportunity to benefit from considering how you will be working with your clients. As noted above, because SolidWorks uses file references, there are some serious aspects to consider. The basic goals should be to have your data easily available, easy to revision and create drawings, all without having to re-create files or losing previous revisions.
A CAD file structure that works well and provides great flexibility is that of three folders, within each project folder. These may be labeled as Archived, Released, and Working.
Because most CAD business owners operate without a PDM system, using the system of naming CAD files with a reference to Revision level is also extremely helpful, if not essential with the folder structure noted above. This file naming convention allows for easy understanding of each part, assembly, and drawing revision level simply by viewing its name.
In summary, it will be to great advantage to plan ahead for the file structure which will be most applicable to the clients you serve, and these can easily be based upon the two basic structures we have discussed, as shown above.
2009-06-28
CAD... Big Job, Small Job, Long Job, Short Job!
In the field of providing CAD services, the array of job opportunities that become available can be quite varied, and of course unpredictable at times. It isn't always feast or famine, as it were, but is typically somewhere in between.
As the title to this segment indicates, the extents of job opportunities will range across the spectrum of client needs. The challenge really then becomes managing your time and effort, in a manner conducive to effective and efficient work. To this we will view a number of job opportunity scenarios, as discuss the benefits and potential concerns of each.
Big Jobs:
Big jobs intrinsically carry the sense that you will be working at an extremely involved level with a shared deep commitment with an employer. They will expect much for the time expended. Additionally, it may well require that you work very closely and cooperatively with others on the project. This may even require employer stipulations that you work on location with the employer only during their business hours.
By handling this responsibly, you may well earn a good reputation and gain a client who will look to you for their extended CAD needs again in the near future. A possible concern could be only in failing to communicate effectively and thereby falling short of the expectations that you will be held to.
Small Jobs:
Small jobs are small only in a relative sense. They still require the full scope of your effort to accomplish a quality result for the time expended. And it is important it bear in mind that small jobs could easily have the potential to become larger in the future, especially for clients that are growing.
Some real advantages of small jobs are the varieties of CAD work that can make for an interesting and robust portfolio. A potential concern is to avoid the trap of thinking that a small job somehow requires less than your best effort. Always remember that a dissatisfied customer, however small, can easily erode the good name you have endeavored to make.
Long Jobs:
A long term contract job is ideal in the practical ways of being able to provide a steady income while working in a familiar setting for an extended time. Similar in many ways to the 'Big Jobs' mentioned above, it also allows the opportunity to become an even more trusted contributor to the client or employer. In fact, many fellow workers that you work closely with may begin to interact as if you were one of them: a regular full-time employee. Be cautious therefore, not to lose sight of your professional responsibility. That means working as diligently late Friday afternoon as you did on Monday morning, regardless of what water cooler banter about the upcoming weekend is going on around you!
Although a long-term contract client will most likely negotiate a lower rate, the duration of the longer terms will easily make up for any perceived sacrifice. And there is a potential that an employer may come to be so pleased with your CAD services that an offer for full-time employment could even be extended to you.
Short Jobs:
Short jobs can be unique and afford an opportunity to expand your client base. Similar in many respects to ' Small Jobs', these are limited in terms of contract time required. Consider that a short job client might simply be 'testing you out', as it were, to determine if you would be a good candidate for more involved or lengthy contract work. That being said, you will certainly want to take advantage of developing good communication and rapport with those you will be working with.
Realistically, the variety of job opportunities may not always come as you may desire, but being flexible and balanced in your accepting work are important decisions, all the same. Your personal needs and goals in developing and maintaining your CAD business should obviously be weighed in as you consider which jobs to take or decline.
Finally, if your circumstances allow, don't forget that even offering to do a very small job for no cost can make a huge impression. Genuine appreciation expressed by word of mouth will not only promote your SolidWorks CAD business, but also indicate that you are the type of person that others should be interested in contracting with!
As the title to this segment indicates, the extents of job opportunities will range across the spectrum of client needs. The challenge really then becomes managing your time and effort, in a manner conducive to effective and efficient work. To this we will view a number of job opportunity scenarios, as discuss the benefits and potential concerns of each.
Big Jobs:
Big jobs intrinsically carry the sense that you will be working at an extremely involved level with a shared deep commitment with an employer. They will expect much for the time expended. Additionally, it may well require that you work very closely and cooperatively with others on the project. This may even require employer stipulations that you work on location with the employer only during their business hours.
By handling this responsibly, you may well earn a good reputation and gain a client who will look to you for their extended CAD needs again in the near future. A possible concern could be only in failing to communicate effectively and thereby falling short of the expectations that you will be held to.
