accounting software by sage

A recent press release for DSD Business Systems' accounting software San Diego caught my eye, as they advertise software solutions for small to medium sized businesses. Their press release indicates that they specialize in the Sage MAS 90 and 200 software platforms and offer all types of enhancements and custom features for these titles. Unfortunately, for a business owner who isn't accustomed to any type of accounting software, their press release is a bit confusing. It would appear that they are only interested in customers who are already using these Sage solutions, who may need upgrades and/or help with more advanced features.

A quick trip to the Sage homepage provides more information about their software, as well as an automated tool to assess your CRM and accounting needs and match it with their product line. It appears that for my type of business, adding their e-Business manager to the MAS 90 allows for accepting and tracking orders over the web.

The DSD site features a page of free tech tips for Sage users that would certainly be bookmark worthy. They cover such popular topics as payroll, inventory, taxes, and of course sales reports. If you are looking for an accounting platform and expect that you will require customization and assistance to streamline it for your business, I would suggest checking out DSD.

aol / microsoft scam making the rounds again

Hard to believe, but the old AOL / Microshaft email scam is once again making the rounds. You know the one - asking you to forward an email to everyone you know and you'll receive $200 for each person you send it to.

You would think that by now, people would know that they can do a quick Google and find out what is bogus and what is true. Instead, people get dollar signs in their eyes, lose track of all common sense, and forward these chain emails to everyone they know, possible sending out viruses and trojans along with it. At the least, they are spreading email addresses around that can be collected by spammy harvesters.

Wake up, people! Quit forwarding anonymous emails to your friends. Anything that sounds too good to be true probably is. Bill Gates doesn't need to give out money to people to get them to keep using his browser - there are enough novice users on the 'net that don't know any better.

musicians friend living up to its name

I'm not a total "gear-head" but I do make my fair share of gear purchases throughout each year. In most cases, I have purchased from Sweetwater, where the service has been great and they are usually willing to beat prices advertised by competitors like Musicians Friend and AMS. However, my salesman has been a bit "off" lately, seems to only want to chat when I am ready to put some money down, and manages to leave out answers to some of my questions when I send them over. So I have been branching out a bit, looking at deals with other sites like Music123, Sam Ash and ZZounds.

In the past, I was even willing to pay a little more for Sweetwater service in a few cases where they could not do a price match. I also dig the fact that they ship out a handful of Halloween candy with each order. Sure, it is cheesy, but who doesn't like Laffy Taffy? (Rap groups are even making songs about it these days.)

Imagine my surprise when I received a free copy of Keyboard magazine in the mail the other day. Included in the clear plastic envelope was a letter from Musicians Friend, explaining that I will be receiving a free year's subscription to keyboard magazine as their way of saying thanks for being a customer. What a nice gesture. I have received free single issues before from Sweetwater, but never a full annual subscription.

Now, it's important to understand that this isn't exactly a "selfless" act. After all, the magazine is jam-packed with features covering the latest music gear, gadgets and toys, most of which can conveniently be picked up at Musicians friend. Keyboard magazine is also smart enough to know that most first time subscribers to a magazine will end up renewing their subscription at the discounted renewal rates.

None-the-less, I haven't subscribed to any music-based magazines in a while (since I was getting frequent reviews for my music), so it is nice to get back "in the loop" for a little while. Assuming that I don't get a bill later this year for my "free" subscription, I just wanted to say "thanks" to Musicians Friend!

laptops to go

I was recently reading an article about the "$100 laptop" and found the design quite interesting. Although it was created within strict budgetary constraints, it also features a built in carrying handle as part of the case. This got me thinking about portability of laptops. So far, the only problem that I have experienced from traveling with my laptop is the protective sheath of the power cable splitting near the transformer, and that was likely from winding and unwinding the cable so often. The laptop itself seems to be holding up well, but I treat it quite gingerly.

What if you accidentally dropped it? Or if someone else (say an airport inspector) accidentally dropped it? In most cases, I fear that the laptops of today might not survive that fall. Why aren't laptops made more rugged? I'm thinking something along the lines of those rubber-encased Motorola two-way radios. Wouldn't it be great to have a laptop that is enshrouded in a rubber shock-mount case, that still allows access to the access doors for drives, peripheral jacks and memories?

Thus far, I have yet to find a laptop that includes this feature. Perhaps it is because they don't want to make them last that long. Or perhaps they assume that anyone who is wiling to shell out the extra cash for a laptop instead of a desktop will take care of it. Either way, I have found a possible solution: laptop skins.

This company called SkinIt, offers 3m-compliant adhesive skins that can offer a bit more protection while also adding your own personal touch. Just like cellphone skins, you can now cover your laptop with style, and protect areas that are more scratch-prone. My only complaint was that you aren't able to actually see the skin on your laptop while on their site, so I have no idea how it fits, or what areas it covers or doesn't cover. But it should offer a little more rugged sensibility to an otherwise pricey and sensitive piece of office gear.

florida farming - more than just oranges

I've seen some interesting advertising schemes over the years - grizzly bars advertising Mountain Dew, bullfighters advertising chewing gum, etc. Here's a new video that I just ran across over at PayPerPost:



Did you know that Florida has a thriving farming community? Sure, we've all heard of Florida orange juice, but this video clearly indicates that there is more to Florida farming than just our morning juice fix. In fact the video states that they generate over 87 billion dollars a year! They have chosen a creative approach to getting this point across on YouTube by showcasing their official Fresh From Florida racecar.

