As a SoDA organization, we have been representing the IT industry in national and international media all the time. We scrupulously collect information about challenges, trends, and market predictions and conclude. In addition to global activities, we also focus on building a community within the organization. We support not only large companies from the technology industry, but also we have prepared a full package of benefits and opportunities for software houses that employ fewer employees and want to gain knowledge and experience.
Potential IT companies that want to join our organization often ask whether smaller companies that are just developing and employ a few or a dozen employees will find space for development in SoDA right next to large game changers. The answer is obvious — YES! It is worth knowing that over 50% of the member companies employ less than 50 employees, and 43% of them — less than 25 employees.
Such a combination of small and large software houses allows for the fusion of experiences and sharing know-how at every stage of development. On our communication channels, we observe that smaller companies are eager to use knowledge in hiring employees (including foreigners), salaries, or looking for advice on marketing, HR, sales, finance, and business strategies.
We focus on education
Companies that employ fewer employees want to develop dynamically and acquire new skills. Thanks to this, they can accelerate achieving new contacts, thus reaching new long-term orders. The development of new projects is often associated with hiring or hiring for a specified period of employees from the so-called benches. It is not complicated but requires a lot of attention and the completion of numerous legal formalities. At SoDA, you can easily reach such knowledge and experience thanks to the SoDA Academy platform or numerous webinars and meetings with business practitioners.
We know how important education is for our member companies so that you can use the available training all the time — not only for programmers but also for recruitment, marketing, and sales teams. The knowledge can also be expanded by managers and owners, thanks to which they will be able to implement new ideas and optimize their daily work. Employees of member companies willingly participate in online webinars — free space for gaining interesting knowledge and asking questions. We also regularly react to what is happening in the industry and create research, reports, and statistics that support and deepen the business insights of member companies.
Free IT networking — the key mission of SoDA
For the entire IT industry, regardless of the size of the company, networking is very significant, i.e., meeting specialists in the industry, exchanging business cards, and establishing long-term business relationships. It is an excellent value in the entire sector. We invariably provide the possibility of integrating member companies during dedicated meetings, as well as online — on the Slack messenger, which engages over 180 IT companies, including over 1000 users. It is worth knowing that nearly 30,000 employees work among the member companies.
SoDA organizes SoDA Locals and SoDA Connect networking meetings. The first brings together management staff; the second meetings are organized especially for employees of member companies. SoDA Locals is an opportunity to matchmaking and exchange needs that grow with the dynamic development of companies. On the other hand, SoDA Connect is a unique space to exchange knowledge and share valuable business advice.
For those who prefer to integrate online, we have prepared a closed Slack SoDA communicator. In this virtual space, anyone can ask a question, share a reflection related to the industry, and post an advertisement as part of the so-called benches about employee exchange or the desire to obtain leads. The most popular channels of our messenger relate to legal issues, SoDA events, and support in hiring new employees.
Grants and legal support
Companies also eagerly benefit from the experience and knowledge of our Public Advocacy committee. We support small, medium, and large software houses in the field of employing foreigners — the Poland Business Harbor program, subsidies related to foreign expansion, subsidies for fairs, research, and development of the so-called R&D, IP Box, Estonian CIT, tax systems such as the Polish Order or activities at the central or regional level.
