Small business computer consulting appropriately setting your rates

In small business computer consulting, $100 an hour can be a reasonable and livable rate. Why can setting your rates at $100 an hour make all the difference in the world? Take the $100 an hour and multiply it by 1,500 hours a year. This is reflecting a 75% utilization rate; or 75% of a typical forty hour work week as billable time. Now you’re at $150,000 a year gross. Salary and Affordability As a small business computer consulting firm, you will want to take a third of the gross and plow it into sales and marketing. Therefore you can afford a $40,000 base salary for your sales account executive. So, of that one third of your gross small business computer consulting income, $40,000 can go to the base salary and $10,000 can go to related marketing expenses. Additionally, one third will take care of taxes, insurance and overhead items for the most part, and you have a third of it or $50,000 left to pay a technical staff salary. Surpassing $100 an Hour You may be considering exceeding a rate of $100 an hour for your small business computer consulting firm. At that point, you can hit what we call the not-so-imaginary-hourly-billing-rate ceiling. Needless to say, if your small business computer consulting clients are paying $110 to $125 an hour, it gets even easier to be able to afford really bright, motivated, highly qualified sales and technical staff. Higher Rates Equal Bigger Businesses However, if you want to charge above $100 an hour in your small business computer consulting firm, you’ll almost always need to move above and beyond sweet spot small business clients into really large small businesses, medium size businesses and enterprise-sized accounts that require a different business model and technical skill set. Once you do that, you’re going to be operating under a completely different type of business model. And you will need even more polished and seasoned salespeople to be able to handle those accounts. Copyright MMI-MMVI, Computer Consultants Secrets. All Worldwide Rights Reserved. {Attention Publishers: Live hyperlink in author resource box required for copyright compliance}

Fried breads from around the world

When we started this project, we envisioned an overview of fried breads from around the world with a handful of accompanying recipes. We soon realized that this was a project with no end, that every culture seems to have fried breads with never ending iterations. We ended up with a sampling of breads. We hope that this whets your appetite. Do a little research and experimenting. Fried breads are wonderful—especially in the summertime when we may not want the oven on. North America Pancakes and waffles are the most popular fried breads in North America. Typically served for breakfast or brunch they can also be made as savory cakes and served with sauces for lunch or dinner. There are many other variations of fried breads in America. Of course, many donuts and pastries are fried and therefore qualify as fried breads. Yeasted dough is fried at home or sold in food stands, carnivals, and fairs. Yeasted fried bread is often called fried dough and in some areas of the country, scones. These are usually served with butter and syrup or honey or dusted with powdered sugar. Fried yeasted bread is also known as elephant ears, flying saucers, and in Canada, beavertails. In Mexican restaurants in the United States, you will often find fried bread served as sopadillas though they are unknown in Mexico. These breads can be made with yeast or baking powder and are deep fried. There is also a history of fried bread among the American Natives. When the American Indians were located to reservations in the 1800’s, they were often in dire straits and learned to make bread from not much more than flour and water. From this came their style of fry bread. The dough is pressed flat and can be leavened with either yeast or baking powder. Often these bread pieces are topped with beans, ground beef, salsa, and cheese to make Indian or Navajo tacos. Central and South America While Mexicans may not have sopadillas, the Chileans do. Theirs are often from a dough including pumpkin or squash. Sopadillas are also popular in Argentina though these may be baked in an adobe oven, not fried. Both wheat and corn flours are used in these South American sapodillas. South American sopadillas are used as either side dishes or desserts. For side dishes, they are often salty. For desserts, they are sweetened with cinnamon and maybe a little orange. Buсuelos are made in Latin America. Traditionally, they are pretzel-shaped and covered in anise caramel or served with a cinnamon and sugar topping. Churros originated in Spain but are popular in Latin America and the Caribbean. They have found their way to the United States and can be found in Hispanic neighborhoods, ball parks, and fairs. Churros are extruded through a nozzle creating an eight-pointed star. They’re fried to a crispy consistency as doughnuts are and can be straight or twisted. Depending on the size and sweetness, churros are used as a sweet snack or a dessert. Scotland Bannock originated in Scotland but like so many fry breads, has evolved considerably. Traditionally, a bannock was an oatcake but in Eastern Canada where bannock is quite popular, it is made with wheat flour. Bannock was a staple for Western and Canadian fur traders, the bread that accompanied their pemmican. Today, bannock works for backpackers and canoeists. For these campers, the flour, baking powder, and oatmeal are mixed in a bag before leaving home with dried fruits and nuts added. At camp, enough water is added to make a stiff dough, the dough is shaped into patties and fried. If you are going to do some camping, consider making a bannock mix. Italy Zeppole are small, light, fried cakes from Italy. These sweet cakes are sold on the streets, given as gifts, and consumed on holidays. They can be filled with custard, jelly, or honey-butter and covered with powdered sugar. We looked at a number of recipes, many of which were too complicated for the home baker. The following recipe is easy though maybe not authentic. Authentic or not, these are decadently good. Eastern Europe Crepes are thin pancakes that originated in Eastern Europe but have migrated to America. They can be made in a frying pan though if you use a specially made pan intended for crepes, it’s a little easier. Crepes are filled with cheese and sometimes fruit fillings to make blintzes. India Chapatti is an unleavened griddle bread similar to pita bread. In India it is cooked on a special griddle called a tava and held over a fire so that steam within the bread puffs it up. The result is a puffy disc of flat bread. Of course, we didn’t have a tava or a fire in our test kitchen so we improvised. Our version may not be authentic but it is so quick and easy, it’s worth making. Chapatti is made from whole grain durum flour. We used a mixture of stone ground whole wheat and all purpose flours. We anglicized the recipe further by adding a touch of sugar. In India, Chapatti is a complement to vegetables, stews, and other dishes. We buttered them. Katie, our teenage daughter, walked in during the session and promptly found some jam to smear on them. She graduated to hot buttered chapatti sprinkled with plenty of cinnamon and sugar and declared them scrumptious. Portugal Portuguese fry bread is a made with baking powder but is quite similar to the yeasted fry breads that we find in the US. Because it is made with baking powder, it is quick and easy. Copyright 2003-2007, The Prepared Pantry ( prepraredpantry ). Published by permission