Google pays you to test?

Did you know that Google actually has a program in which they will pay you to test out future software roll-outs and answer surveys on their product line? If I hadn't seen it firsthand I would never have believed it. best of all, there's a finally trusted site that actually pays for surveys.

If you haven't already done so, you should check out Google's user experience program and sign up. Most of their offers pay around $75 for an hour to an hour and a half of testing and response, which isn't bad at all. You don't have to live near their corporate headquarters in California, either. Crazy that I've been working on the internet for so long and never heard of this until now. Maybe it is new?

I'm under arrest!

I was quite excited to hear that the Police are going to be touring soon. Sure, there are lots of eighties acts reuniting and touring these days, many with dismal results, but when you consider the fact that Sting has kept up with his career since leaving the Police, and is arguably still at the top of his game, this tour should prove to be phenomenal.

The Police are one of those acts that never released a crappy album - one of the true gems of the post-punk new wave movement. The only problem I ever had with the Police was when they redid "Don't Stand So Close to Me" in 1986, it just didn't work for me. I love the quirky and quick original, but the slow and soundtrack-ish approach to the remake soured my stomach. Aside from this small misgiving, the Police can do no wrong, and are back with a vengeance! Imagine hearing the crafty hihats from "Walking on the Moon" played live, or Sting's caterwauling "Roxxxxannne!" belted out live right there in front of you. What an experience!

To coincide with the tour, they have produced a new double Best of Police cd of all of their hit tunes:

Everything, and I do mean everything, that most fans would want to hear is included.









Here is the tracklisting:
Track Listings
Disc: 1
1. Fallout
2. Can't Stand Losing You
3. Next to You
4. Roxanne
5. Truth Hits Everybody
6. Hole in My Life
7. So Lonely
8. Message in a Bottle
9. Reggatta de Blanc
10. Bring on the Night
11. Walking on the Moon
12. Don't Stand So Close to Me
13. Driven to Tears
14. Canary in a Coalmine

Disc: 2
1. Do Do Do de da da Da
2. Voices Inside My Head
3. Invisible Sun
4. Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic
5. Spirits in the Material World
6. Demolition Man
7. Every Breath You Take
8. Synchronicity I
9. Wrapped Around Your Finger
10. Walking in Your Footsteps
11. Synchronicity II
12. King of Pain
13. Murder by Numbers
14. Tea in the Sahara

This should usher in a whole new era of fans who already recognize these songs and will have to own them. Including the Message in a Box collection, this makes the third Best Of disc I have run across for the Police, and nicely packs select tracks from the Box collection with The Singles collection, leaving out some of the less popular (but still notable) rarities from the Box collection. In a nutshell, this new collection should truly be the "Best of" the Best Of's, and would make a great addition to anyone's collection. Best of all, it includes the original awesome version of "Don't Stand So Close to Me" that wasn't included on the earlier The Singles collection.

silly things like pricetags

As much as I try and encourage others to shop locally, sometimes it ca be frustrating. Sure, there is the obvious price differences, and sometimes it is hard to pay 100% more for something than you would have paid at Mal-Wort (especially when you're on a tight budget). But there are also other little conveniences that you grow accustomed to with big chain stores.

For example, having your items bagged for you, or being able to see the price of anything you want to buy. The local hardware store, for example, has a nice size selection but not everything has the price tag on display. And since it is such a small store, you need to go up and have the scan it to tell you how much it costs - sort-of a pin in the ass when you're in a hurry and they already have a large line of people waiting to check out.

I remember seeing a special once about why mom-and-pop stores and restaurants were going out of business. American shoppers want convenience, but they also want a certain amount of predictability. This is why you might grab a burger at a McDonald's even if there was a mom-and-pop burger joint right next door. Sure, their burger may be awesome, but at McDonald's you know what to expect (you just don't know what the meat is made form). I hate to admit that I, too, fall into this category of people on occasion, and seeing as I sometimes have stomach troubles, I don't like to experiment with my digestive system as much as I used to.

homes are like art

...in that they are never finished!

My lower back is killing me today, as I spent the day yesterday painting the ceiling of our kitchen. There had been a number of "repairs" done to the ceiling by the previous owners that were painted over in various shades of white paint, some glossy, some not...some questionably close to shades of non-white, etc. Some creative putty work, hole filling, and a half gallon of "ceiling white" paint later, and the ceiling looks decent. Then I was able to hang our two new light fixtures, replacing the contemporary Dusenberg-headlight styled lights that the previous owners had installed (which I discovered were from Wal-Mart, and used weird replacement bulbs that cost $8 each).

There is still much to be done, and every time that I start a new project I run across an underlying problem that needs to be fixed first.

It is a bit difficult living in a small town, as we are limited in our hardware selection, too. We don't have mega-hardware stores like Lowe's and Home Depot battling it out at our high traffic street corners...not that I miss them that much - just their selection.

Fortunately, the internet is proving to be an awesome resource - even for home decor and hardware. In fact, in some cases, I think I prefer the online shopping experience for certain items. For example, when shopping for blinds, you ca spend a bunch of time at one of those cut-while-you-wait and hope-they-get-it-straight stores, or you can just buy some online. Online stores like Terry's Fabrics feature a massive selection of just about kind of blind you could want, such as wood blinds, roller blinds, and of course venetian blinds.

I particularly like some of their faux suede roman blinds, as I think they would fit nicely with some of the remodels we are doing in our dining area.

