Sep
2
Would Yo Do It For Free? – Because You Will
September 2, 2009 | 1 Comment
One of the career and small business mantras I follow is that “Your business / career should be built around something you are willing to do for free“. Something so fun and rewarding to yourself that you would like to do it very often, most of your days. I can’t claim to be [...]
Jul
10
Can you survive on your own?
July 10, 2009 | Comments Off
Independently I mean. Without the help of your parents? And without the help of adoptive parents in the way of an employer? No shame in accepting that you can’t: most people can’t. However, it is an interesting mental exercise, and an interesting idea to explore. In an age of almost 10% [...]
Jul
4
Fixed Cost vs. Time and Materials
July 4, 2009 | 1 Comment
In Professional Services terms there are two general ways of pricing a project:
Fixed Cost
Time and Materials
Unit of Cost
Project
Time (hour or day)
Most Risk
Consultant
Client
When to do it
Clear Expectations
No Fixed Set of Requirements
Fixed Cost is preferable in many situations. Alan Weiss agrees on his consulting books. Some of the reasons why:
Provide Value – Not Time. You want to be known [...]
Jul
1
IOU vs. Promisory Note
July 1, 2009 | 1 Comment
An IOU (I Owe yoU) is an acknowledgment of debt, normally specifying debtor, the amount owed, and sometimes the creditor. A Promissory Note is a contract specifying unconditional terms on how to pay the debt, including interest (if any) and time of repayment. The State of California is issuing IOUs to their vendors (essentially telling [...]
Jun
25
QuickBooks – Nothing Beats Free
June 25, 2009 | Comments Off
For my business accounting I use QuickBooks Pro. But to tell you the truth, chances are I would be equally happy with the QuickBooks Simple Start Free Edition 2009. I have less than 20 customers (big ones). And most of what I do need accounting for is create invoices, pay bills and print checks – [...]
Apr
15
Product Review: NeatReceipts
April 15, 2009 | 2 Comments
For years I doubted a product sold at Airport kiosks was worth my money. I have been proved wrong twice. Once with Rosetta Stone, and twice with NeatReceipts. It is just that I didn’t acquired either at the airport (the former can be bought used and the later can be bought ‘refurbished‘ for $99 vs [...]
Apr
14
Contractor vs. Consultant
April 14, 2009 | 2 Comments
Consultant, Contractor… is there a difference? Sometimes there isn’t, sometimes the same person can be both, even on the same engagement. However, I define the difference this way:
Consultant: An expert in a topic. Some sought after for his/her knowledge. A trusted adviser. Someone you can trust to get things done on time and under budget. [...]
Dec
10
US Mortgages Worse Than My Prosper Account
December 10, 2008 | 2 Comments
This is no laughing matter. Blomberg reports that “One in 10 American homeowners fell behind on mortgage payments or were in foreclosure during the third quarter…” . My prosper account is not doing great either.
I have so far removed $3,000 from the original $20,000 investment, which makes current principal investment in Prosper $17,000. (These come [...]
Oct
21
A Consultant’s Pipeline
October 21, 2008 | Comments Off
Often people ask me how I handle my pipeline, a term commonly used on technology sales; meaning, how do I handle my expected business. A perfectly managed pipeline would provide even and always increasing business over time, regardless of economic conditions. A challenge to even the most seasoned CEO. Even large [...]
Oct
21
6 Month Review of Two Portfolios
October 21, 2008 | Comments Off
Just as the financial crisis started to unravel, I designed (and invested) on two portfolios. The Technocrat Portfolio, related to my career, and believing that it would do better than the market due to the need for technology that increases productivity. The other one was what I thought more reliant to recessions, and what would [...]
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