Digital camera comparison guide

When we are ready to buy a digital camera we need to look at various facts. These facts will help us to compare digital camera features and eventually decide which digital camera we wish to buy. As there are many features that can be present in the various digital cameras you will need to isolate the main points and features of interest to you. By narrowing this field of comparison we can look for only the items that will help us take great looking photographs. Among these items to be compared can be the amount of pixels that are offered in each type of digital camera. To compare digital camera features like this you should have access to a buyer’s guide that will inform you about the amount of pixels that can be found in a digital camera. The amount of pixels will normally mean that your photograph quality will be very good. You can also compare digital camera features to see if a digital camera is suited for the amateur photographer, semi-serious photographer, the serious amateur who is looking to better their photographic craft or even professional photographers. The various information that you can find about digital cameras will let you see what different features are present in a certain digital camera. You will also see when you are looking to compare digital camera features of two or three digital cameras, if these digital cameras have the ability to turn your pictures into sepia, black and white, or soft focus pictures with the use of filters. As you compare digital camera features it is necessary to see what types of shooting modes are present in the digital cameras that you want. There should be indications about the focusing and flash capabilities of different digital cameras like Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Minolta and even Pentac digital cameras. These different types of information that you can find, will help you to compare digital camera features that are of a technical nature. There are other sources of information like photography magazines that will let you compare digital features that allow you to take photographs with special effects. These effects can be how a zoom feature works to give you an unexpected shot from a totally new angle or the way that you can change the focus of a picture by cropping the surrounding areas of your subject. To take great looking pictures it also helps to have a digital camera that provides you with many different helpful features. The many different sources that you can use like photography magazines, internet articles, and even digital camera buyer’s guides will allow you to compare digital camera features. This way you can select the best type of digital camera that is suited for your needs. To compare digital camera features you need all of these different sources. This way you have a wide choice of digital cameras to look at.