Considering how much gas prices have been going up, even sites that make you pay for shipping are worth considering, especially if (like us) you'll need to drive 40+ miles to get to the nearest hardware superstore.

family affiliates

Here's an idea that I was thinking about recently, but haven't tried. Why not work with family members and friends to develop a network of affiliate purchasing links that you can use to help each other out while shopping online?

In other words, one member of your family may setup an affiliate account at a sporting goods store, while another might create an affiliate site at a clothing store. It only makes sense that if you are going to be doing some shopping online, try and go through a link so that your friends and/or family members get some credit for it in the form of commission. Some affiliate programs don't allow one to purchase items and receive commissions through their own links, but having family members and friends purchase items through your own links is perfectly valid.

As one more potential income stream, why not set up an affiliate website just for family members that has a directory of links for them to follow, knowing that if they buy what they need through these links you will get a kickback. This would come in handy for those relatives who may not know their way around the internet just yet, as your directory could act as a pre-screened directory. It may sound lame to try and make money off of family members and friends, but if they are shopping online anyways, why not?

payperpost takes on reviewme

PayPerPost just announced a new offering called PayPerPost direct that rivals the ReviewMe service, in that it offers advertisers the opportunity to direct contact a blogger and request a write-up for their product or service. This differs from the regular PayPerPost service in which an advertiser posts an open opportunity (with guidelines) and allows anyone with a qualified blog to write about it.

On one hand, some of the Posties have been complaining about this move, stating that it is just another move for PPP to take a cut from the direct contact revenue potential that bloggers might otherwise make for themselves. However, one can also see this as an effective escrow service, and considering that the fees for this new PPP service are much lower than comparable fees from sites like ReviewMe, I can see this becoming another viable blogging revenue stream.

They have also rolled out some additional features that should prove useful, including the option for us bloggers to temporarily "bench" an advertiser's opportunities from view if we are tired of seeing them. This should especially come in handy for us to better ignore those obnoxious advertisers that submit a dozen opps for the same product at the same time, or for the ones that make ridiculous requests like asking for 300 words posts for $5.

no building code?

I live in a small town that only recently adopted (and started checking) building codes for construction projects. As such, my home (which was built over ten years ago) features electrical wiring that was done by an extreme amateur, or moron.

As a result, every project that I attempt to take on, which appears small at first, turns into this massive problem. Replacing a microwave results in installing a new receptacle. Replacing a range results in having to relocate the 220v outlet. Replacing some overhead lights in the kitchen results in some creative engineering to figure out how to properly hang fixtures when the wires were originally just stuck through holes in the ceiling.

As much as I hate the idea of having to have repairs and construction "checked" by a building inspector, I must admit that it certainly has its advantages when you start seeing shoddy electrical work of this type. At this point I keep telling my wife that, based on the electrical work I have seen, our house will probably burn down. Sad part is - I'm only half-joking about that.

prepaid cell coupons

I'm still feeling somewhat indecisive about the idea of picking up a cell phone for my business. So far, I haven't really needed it. Most of my business has been net-based, with few phone calls. but I still feel like I should have something every so often for emergencies, especially while on remote Ozark road trips.

I was looking at prepaid phone options again, and ran across a listing at CouponChief for coupon codes for the TracFone. Unfortunately, the link that they provide takes me to an Error 404 not found page. It's too bad, because the deal sounded pretty good: "Buy a 60 minute prepaid wireless card and receive a Free phone + 60 bonus minutes"

I found some other coupons for Net 10 prepaid wireless service, but none of them were quite as good as the TracFone ones. I did have a job interview this week and they may actually pay for a cell for me if I get the job, so maybe I will wait for now.

affiliate yourself

Over the least year or so, I have managed to create some successful affiliate campaigns that bring in several revenue streams each month that help to pay the bills. One of the things that I noticed is that many of these affiliate programs do not have any restrictions against making purchases through your own affiliate links. There are some real perks to this approach at shopping. For one, you can combine your savings with online coupons and offers for free shipping. Then a month or so later, you'll get your commission, which makes the deal even cheaper.

Although the idea of becoming an "affiliate" sounds pretty involved (and sometimes requires a website), in most cases, it is as easy as clicking on a button and accepting some terms. Check the detailed guidelines if you're worried about getting in trouble for shopping through your own affiliate links. However, don't forget that you can always have your spouse or a relative or friend purchase something for you to get it cheaper, if they don't allow affiliate to buy items through their own links. Obviously, it doesn't make sense to go out and buy something just because you can get a discount for it (unless you want to resell it), but if you were going to make a large purchase anyway it makes sense to try and generate an affiliate account with them that you can use to get an extra 5-20% off.

Update: One caveat - If you follow a coupon link to a merchant site through someone else's website, you're likely passing through their affiliate link, so you won't get the commission. However, if you use a coupon code that you found at the merchant's site, there is a good chance that you can use it and still get your affiliate commission if you arrive at their site through your own affiliate link.

finding rewards

As I was discussing in my last post about Credit Cards, rewards can make credit cards a useful tool. You just need to make sure that you don't get carried away. In the past, we have often tried to spend only cash for our expenditures, as away to try and curb spending and make our expenses feel more "real" to us (thereby helping us to equate the cost with the time spent to earn that amount of cash). However, with the rewards programs that are out there, it is difficult to argue with getting a few nights of free hotel stays, or some free airline flights, or even cash back at the end of the year, in return for the additional hassle of a monthly credit card bill.