Small Jobs:
Small jobs are small only in a relative sense. They still require the full scope of your effort to accomplish a quality result for the time expended. And it is important it bear in mind that small jobs could easily have the potential to become larger in the future, especially for clients that are growing.
Some real advantages of small jobs are the varieties of CAD work that can make for an interesting and robust portfolio. A potential concern is to avoid the trap of thinking that a small job somehow requires less than your best effort. Always remember that a dissatisfied customer, however small, can easily erode the good name you have endeavored to make.
Long Jobs:
A long term contract job is ideal in the practical ways of being able to provide a steady income while working in a familiar setting for an extended time. Similar in many ways to the 'Big Jobs' mentioned above, it also allows the opportunity to become an even more trusted contributor to the client or employer. In fact, many fellow workers that you work closely with may begin to interact as if you were one of them: a regular full-time employee. Be cautious therefore, not to lose sight of your professional responsibility. That means working as diligently late Friday afternoon as you did on Monday morning, regardless of what water cooler banter about the upcoming weekend is going on around you!
Although a long-term contract client will most likely negotiate a lower rate, the duration of the longer terms will easily make up for any perceived sacrifice. And there is a potential that an employer may come to be so pleased with your CAD services that an offer for full-time employment could even be extended to you.
Short Jobs:
Short jobs can be unique and afford an opportunity to expand your client base. Similar in many respects to ' Small Jobs', these are limited in terms of contract time required. Consider that a short job client might simply be 'testing you out', as it were, to determine if you would be a good candidate for more involved or lengthy contract work. That being said, you will certainly want to take advantage of developing good communication and rapport with those you will be working with.
Realistically, the variety of job opportunities may not always come as you may desire, but being flexible and balanced in your accepting work are important decisions, all the same. Your personal needs and goals in developing and maintaining your CAD business should obviously be weighed in as you consider which jobs to take or decline.
Finally, if your circumstances allow, don't forget that even offering to do a very small job for no cost can make a huge impression. Genuine appreciation expressed by word of mouth will not only promote your SolidWorks CAD business, but also indicate that you are the type of person that others should be interested in contracting with!
2009-03-12
Latest & Greatest? ...When to start running the latest SolidWorks CAD release
The anticipation of a new release of SolidWorks typically carries a measure of excitement! After all, we have become accustomed to seeing recognized design and software needs addressed or improved upon. As SolidWorks users, we certainly appreciate the efforts expended toward such development and the benefits that each new release brings. But this also means that each year we are faced with the question of when to start running (a.k.a. committing to) the newly released version. While some individuals or companies have a prearranged plan or standard, others simply wing-it as it were, and hope there will be no repercussions.
There are a number of factors involved which should be weighed in the decision of committing to running the new release. These should include awareness of:
User Interface Differences
These differences should be almost self-evident. Because interface upgrades are intended to make the user-experience more efficient and effective, they are probably the most eagerly anticipated aspect of the new release. The only concern should be the learning curve involved. Regular users will most likely catch on quickly, but bear in mind that significant interface differences will mean your work will take a little longer until becoming accustomed to the new methods, icons, shortcuts, etc.
Version Compatibility
This is simply an awareness issue, especially for novice users, but is vital knowledge in determining what version to use in creating new files and when to commit to running the newest version. SolidWorks files are not backwards compatible. In other words, you can save an older file version into a newer version format, but you cannot do the reverse such as saving a newer version into an earlier version format. Yes, once a file is in the latest version, there is no going back with the exception of completely redoing your design in the earlier version.
Service Pack Upgrades
This too is an awareness issue. No matter how enthralled you or anyone feels about the newest released version, remember that it is not perfect! It will require necessary upgrades to work properly. This has been evident year after year, and really goes with the territory that SolidWorks lives in. The constraints of having to release a new version each year (read 365 days) limits how thoroughly the alpha and beta versions have been properly tested. Therefore, some choose to exercise patience by waiting until a number of service pack upgrades have been released before committing.
File Collaboration
If you are working in collaboration and sharing files with another, then this will be a major concern and most likely one of the main limiting factors in the decision to commit. Ironically, however, it may also have bearing on the impetus of when to commit. It is directly related to version compatibility, but additionally brings in the factors of other designers, toolers, or manufacturers that you may be working with. Typically, whomever in the design chain implements the newest release causes the others to commit. If your design chain goes in one direction, it may not be such a concern, but if your design chain tends to flow in both directions, then there may be issues. While it is not necessarily a negative, it is important that the commitment be communicated and agreed upon, or else one could run the risk of introducing a delay in the development process that could easily have been avoided.