How to install laminate flooring the directions are on the package

Knowing how to install laminate flooring is as simple as reading the instructions on each package of laminate flooring that you buy. The edges of the laminate flooring lock together with the tongue and groove feature of each plank. The same thing applies when you install hardwood floors. Each board has a tongue on one side and a groove on the other. Sometimes you may have to gently tap the laminate or hardwood planks to get them to fit together, but the whole process of how to install laminate flooring is relatively simple. Most of the time, when you are learning how to install laminate flooring, the planks simple snap together with the Uniclic system. It is important to read the instructions because each manufacturer has different methods of installing laminate flooring. If you are unsure about installing hardwood floors or laminate flooring, you can log onto the website of either the flooring retailer or the manufacturer. There is usually a section about installing the flooring and you might be able to download a PDF document telling you everything you need to know. When you get the information about how to install laminate flooring, you can practice on a small area where it doesn’t really matter whether you have to remove the planks. This will give you the practice you need for when you are ready to start installing laminate flooring in your living room or another room of the home. One thing that you do need to know about installing hardwood floors is that you have to open the packages of hardwood and let them acclimatize to the surroundings. In contrast, when you are installing laminate floors you don’t open the packages until you are ready to start the installation process. You do have to ask questions about how to install laminate flooring if you are not familiar with this type of flooring. For example, if you are building a new home, you do have to have the kitchen cabinets installed before installing laminate flooring. Installing hardwood floors however, means that since these boards are heavier, you can do all the floors of the house first before you install the cabinets. It would mean, though, that you do have to take extra care so that you won’t scratch or dent the flooring. Learning how to install laminate flooring also means that you have to learn about the areas of your home best suited for this type of flooring. Laminate flooring is a very versatile product and although you can install it over just about any type of surface, there are rooms in your home not conducive for installing laminate flooring. These include bathroom, wet room, sauna or an enclosed porch or anywhere that would mean an excess of water or continual mopping. Extended exposure to moisture could damage your laminate and hardwood floors. This is why it is important to get all the information you can about how to install laminate flooring.

Blocking site or key logging is one better than the other

3 Arrests in 8 days in one small town, the first arrest an engineer, the second arrest was a Doctor, and the third was a 26 year old. All three of them were using the Internet to lure teenage girls into meeting with them for the express purpose of molesting them. "The message is, I hope the parents of children will start monitoring what their activities are on the Internet. There are a lot of pedophiles preying on these children," said Johnston. (James Johnson is a police officer in Ardmore, Alabama). "Check your caller I. D. Know who your kids are talking to. If you can, go into the history on your computers. Know what times they are talking to these people. They always want to talk when their parents are gone," he said. This is such a serious problem that the FBI admits to playing catch-up when it comes to combating clever pedophiles using the Internet, and Law Enforcement agencies plea for more money to combat this growing threat. The Bottom line is this; try as they may the government can’t stop pedophiles or keep online pedophiles away from your children, it’s up to you to keep them safe and the good news is that there are methods that can be used to not only stop online predators from harming your children, but protect yourself as well since many predators also threaten families if the victim talks. One of the methods available is called Blocking software, this software works by blocking objectionable content from ever showing up, the software is updated frequently, often daily with a list of sites (called blacklisted), places that cannot be accessed by the computer, using either a web browser such as Internet Explorer, or an instant messaging client and whenever someone tries to access an Internet page the site is compared to the blacklist and the site/chat room is either allowed or not. The other method is keylogging, this method work by recording everything that is typed on the keyboard or clicked by the mouse. One of the advantages that is provided by this approach is if your child has been approached online they generally will not come out and tell you since an online pedophile almost always threatens the child or their family if they talk, and many times the child feels guilty or somehow responsible for the pedophile’s approach in the first place. Unfortunately the online pedophile knows this and capitalizes on guilt, shame or fear this is all part of the grooming process that the offender uses to ease the child into an abusive relationship. Blocking software has its place, and is generally better used for young children since it will keep unwanted material from ever showing up, but it’s use is apparent, that is anyone over the age of 8 or perhaps even younger will know that they are being redirected to a safe website, as a parent or guardian you are definitely the best judge of your child and what they should be allowed to see, and where they should go. Which brings us to key logging software, there are many key loggers available some of them will even email you when a certain word or words that you choose are used. Please remember that child predation is the most underreported crime in the United States, and although the statistics vary greatly depending on the source and many other factors, but the fact remains that as a parent or guardian something should be done.