Assuming that you pay off your balance each month, there's really no negative effect of using this strategy. Creditors actually prefer that you spend money and pay off credit cards, rather than just letting them sit in your wallet unused.

Finding the best reward program is fairly simple. There are lots of pages that give some advice on choosing a reward program. Many companies will even give you the option of changing your rewards preferences midstream. For example, you might want to save up miles for a free airline flight, but then change it to free gifts or cash back after your vacation. many offer this option without any penalties. The best rewards programs out there, in my opinion, offer this sort of flexibility, and also offer most of their rewards without blackout dates or expiration limitations.

Obviously, considering the percentage rates is also an important option if you plan on carrying a balance (or even if you don't plan on it - sometimes you just cannot help it!). I generally try to keep cards that hover at less than 10 percent, but this has been getting difficult lately. Plus, most of the fine print includes a line stating that they can still change your rate whenever they feel like it, so the idea of a true "fixed" rate doesn't really exist from what I can tell. Your bets bet is to have at least two credit cards, and use one as a backup that you can transfer a balance to if the first card tries to up your rates. Here's an interesting article on transferring balances and keeping them at a 0% APR year after year.

In the old days, you could usually call the credit card company up, threaten to transfer the balance and cancel the card and they would knock some of the interest rates down. These days, they don't do that, though. I remember calling Citibank once and the guy was extremely rude to me, actually. He just said, "Go ahead." I should have reported him to his boss, but they probably wouldn't care anyways.

In a nutshell, it is important to remember that a credit card is a tool that is not to be taken for granted or depended upon. It's great to have for emergencies, but don't depend on any APR promises. All they need to do is say that they missed one of your payments or that it came in late, and they can increase your APR for whatever they would like. Remember: Your best defense against crappy credit card companies is the money in the bank to pay them off.

funneling for points

My father called me yesterday to discuss a potential family vacation. At first it sounded a bit daunting and expensive, as the airline tickets were running about $600 each, but he had a great idea that one of his home-building buddies told him about.

Certain airline companies offer Visa cards that allow you to earn frequent flyer miles for each dollar spent, so my father had a great idea. As a home builder, it is a fairly regular occasion for him to spend somewhere in the neighborhood of $60k for lumber, which would give him about five or six free airline tickets. What a great idea!

Personally, we've been doing something very similar to this ourselves. While we never actually carry a balance (we pay off our credit cards each month), we have been using our Priority Club card to earn free hotel nights with Holiday Inn Express. By funneling most of our expenditures through the card, we get points and an extra 30 days to pay them off. It works pretty well, and we end up getting a few free nights each year, which normally isn't heard of unless you've been traveling quite often.

If you think about it, as I hate the idea of having any credit card debt, it certainly makes sense to try and funnel all of your purchases through some sort of rewards program so that you can get something for your spending.

ethical loans?

I recently ran across a new approach to loans from an advertiser at PayPerPost. "Co-operative" loans are said to be lending money that has not been tainted by pollution-based firms or human rights abuses. Could it be that a large business such as this is actually making decisions that aren't entirely based on money? This is particularly shocking for a banking or lending business, but as their website states, "The Co-operative Bank turned away some £10m worth of business for ethical reasons last year..."

Sure, this could just be some sort of publicity stunt, and there could have been other reasons for shying away from these interactions, but it is respectable that they are willing to take a stand an voice their approach for all to see, as this would probably be apprehensive to some large corporations who don't want their business practices to come under scrutiny when approaching a business relationship with a banking institution.

If you really think about it, hitting the purse-strings of big business may be one of the most effective means of effecting change. In most cases, the businesses exploiting human decency and polluting our natural resources are often the very same ones who manage to be the most profitable, due to the corners that they are cutting. It takes a lot of guts to establish one's business in a competitive industry like the lending industry, and try and take such an aggressive ethical stance. Most companies have no problem publishing a canned "equal rights" ethical hiring and service agreement on their website, but to post ethical guidelines for the businesses that they interact with is a step beyond. I commend them for this.

analog deprived children

I feel bad for the digital kids of today. They'll never know the crackle and hiss of vinyl - the occasional "warpy" sound of tape reels. Personally, I am doing my best to educate my children in the world of analog electronics, before it completely disappears. Sure, it is old school, and not as great "quality" as digital recordings, but there are some pretty hefty arguments out there on the lack of warmth of pure digital. Sure, it's crisp and clear (sometimes with ear-cutting clarity), but the organic warmth of vinyl cannot be reproduced. I know - I have spent quite a bit of time trying to emulate that beloved warm tone, with little success. Perhaps there are thousand dollar converters out there (Apogee?) that are capable of emulating analog warmth, but I have yet to hear one that equals vinyl.

There are lots of "special feelings" that the mp3 age has killed off. The joy of thumbing through stacks of vinyl at a used record shop, for instance. Call me old fashioned, but if we're going to completely ditch things like vinyl (and now CDs) in favor of an mp3 file, I'd say that we're only further alienating our humanity from our progress. Lame, lame, lame...

Online Gameshows

The latest press release that I found on PayPerPost is for a new online game show site called whogets.com. With the current plague of online casino sites on the internet, it has been difficult for me to swallow the intentions any new gaming site that I run across these days. However, this one seems promising. Here's why:

- It's free to join.
- There's nothing to buy.
- No bogus "offers" to complete.
- They limit the "chance" to win to one account / email address.
- They state that they will not spam you.

Although there is a clause in their terms of use that allows them to change the terms of use at anytime, they currently appear quite innocent, so those of you looking for a gambling fix (but not wanting tons of spam from singing up) may find this site worth spending some time on (and hopefully earning some prizes at the same time).

