Tag: business
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I Bought A Grill At Walmart
Yes, I know, so you can withhold your scorn in the satisfaction that I’ve been promptly punished by the powers that be. Upon initial assembly of my new $25 *Deluxe* propane grill, I assumed that the small Chinese boy manning the “‘L’ washer” machine at the grill factory simply hadn’t received adequate training from HR…
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Mini-Review: Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and the Government Bailout Will Make Things Worse
Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse by Thomas E. Woods Jr. My rating: 5 of 5 stars Meltdown is a evidence-based, academically credible, and brutally honest analysis of the causes and effects of economic depression faced in the United States since…
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SEO Is Not A Product
One of my biggest business frustrations in 2009 has centered around Search Engine Optimization (SEO): peoples fundamental misunderstandings of what SEO is, what it theoretically accomplishes, and the large number of shysters scaring businesses into pursuing activities not nearly as important as they are made out to be. Inquires usually go like this.. Preston, My business–ACME…
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10 Joys Of Small Business Ownership
Don’t fret about those woes! For on a daily basis… You are building something greater than the sum of its parts. You set the mission, vision and values. You define the right people, right roles, and right rules. You will push constantly to explore and learn to think outside your comfort zone. You will often…
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10 Woes Of Small Business Ownership
You work more than anyone else. You cannot take time off at leisure. You carry constant stress. You get paid less. You get paid last. You pay for other peoples taxes and benefits. You always deal with the “problem” cases, not the fun ones. You are asked for more-more-more, often by those who already have…
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Offering Developers Startup Equity, A Dialog
I have this conversation about once a month, generally by a well-intentioned dreamer new to the software space who doesn’t understand why I can’t accept projects for equity. I may be exaggerating slightly, but it sure feels this way… 🙂 Preston: Hi Bill, nice to meet you. How can we help you develop your online venture?…
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The Three Types of Start-Ups
At OpenRain Elite Web Software we’ve seen all the popular combinations of startup business models when evaluating new projects. Here is a breakdown of the three most common startup models based on financial structure, the pros and cons of each, and recommendations on which one to choose for your new venture. 1) The Pop-Start The…
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Financial Primer For Self-Funded Startups, Part 1
You’ve considered starting your own business–ExampleTech–and have pondered the initial investment, opportunity costs and personal risks. Here’s a brief financial primer on what you need to understand before taking the big leap, and key issues you’ll need to grok for after ExampleTech begins operations. My big leap is OpenRain, for which I manage financial planning and performance amongst a…
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Handling Self Doubt
I’m an engineer. Always have been. I cronically worry about small flaws which could spiral into unsalvagable disaster, and spend a great deal of time focusing on risk mitigation. I can thus completely identify with Riyad’s “cronic almost-achievement” issue because I felt like a raging victim of self-imposed mediocrity up until several years ago. I…