Cleveland cavaliers tickets is lebron s supporting cast good enough

Cleveland Cavaliers tickets have seemingly always been a chance for many to see what they feel is the “next Jordan.” Of course, that moniker has been given to others before LeBron James, but as he progresses into his career, the parallels are becoming more prevalent. Early in his career, Jordan was criticized for not getting his teammates involved, but looking back, the apparent reason was that his teammates usually weren’t good enough to close out games. Is LeBron finding himself in the same predicament? The Cavaliers currently sit with a 30-21 record, which is more than good enough to get into the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference. Not to mention, the Cavs pushed the Pistons to the brink last year before bowing out in a rugged, physical series. Their core from last season returned largely intact, and the Cavs have basically picked up where they left off in the playoffs. However, are the Cavs headed for the same fate as last season? A look at a few of their other starters may help predict what will ultimately become of this team: PG Daniel Gibson Gibson only recently moved into the starting lineup, so it’s too early to tell how this young PG will do, but so far, even though he’s been solid, he’s not yet a difference-maker. SG Larry Hughes Hughes is coming back from injury, so like Gibson, it’s a little early to tell just how he’ll contribute in the big picture. He’s as athletic as any guard in the league, but he’s shooting just over 40% from the field, and that needs to be better if the Cavs are going to take that next step. C Zydrunas Ilgauskas It wasn’t too long ago that “Z” was the biggest reason to get Cleveland Cavaliers tickets. It’s always been the same story with him, however - highly skilled, can score with the best, but injury-prone. His minutes are down a bit this year and he’s been healthy, but he’ll have to remain that way if the Cavs are going to break through to the NBA Finals. PF Drew Gooden Gooden is a strong physical presence, and is a prototypical “lunch pail” guy. He scores mostly off rebounds, gets a lot of boards, and plays decent defense. However, like so many others in the starting five, he’s not the type to take over a game, but will play an important role in a playoff run. What Does it all Mean? In looking at the Cavaliers’ lineup, you see a lot of role players and hard workers, but what the Cavaliers really seem to be missing is that second option for those nights when LeBron isn’t feeling it. Jordan didn’t start to win championships until he had Pippen to play that role, and if Hughes can continue to get better, he could be that guy. If so, get your Cleveland Cavaliers tickets now, as they’ll be making a deep run into the playoffs.

The history of cheese dates back many centuries

The last time you broke open a package of cheddar; did you wonder where that cheese actually came from or how it came into existence? Chances are good that you were probably more interested in getting those slices on your bread or crackers than in the history of your cheese. However, cheese has a long and interesting history that actually dates back much farther than Christ – almost to the beginning of the world as we know it. It’s pretty amazing to think that the slice of cheddar you are eating has a longer history than almost every civilization on earth! How did the History of Cheese Begin? Ancient folklore states that the history of cheese originated with a nomadic traveler that had packed milk for his travel in a saddlebag that had been created from the stomach of a young animal. That bag contained rennet, which is a product found in animal stomachs and is an enzyme that helps to transform milk into cheese. When this weary traveler stopped for a refreshing drink of his milk, he realized that the liquid has been changed into curds and whey. Both were found to be very tasty, and the love of cheese was born. The Old Testament of the Bible makes many references to cheese and cheese making, leading historians to believe that the history of cheese dates back much farther than the birth of Christ. There have been curdling vessels found that can date back as far as 5000 B. C. and written diagrams showing the process of milking cows and curdling the milk that go back to 3500 B. C. It is thought that cheese was first made in the Middle East, but the popularity of the food quickly spread throughout much of Europe. By the thirteenth century, farm women realized the advantage of combining their resources to create cheese, and cooperative dairies were born. As more and more countries got into the cheese-making act, many different varieties of cheeses came into existence. During the Middle Ages, monks got into the cheese-making arena as well, and we can credit them for many of the varieties of cheese that we have today. The history of cheese continued into the nineteenth century, when cheeses began to be made in factories instead of on farms. The variety of cheeses that we enjoy today can be attributed to the various regions in the world that tried their own hand at cheese making with great success and flavor contributions.