One interesting approach for this site is that it sounds like the other users of the site get to decide who wins, as they vote for the best "responses" to each product. It sounds a little like getting paid to offer opinions of certain products, or explaining why exactly you want to win that product. The products featured are from reputable sponsors like Overstock.com, Linens & Things, and eToys.com, so there's a good chance that there will be something for everyone. I just visited and saw a Target Gift card for $50m - not bad.

chocolate strawberries

Well, I managed to create two pounds worth of chocolate dipped strawberries today, for a fraction of the price that I would have paid online. I can also guarantee that they'll be fresh now, since they were when I bought them and they are now sitting in the fridge waiting for Mother's Day.

All in all, I think it cost me about $6 for the two pounds of strawberries, two bags of chocolate chips, and a bag of coconut flakes (which I added, since my wife loves coconut). Not bad considering most of the floral shops online wanted about $50-$60 for one pound of them (sans coconut). Best of all, my daughter helped me to make them, and we were able to enjoy an hour or so together this afternoon, laughing as we got chocolate and coconut all over the kitchen. You just can't put a price-tag on that.

Who says that fathers don't get anything for Mother's Day?

floral denial?

Mother's Day is just around the corner, and I'm left wondering what an anti-capitalist like myself is supposed to do for his better half. Like me, she doesn't like the idea of spending money on unnecessary things. Flowers are traditionally a great choice for occasions like Mother's Day, but in my wife's case, she'd prefer to receive something that isn't going to die, and perhaps serves some sort of purpose (other than looking pretty). Fortunately, there are other options aside from cut flowers.

Even floral shops have clued in on this trend in frugality, and are now offering lots of alternatives to the typical six day blossom. With about 35 years of experience under their belt, one such shop is Flowershop.com, where in addition to Mothers Day flowers one may find a fair selection of sweets, plants and other luxury gifts. Unfortunately, I have never been one to pay $59.99 for a dozen large strawberries, regardless of what type of fancy chocolate you drizzle on top.

For women like my wife, I would really like to see some other options for nice looking potted plants that also serve a purpose, like an herb garden that is tastefully decorated and potted. Unfortunately, the potted plant section at Flowershop.com is fairly limited to orchids, one small dish garden and a bromeliad. Their cut flower section is bit more varied, and I really like the look of their Mother's Day tulips, but again - my wife doesn't want me to spend so much on something that is going to die within a week or so.

According to Flowershop.com, "Eighty-three percent of people like to receive flowers unexpectedly." I guess that my wife falls into the realm of the other seventeen percent. Then again, she doesn't mind receiving flowers unexpectedly from relatives. She just doesn't want it to come out of our budget. On the bright side, when you're on a budget (or living with a strict budget-minded woman), you can always find some interesting gift ideas by visiting these types of sites. For example, I happen to know that I can pick up a large produce pack of strawberries and a few perfectly meltable Hershey Symphony bars and play chocolate chef for about $10.

For those of you without the creativity, time, and budget constraints, don't wait until the last minute and pick up a crappy looking bouquet from Wal-Mart on your way home from work. you better fess up, pay for some convenience, and get her something nice from a reputable florist like Flowershop.com.

local rates versus net rates - or, the great catch 22

The internet has brought many aspects of equalization to the table over the years. As consumers, we now have ultimate selection and, if you are willing to pay for shipping, en almost unlimited competitive market catering to our every whim. As business owners, we can find information, supplies, and support much easier than before (and often for free).

However, there is still one aspect of the globalization market that drives me up a wall. Consumers want the best of both worlds. They want the convenience of local delivery and a face-to-face experience with those they choose to do business with. However, they also want the competitive rates that one would expect from internet-owned businesses. As service providers, we are often left in something of a "catch 22" position when trying to compete and satisfy.

For example, as a web designer, I am acutely aware that the local market is generally ignorant of standard internet rates. As such, they may or may not have established standard rates in their mind as to what they would expect to be charged. Others may have the opposite pre-assessment - that web services, as mysterious as they are to non-tech savvy individuals, are very expensive and therefore cost-prohibitive to local business. As a result, a designer may find themselves establishing two sets of rate charts, without having ever planned such a disservice to himself.

Because the internet is a global market, the cost of services by industry leaders is often untouchable to most small business owners, but that doesn't keep the more amateur web businesses from trying to emulate their same rate quotes. In some cases, they shoot themselves in the foot. In other cases, they get away with it. I personally believe in quoting based on how competent and experienced I feel about something, regardless of whether I am working with a local organization or a distant contact from the web. It is difficult, though, because physical interfacing is often more time consuming, and there is more presentation involved, which means more cost.

So sometimes I may be tempted to add a bit of "cushioning" to the bid to cover that overage. Problem is - this may make your bid less competitive, and then your potential client begins comparing you to other (non-local) online firms, who may do the same service for the same price (or less). This may anger them, or present a feeling of betrayal, as if being "local" guarantees the best price (or somehow points to you providing them with a "deal" because they're technically your neighbors). You obviously can't reason with them (i.e. "sorry I'm charging you more, but every time we meet you blather on at the end of the meeting about some rubbish that has nothing to do with business, and you're taking time away from my potential productivity for that day"). Strangely enough, it is sometimes faster to explain something over the phone or via email than face-to-face. Either that, or the client is too meek to admit in person that they don't get it, and ask for further explanation.