PDM Integration
This should only be a concern for those who manage their CAD in vaulted PDM systems, or work in collaboration with those who do. Non-SolidWorks PDM systems can be intensive and expensive operations for a company and carry compatibility issues such as Viewers, which allow others in the PDM network to view a CAD file without necessarily having the CAD software. In this type of scenario, the PDM system may exert a large measure of influence on when, and even whether one commits to newer releases. If you are working in collaboration with a company that uses a non-solidworks PDM system, ask what SolidWorks version they are using before assuming they are running the latest. Note that some large companies have been known to be actively running SolidWorks versions that are at least 2 years old simply because of the restrictions placed by their PDM system and the expensive upgrades that are involved in keeping up with corresponding CAD releases.
In summary, by being cognizant of the above issues and weighing their relevance, the decision as to when to commit to running in a new release may become self-evident. That being said, some have determined that a specific calendar date, extended some months after the initial new release, is well suited on which to coordinate committing to running the latest release. Others may choose to be flexible, for example by waiting for a specific service pack upgrade (i.e.: 2.0). As with many business issues, communication and awareness will always be the most valuable aspects in the coordinated decision to commit to running the latest released SolidWorks version.
There are a number of factors involved which should be weighed in the decision of committing to running the new release. These should include awareness of:
- significant user interface differences
- limitations of version compatibility
- necessity of service pack upgrades
- file collaboration
- PDM integration
User Interface Differences
These differences should be almost self-evident. Because interface upgrades are intended to make the user-experience more efficient and effective, they are probably the most eagerly anticipated aspect of the new release. The only concern should be the learning curve involved. Regular users will most likely catch on quickly, but bear in mind that significant interface differences will mean your work will take a little longer until becoming accustomed to the new methods, icons, shortcuts, etc.
Version Compatibility
This is simply an awareness issue, especially for novice users, but is vital knowledge in determining what version to use in creating new files and when to commit to running the newest version. SolidWorks files are not backwards compatible. In other words, you can save an older file version into a newer version format, but you cannot do the reverse such as saving a newer version into an earlier version format. Yes, once a file is in the latest version, there is no going back with the exception of completely redoing your design in the earlier version.
Service Pack Upgrades
This too is an awareness issue. No matter how enthralled you or anyone feels about the newest released version, remember that it is not perfect! It will require necessary upgrades to work properly. This has been evident year after year, and really goes with the territory that SolidWorks lives in. The constraints of having to release a new version each year (read 365 days) limits how thoroughly the alpha and beta versions have been properly tested. Therefore, some choose to exercise patience by waiting until a number of service pack upgrades have been released before committing.
File Collaboration
If you are working in collaboration and sharing files with another, then this will be a major concern and most likely one of the main limiting factors in the decision to commit. Ironically, however, it may also have bearing on the impetus of when to commit. It is directly related to version compatibility, but additionally brings in the factors of other designers, toolers, or manufacturers that you may be working with. Typically, whomever in the design chain implements the newest release causes the others to commit. If your design chain goes in one direction, it may not be such a concern, but if your design chain tends to flow in both directions, then there may be issues. While it is not necessarily a negative, it is important that the commitment be communicated and agreed upon, or else one could run the risk of introducing a delay in the development process that could easily have been avoided.
PDM Integration
This should only be a concern for those who manage their CAD in vaulted PDM systems, or work in collaboration with those who do. Non-SolidWorks PDM systems can be intensive and expensive operations for a company and carry compatibility issues such as Viewers, which allow others in the PDM network to view a CAD file without necessarily having the CAD software. In this type of scenario, the PDM system may exert a large measure of influence on when, and even whether one commits to newer releases. If you are working in collaboration with a company that uses a non-solidworks PDM system, ask what SolidWorks version they are using before assuming they are running the latest. Note that some large companies have been known to be actively running SolidWorks versions that are at least 2 years old simply because of the restrictions placed by their PDM system and the expensive upgrades that are involved in keeping up with corresponding CAD releases.
In summary, by being cognizant of the above issues and weighing their relevance, the decision as to when to commit to running in a new release may become self-evident. That being said, some have determined that a specific calendar date, extended some months after the initial new release, is well suited on which to coordinate committing to running the latest release. Others may choose to be flexible, for example by waiting for a specific service pack upgrade (i.e.: 2.0). As with many business issues, communication and awareness will always be the most valuable aspects in the coordinated decision to commit to running the latest released SolidWorks version.
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