How to craft porcelain doll aprons

How to Craft Porcelain Doll Aprons Now that you have created patterns to make your porcelain doll dress, you may want to add an apron to enhance her fashion. Aprons are relatively simple to make. You will need material, including 6 inches of light colored plain-woven fabrics (Batiste) to make your apron. You will also need lace, about 3/8 inches with narrowed edges. In addition, you will need white DMC thread made of poly-cotton, embroidery white thread, fabric glue and spray, embroidery DMC thread (pink and green; 818-pink; 524-green) and studs for your apron. (OOO-Studs) Now that you have your items, you can begin making your apron. You can either procure lace or else design your own edges. In this instance, we are going to make up edges, such as the scallop and ruffles. You will need craft paper and pencil to draw your apron pattern. Once you have the pattern drawn, cut it out. Use your stabilizer spray, at the bottom untreated edges, spray about 2 inches, and allow it to dry. Press your rigid fabric. Now, begin sewing a fabric edging, i. e. an ornamental undulate edge in your fabric. (Scallop) You want to sew along the bottom untreated edges. Next, sew parallel with the distance across your skirt. Leave Ѕ inch or 1 inch opening at the right side of your “foot presser.” Avoid sewing overly close to the untreated edges. TIP: If you use a sewing machine, use your settings to form the scallop method. Next, use your fabric glue and run it the length of the outside edges of your pattern. Allow the glue to dry and then cut excessive fabric using craft scissors to fit. Cut another 15 inches lengthwise of your fabric and another 4 inches widthwise. You are now ready to start stitching your ruffles. Sew your embroidery scallop on after you finish the untreated edges, stitching the edges so that it zigzags. You want to stitch the seams at the back to the dot and to the hem. Gather your stitches, running them in a line and at the crown. To create the edge of your apron, cut any unwanted length. Apron making is created in a few methods, which include cutting out the “shoulder straps” and the waistline per outline or pattern. You want to crisscross when stitching along the thin edges of the lace. Continue stitching to the middle edges at the back and bring the right edges collectively to open the apron at the back middle. Now you can fold the lace, press and add a couple of lines while collecting the stitches near the edges of the crown of your kilt. Gather and pull up the fitted kilt, collecting it to meet the waist and compare the middle front as well as the notch. Make sure the gathered area is even. Stitch collectively and brush the seams whilst using the crisscross method to complete your task. Next, trim the shoulder ruffles in a straight line along the pattern to sew fabric edges. (Scallop) Now take your stitches, gather, and run a few lines along the curvatures of the edge of your shoulder ruffles. Between the notches on your shoulder scrap, place your completed edges and even them out as you sew the seam lines and the trim. Now, fold the straps along the folded line. Press your pattern and turn it so that it falls beneath the untreated edges. Next, sew hidden stitches beneath the strap, preparing the seams of your ruffles. The shoulder straps can now go on the waistband, which should compare to the notches. Before you complete your task, compare the shoulder straps to your doll to make sure it fits, and then complete your stitching.