It's all very difficult to assess, and as much as I would like to treat all of my clients, whether local or distant, with the same service-to-price ratio, I am finding that this doesn't always work. Many local clients still don't grasp the concept of paying for my time at a meeting, or paying for ideas that I come up with. Some feel that prototypes and mock-ups don't warrant reimbursement - only the ones that they like. I guess that it all has to do with preconceptions, misunderstandings, and their discounting of anything that can't be tangibly seen or held in their hands (like ideas, brainstorming, research, etc).

So, as web workers who choose to do business with both the non-geek non-web types (who are unaware of web work standards) as well as the latest Web 2.0 firms (who know *everything* after all), what approach do we take? Do we drag the laymen kicking and screaming into our tangled web (pun intended), or do we continue to hold their hand and hope that by the end of the experience they don't still feel as though we are ripping them for charging them so much (when anyone who knows the standard rates would be grateful for our competitive pricing)? Or do we, as I have sometimes done, invite them to call around and use "The Google" and hope that they find the prices that makes ours look like a steal? When all is said and done, giving someone a deal who may never appreciate it, leaves me feeling a bit sore.

prescription drug abuse help

I recently discussed what I believe could be one of the origins of prescription drug abuse in our culture. many individuals don't realize how damaging prescription drug abuse can be, or to what lengths individuals will go to once they have become addicted.

The 1800nodrugs.com drug rehab website explains that prescription drug abusers will go so far as to write phony prescriptions, convince their specialty doctors to prescribe meds by convincing them that their regular physician is out of town, schedule appointments with random new doctors to establish a clean slate of prescription status, and in some cases steal medications.

It is strange that this phenomenon doesn't receive more attention. Instead, we see movies where people constantly offer one another powerful drugs like Valium, with no apparent responsibility for the fact that it was a prescribed substance. According to a national study discussed on this website, "The 17th annual study on teen drug abuse found that in 2004, more teens had abused prescription pain medication such as Vicodin and OxyContin than cocaine, crack, Ecstasy or LSD. The most popular prescription drug abused by teens is Vicodin, with 18% or about 4.3 million youth reporting that they had used it to get high."

In a nutshell, handing out prescription pain killers to friends isn't curing their illnesses, but may be influencing them to take on a very damaging addiction. As their name suggests, this 1800nodrugs.com website offers free drug counseling and referral services. Although prescription drug abusers sometimes try to cocoon their addiction in a humorous light, there is nothing really funny about it. When not prescribed, statements like, "God, I need a valium" should be reacted to no differently than someone stating, "God, I need some crack." Get them some help.

origins of prescription drug abuse

My son is currently going through the dreaded "terrible two" stage of toddler-hood, and coincidentally, we as parents are going through the "how the heck do we deal with this kid" phase. One of our biggest brick walls at this point is bedtime. Our son does not want to go to sleep. In fact, he doesn't know what he wants. He just wants to say "no" to whatever we suggest.

"Do you want to stay up?"

"Noooo."

"Do you want to go to bed?"

"Noooo."

Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that we are allowing him to make these types of decisions before he is ready to make them. Maybe his little two-year-old brain isn't ready to assess such earth-shattering options and rationalize which one will bring happiness and comfort. Or, perhaps he is just tired and cranky, because he pulled this same act last night, didn't get any sleep and is overly tired.

We have read lots of advice from websites and books, relatives and such. Some are conventional. Others promote "far out" experimental methods. In the back of my head, I am convinced that all would be okay if I could just reason with him, as we do with our older children. However, what do we do in the meantime?

We have tried the rewards methods, the punishment methods, the ignoring "don't give him attention for it" methods, even the "lock his door and let him scream it out" method (which nearly broke our hearts). Nothing seems to work at this point. So we endure, as parents enslaved to the beast that is two-year-old indecision and stubbornness.

One relative suggested that we give him a small dose of Benadryl each night, to soothe him. Problem is...I don't want my kid to get addicted to Benadryl. You'll know it is becoming a problem when they ask for it, or feel that they must have it in order to "get by". We noticed this when he was teething and was getting accustomed to some herbal teething pills for babies. I wonder if the problem that we have in today's society with prescription drug abuse might originate from this very same approach by parents. We already see it continue in the form of things like Prozac and Ritalin - I can't handle the kid - it must be an imbalance. Give him some drugs. Wouldn't this explain why some people end up addicted to things like pain killer?

As difficult as it may seem, I say stick it out, deal with the little brat and keep the drugs in the medicine cabinet. No sense in establishing addictive behavior at such a young age.

free now, pay later?

Speaking of auction sites, I recently ran across a site via PayPerPost known as bid4prizes. Although booking itself as an auction type site, the approach to this one is a bit different. They claim that the lowest unique bidder wins. However, upon visiting the URL that they provided, I am redirected to a landing page that states that you *might* win an iPhone by signing up for a $9.99 monthly subscription. To what, I am not sure, as it doesn't really say. As far as I can tell, I have no idea what this has to do with online auctions.

Assuming that the site was actually directed to an auction site (as it was supposed to), I'm sure I'd be willing to throw a few dollars at an iPhone, but this landing page looks more like one of those product review services, where your subscription eventually far outweighs whatever money you might have saved on the "free" prize (and by that time, the item is probably out-of-date technology and yesterday's fad).

Personally, this looks likes one of those spammy opportunities that affiliate sites like Azoogle offer website owners to try and make money off of generating leads. In other words, by submitting the user's phone number on the landing page, the website owner (or affiliate) would earn a few bucks. Reading the fine print, it says that your subscription gets you 20 bids a month, so I guess if those bids win at auction (if you can find the auction items), you might be getting a deal.

In the end, I'm left wondering who would try this, given the lack of information, "spammy" appearance of the site, and the fact that the term "landingpages" is plainly displayed as part of the URL...

risk & the eBay margin

Lately, I have checked out eBay to compare prices on a number of items. In one case, this was for an aftermarket automotive part that appeared to be selling for $20-$30 less on eBay than in traditional car parts stores. However, after reading the feedback of many of the eBay auto parts stores, I am left wondering if it is worth the risk. On one hand, I could rely on my Visa to protect me from bad eBay experiences. However, PayPal is quite explicit that taking action with Visa (thereby going over Paypal's head) to settle a dispute is highly discouraged, and often will result in the suspension of your PayPal account. PayPal instead, would prefer that you file a dispute, wait forever for the seller to come to terms, and then wait even longer to actually get your money back (which may or may not include a refund of shipping).

Considering this risk is very important, and it means more than just assessing a seller's feedback rating. After all, just because a seller has a 98% positive feedback rating doesn't guarantee that yours will be. If you view sellers with thousands and thousands of feedback comments, you might find that the negative comments are *very* negative. Even if they only happen every so often, my luck tells me that I would likely be one of "the few" who have a bad experience with the seller (or rather one of "the few" who stands up for his rights and does something about it when he feels he has been screwed over in some way).

Therefore, I propose that there is a margin of price-point that makes eBay worth the risk. Each buyer must set that margin in his/her mind and stick to it, in order to fulfill any self-interest in not feeling like he/she has "been had". in some cases, on small dollar items, this margin isn't as important, or isn't so high. In other cases, like when purchasing an automobile, it may be *huge*. After all, why pay the same price (and assume much more risk) bu buying a car far away if you can get one for the same price (or a bit more) locally?

In my latest experience, saving $20 on a $80 car part wasn't worth the chance that I was going to be one of the select few who had a problem with the seller in question, so I passed.

1-800 save the day

I find it refreshing that free help lines have not gone by the wayside in our current market-driven society. Having seen the effects of drug addiction firsthand several times in my past, I am thankful that individuals who may be having trouble with substance abuse can get drug rehab advice for free on the internet, and can still turn to live phone counselors for assistance in their needs.

I was recently offered a chance to review a website service known as 4Rehabilitation.com, which is an informative site and referral service. Understanding that "one-size-fits-all" rehab programs haven't always been very successful in the past, they assist individuals in finding the right type of program and facility to match their specific needs. I especially appreciate that they offer advice for intervention, as the person with the problem is often unaware or in denial, and family members and friends have many difficult decisions to make in pointing this out to them. Knowing what steps to take, and where to suggest a person go for rehab can make the difference between a successful intervention, and a general falling out.

It also recognizes that not all drug abusers are going to find help for themselves without a little persuasion from those who care about them.

franchise hurt or help?

I met with a potential client today, whose business is part of a national franchise. We discussed some of his specific web needs, and he expressed some frustration with their current web provider, which of course is dictated by the head franchise corporate office.

Although I do understand the benefit of large-scale brand recognition, proven track-record research and development, and overall support and training that a franchise business model can offer, I also believe that they can be somewhat limiting. For certain businesses that have been around for a long time, antiquated business models are still in place, and getting the head office to implement certain changes (which may in turn impact the budgets of all of their chains) can be like pulling teeth.

Traditional pre-internet franchises in particular seem to suffer from this problem. While a specific branch location may want to optimize their marketing per modern day standards, they be fighting an uphill battle with the "head office" to get them to allow such a change. It's all very fascinating - starting a franchise is supposed to eliminate some of the risk involved in starting a new business, but positioning yourself in "safe" business models means less control, not unlike our current American approach to privacy and the Patriot Act.

utopia - reinventing the wheel?

One question that comes to mind quite often when I'm having my lucid dreams of utopian living, is whether is would be better off to just find the right place and stay there. After all that's why we moved here. But as I have stated in the past - does the American Capitalist way of life allow for such lofty ideals of living?

I often feel that the old towns of Europe are my inspiration for dreaming of Utopian villages here in the United States, but I have also heard that many of those have since been bought and sold, and now cater to vacationing citizens of the UK. The yeoman of yore have left the building, so to speak.

A recent opportunity at PayPerPost for a company known as Wellington Estates advertises areas in North Cyprus that supposedly have not been tapped by modern profiteers yet. Their North Cyprus Property listings showcase areas that they say retain "a rural charm and slow pace of life." Looking at the photos, I am not reminded of medieval villages or rural life in any way, though. Most of them appear to be built in a desert-like setting, with nearby homes sitting a typical American suburban-lot's length away. Perhaps this suburban style of development is better for Cyprusians than the "overdeveloped" areas of South Cyprus, but in my book, they look like suburban Southern Colorado (aka - not my cup of tea).

neo-utopian ideals

Lately, I've become rather disenchanted with the small town that e are living in. On one hand, I appreciate that it is a tight-knit community and that we have a diverse population. I, of course, enjoy the natural setting and the slower pace (when the tourists aren't causing too much trouble). However, time and time again, I have to remind myself that this is till America, and decisions will still be made to promote capitalistic greed. Forests will be destroyed in the name of profit/progress, and the voice of the everyday Joe with only a few dimes to rub together will often go unheard (or at most denied).