The automatic champion

“Babe” Didrickson Zaharias was a phenomenal athlete. This Texan ran, jumped, rode horses, and played basketball and baseball—with tremendous flair. In the Olympic tryouts in 1932, she won five first places in track and field events. In the games of that year in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the women’s 80 meter hurdles, a gold medal in the javelin throw, and a silver medal in the high jump. After the Olympics, Zaharias turned to golf. Although she started from scratch, she won the National Women’s Amateur and the British Women’s Amateur. The press hailed her as a “natural athlete.” They often referred to as an “automatic champion.” But the real story behind Zaharias fairy-tale success was her painstaking diligence. Her success came from studied repetition. In every sport she undertook, she was methodical, deliberate, and persistent. She was neither “natural” nor “automatic.” When, for example, she played golf for the first time, she did not automatically master the game. Instead she studied the game carefully, covering all its complex skill sets, under the tutelage of the finest golf teacher she could find. She looked at all the elements of the golf swing, broke it down into parts, then put it all together in a fluid movement. Besides using an analytical approach to understand the game, Zaharias also locked the information into her motor nervous system through exhaustive practice. She would spend as many as 12 hours a day on the golf course, hitting as many as a thousand balls. Her hands would often becomes so sore that she could hardly grip her club. She stopped only long enough to tape up her hands before picking up the club again. Zaharias learned to play golf the right way. She started out by hiring an exceptional teacher. She analyzed each part of the golf swing then put them all together in a fluid motion. She practiced for about 12 hours a day. She exercised self-discipline and self-sacrifice. And she didn’t doubt herself. Her previous successes had created an enduring self-confidence. She believed that if she applied herself she would be a golf champion. She proved this belief true. Zaharias took a risk. She risked her reputation as an athlete by trying something new. She also risked the time and money it cost her to perfect her new sport. Above all, she was methodical in the way she went about inventing herself as a champion golfer. She chose a gifted teacher, studied all aspects of the game, and put her new knowledge into practice, converting theory into motor learning, coordination, and stamina.

Ten things that loose you credibility as web designers

1) A hit counter Is it 1998? Why do you need one? Many clients want some way to track their visitors or see how many unique visits they have. Do them a favor and don't use a CGI or visible hot counter. The world uses invisible tracking now. Google analytics is free and incredibly useful. Give them access to that. Educate your client if this is a problem. You're the web designer. 2) Black backgrounds Black backgrounds can be pulled off really only by professional designers. If you are one, great for you, if not, stick to white or a brighter color. And for the love of God, don't place a dark text on a dark background. Use your common sense. Educate your client if this is a problem. You're the web designer. 3) Background Music If I want to listen to music, I have my own, and I have my own player. Visitors to a website are there for a reason. To find what they are looking for. Do not intrude on that. Your job is to make that information available and present it in the most appealing way. You are a web designer, not a DJ. If I’m listening to music while browsing, I don't want yours overlaid. It's very annoying. Educate your client if this is a problem. You're the web designer. 4) Pointless JavaScript Disabling right click has no purpose apart from annoying people and making you look unprofessional. Avoid using pointless free JavaScript widgets just for the sake of it. Scrolling text in the status bar. If you want to present information, present it on the page. Educate your client if this is a problem. You're the web designer. 5) Spelling and Grammar How difficult is it to run a spell check? We all make mistakes. We're human after all. Even the spell checkers make mistakes. But chronic misspellings and poor grammar just makes you look stupid. 6) Banners And Ads By all means use them, but not too many/only if your site is established. CPM advertising can be a great way to earn revenue, but plastering every pixel of screen real estate with banners and ads makes you look like you’re just in it for the money. Maybe you are, but have at least some decent content to justify it. Adsense and other contextual advertising should HELP your users. Remember that. Popups on landing pages just annoy people. 7) Overuse Of Flashy Graphics If I want flashing and colorful lights, Ill go to a disco. Once, twice or even three times and it has my attention. That’s enough. 8) Flash Splash Pages Does anyone really need to see your 3 minute graphics presentation? Probably not. If you are trying to show off, let a visitor choose if they want to see it. If you MUST show a flash splash screen, at least give the option to skip it. 9) Asking users to join before viewing content or a forum This one really grinds my gears. If you have a forum or have useful content, show it. Do not make members sign up to view it. They should only sign up to post/reply/contribute. Limiting viewing of content will drive visitors away in droves. 10) Browser Dependence Dont make your website "Designed for Internet Explorer" or any other browser. Make it accessible and cross browser compatible. Why on earth would you or your client want to exclude anyone? Use your brain. Educate your client if this is a problem. You're the web designer.