Sometimes I wonder if I will only be satisfied when I am living in the middle of nowhere, all alone, or perhaps in a community of people that have been hand selected for their honesty and moral grounding (and their lower priority attitude towards obtaining wealth). Unfortunately, the hippies of the sixties have more-or-less denied us the ability to be taken seriously when we discuss starting new communities. Even though the 19th century was rife with new towns, settlements, and Utopian communities, the hippie movement of the sixties (with its free love and rugs) has left a bad taste in everyone's mouths. It's a shame because I feel that, for the first time in a long time, the internet allows us the opportunity to read about the communities of the past and to learn from their mistakes. And, if we can find a piece of land that is well suited, we could start fresh and try to create a model town that other could look up to, and possibly imitate.

a hands-off approach to sales?

Is there really such a thing?

Another interesting thought that my friend and I had, while we were discussing the means of promoting out new startup business, and driving sales, is the idea of allowing affiliates to sell our product for us.

In some cases, affiliate marketers can drive tons of interest (and conversions) and advertise your product for you. If your goal is to have an automated business that is providing more-or-less passive income, when does it become the obvious choice to let the affiliates take the wheel and do your selling for you almost exclusively? I imagine that there are sites out there that already do this, and probably do quite well with it.

In the past, it would have been difficult to try and take this approach as the costs of affiliate management software and conversion tracking would have been very high. However, today, we have companies like AIMpromote that offer these same tracking functions in a nicely bundled software suite for as low as $33/user. With their current CRM software offering, everyday small business owners (like you and me) now have access to advanced tracking features like lead tracking, lead reselling, campaign performance, marketing automation, affiliate management, and of course detailed ROI metrics. While some may argue that the large PPC programs offered by search engines offer some of these same capabilities, do you really want to give the wolf the key to he hen-house? I personally would prefer for Google not to see what kind of conversion rates I am getting, as I don't need them using my statistics to lure my competitors into the same fields of affiliate marketing.

Best of all, by investing in some thorough software, such as that being offered by AIMpromote, you get to spend less time running the business, and more time reaping the profits.

the risk of being physical

I've been chatting with a friend of mine about starting a new media company together, and we have run into the physical versus virtual quagmire. While it would be ridiculous to only sell physical products, and not approach sales fro an online standpoint, we have been debating whether we should, instead, skip the physical sales altogether.

Because the company is focusing on media sales, and traditional media sales have been plummeting for years now, it is a difficult investment to tackle. We would be looking at physical media manufacturing costs, mailing costs, etc. Whereas, if we stick with virtual sales, we don't worry about any of those costs.

The problem that I have with it is with establishment and reputation. Does the existing media market put too much trust in companies who manufacture physical products, over those that only tackle virtual sales? Or is the "old mindset" finally being thrown out, in response to a lack of interest in physical product? As my friend stated, we are living in an "immediate gratification" society, and the best way to profit from that is to go wit the flow.

I imagine that this is the same dilemma that record labels are facing today. Do we give up on producing physical albums altogether now that online sales have become the purchase of choice? Or can we still squeeze some dollars out of them while we're waiting for the rest of the American consumers to get their first iPod and upgrade to Vista?

paintball practice for ambitious warmongers

It's a shame that we couldn't convince the leaders of the world to simply get together for a friendly paintball game, to try and settle our differences. He who walks away with the most stains loses some oil rights...

While some people abhor the paintball craze that has swept the country, I see it as a chance for everyday Americans riddled with guilt and fear to express themselves. In my eyes, it beats taking pot shots at people for real, and its better than hunting for sport. I think that the real value lies in the fact that at the end of a "battle", you walk away alive and still friends, even if covered in paint. I also see this as great training, should we ever find our country in a national take-over crisis like the one portrayed in the eighties film, "Red Dawn".

Some young men that I knew actually joined the armed forces because they wanted to fight people. My brother is one of these people. He enjoys fighting too much to be a pacifist. Fortunately for us, he quit before he was sent overseas, and now he takes out his aggression on his buddies at the local paintball field instead.

When it comes to hobbies, getting into paintball isn't going to kill your wallet. A quick trip to the Ultimate PaintBall Gun Store for paintball markers, guns, and supplies shows that you can pick up about 2,000 rounds for around $30. So it's less than a round of golf, and you get to wear cooler duds. I was actually surprised that they now sell grenades, too. Sounds like fun. Think of this as the natural successor to the old laser tag tournaments of the past. Difference is, you can't reset your gun when you're hit. When you've been tagged in this game, you're literally caught "red-handed", or "red-headed", or red-chested", etc.

religion of hate

I grew up in Catholic schools, and I went to church every Sunday prior to turning 18. I understand most of the Bible and I get what (I think) Jesus was trying to teach us. However, what I don't understand is how the church has come to be so hateful. In my hometown, there is talk of a domestic partnership registry for homosexuals, and the right is, of course, up in arms at this proposal.

The one lesson from the bible that never seems to be followed by the church and many of its followers is to let God be the judge. Instead, the extreme right-wing Christian Radicals feel the need to condemn everyone for their sins, as if they themselves are without sin. Talk about glass houses. These are many of the same people who are gung ho about the war in the Middle East (I was going to say war on Iraq, but it is obvious at this point that Iraq is simply a springboard). What ever happened to "Thou Shall Not Kill"? I forgot to notice the footnote at the base of the ten commandments that states, "Unless they are Islamic Terrorists, then it's okay."

So I ask once again, how does this "God fearing" nation sleep at night?